Substitutions / sesame oil
What to use instead of sesame oil
Use toasted sesame oil in equal amounts. If your recipe calls for regular sesame oil, toasted has a stronger, nuttier flavor — use a little less if you want subtlety.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Toasted sesame oil | 1:1 | If your recipe calls for regular sesame oil, toasted has a stronger, nuttier flavor — use a little less if you want subtlety. |
| Perilla oil | 1:1 | Nutty and aromatic like sesame oil, but less common and with a slightly different herbal note. |
| Peanut oil | 1:1 | Mild and nutty, but lacks sesame's distinctive flavor — works for cooking fat but not as a finishing oil. |
How much is a cup of sesame oil?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh sesame oil in grams →
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.