Ghee is often used in cooking and baking due to its delicate nutty flavor and high smoke point. It is clarified butter, stripped of milk proteins and moisture, which makes it more stable when heated and convenient for long-term storage. In baking, it gives the dough a special softness and aroma, but if ghee is not available, it can be replaced with other products.
The closest in properties is regular butter. It also gives baked goods tenderness and flavor, although it contains milk proteins and water, which can cause the dough to differ slightly in texture. If you want to achieve a more similar effect, you can melt the butter beforehand and heat it slightly, removing the foam and sediment to obtain a homemade analogue of ghee.
Vegetable oils, especially coconut oil, are also a good substitute. It gives baked goods a pleasant aroma and delicate texture, and its heat resistance is close to that of ghee. Refined coconut oil can be used in neutral recipes, and unrefined coconut oil can be used if a light exotic flavor is desired. Sunflower or corn oil can also replace ghee, although they have a less pronounced flavor and do not give the characteristic creamy tone.
Another option is margarine, which is often used in industrial baking. It works well in dough, making it pliable and soft, but is less commonly used in home cooking due to its composition and lower nutritional value. A vegan alternative could be a mixture of vegetable oils or special dairy-free cream spreads, which are easy to find in stores.
Thus, instead of ghee in baking, you can use butter, coconut or other vegetable oils, margarine, or spreads. The choice depends on the desired taste, texture, and characteristics of the recipe: oil is better for a classic creamy flavor, vegetable options are better for a neutral result, and spreads or coconut oil are better for dairy-free and vegan dishes.