When leafing through my grandmother’s yellowed recipe cards recently, I kept encountering an ingredient called “Oleo.” This mysterious ingredient appeared in everything from cookie recipes to savory dishes. If you’ve ever wondered “what is Oleo in old recipes?” you’re not alone. Oleo is simply an old term for margarine that was commonly used in recipes from the 1930s through the 1970s. Today I’ll explain everything you need to know about this classic ingredient and what to substitute when you find it in vintage recipes.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts About Oleo
- Modern Substitute: Butter or modern margarine
- What Is It: An outdated term for margarine
- Origin: Derived from “oleomargarine”
- Common In: Recipes from 1930s-1970s
What Exactly Is Oleo?
Oleo is an abbreviated term for oleomargarine, which was the original name for margarine. This butter substitute was first created in 1869 by French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès during the Franco-Prussian wars. He developed this product in response to a competition sponsored by Napoleon III’s government, which was seeking a cheap and stable butter alternative during wartime shortages.
Early oleomargarine was made primarily from beef fat (tallow) mixed with milk and salt. This creation earned Mège-Mouriès a significant prize from the French government and ultimately led to the global spread of margarine.
The Fascinating History of Oleo
Original White Appearance
One of the most interesting aspects of early Oleo was its appearance. Unlike the yellow margarine we know today, original Oleo was white – nothing like the butter it was meant to replace. Manufacturers included a small capsule of yellow food coloring that homemakers could mix in if they wanted their margarine to resemble butter.
Why was Oleo white? This wasn’t a manufacturing limitation but rather a legal requirement resulting from the fierce battle between the dairy and margarine industries.
The Butter vs. Oleo War
The dairy industry viewed Oleo as a direct threat to their business and lobbied extensively for restrictions. Their efforts resulted in remarkable legislation across the United States:
- Wisconsin (the “Dairy State”) and six other states made margarine completely illegal
- Three states required margarine to be dyed pink to distinguish it from butter
- Federal taxes were imposed specifically on colored margarine
- Many states prohibited margarine from being colored yellow
These restrictions remained in place for decades, with the last color ban not being repealed until the 1960s. Home cooks often had to mix in the yellow coloring themselves to avoid the taxes and restrictions on pre-colored margarine.
Evolution of Ingredients
While early Oleo was made from animal fats, manufacturers eventually shifted to using vegetable oils:
- 1930s-1950s: Transition to cottonseed and soybean oils
- 1950s-1970s: Further refinement with partially hydrogenated oils
- 1980s-Present: Reformulations to address health concerns about trans fats
How to Substitute for Oleo in Old Recipes
- When you encounter Oleo in vintage recipes, you have several options for substitution:
- Oil: In some baking recipes, an equivalent amount of vegetable oil works
- Butter: The most direct replacement with a richer flavor
- Modern Margarine: For a closer match to the original recipe
- Plant-Based Butters: For dairy-free versions of classic recipes
What’s the Difference Between Oleo and Butter?
The main differences between Oleo (margarine) and butter are:
- Source: Butter comes from dairy cream, while Oleo is made from vegetable oils
- Fat Content: Butter contains at least 80% butterfat, while margarine has a similar fat percentage but from plant sources
- Flavor: Butter has a richer, more distinctive flavor
- Melting Point: Butter melts at a lower temperature than most margarines
- Health Profile: Butter contains saturated fats and cholesterol, while modern margarines vary significantly in their nutritional profiles
Tips for Using Vintage Recipes with Oleo
When working with older recipes that call for Oleo, consider these tips:
- If the recipe is from before the 1950s, it was likely developed with a different texture and flavor profile than modern margarine
- Baked goods made with butter instead of Oleo may brown more quickly
- Butter will impart a richer flavor that may alter the original taste slightly
- Reduce salt slightly if switching to salted butter in a recipe calling for Oleo
The Legacy of Oleo in American Cooking
Oleo represents a fascinating chapter in American culinary and economic history. Its popularity peaked during the mid-20th century, when convenience foods were widely adopted and the nutritional understanding of different fats was not yet well established.
Today, Oleo primarily lives on in vintage recipes and as an occasional crossword puzzle answer. While margarine is still available, many cooks have returned to butter for its flavor.
Continue Reading Those Old Recipes
So, the next time you read an old recipe and see an ingredient called Oleo, you won’t have to wonder what it is anymore. You’ll know that Oleo is just an old word for margarine and you can swap it out for butter.
Of course, your kids will miss out on the fun of adding in the yellow coloring!
Recipe Recommendations: Classic Recipes That Called for Oleo
Looking to try some vintage recipes that originally used Oleo? Here are some classics where you can substitute butter or modern margarine:
I’m old enough to know about oleo/margarine but my concern is oleo has changed over the years and some are not good for old recipes that called for it. Some are 80% vegetable oil, some are not. Which is closest to what I used 45 years ago? Thank you for your help.
I honestly do not have a great answer for you. I know I have cooked with butter for the past 25+ years, and I have always found the substitution of butter for Margarine to be acceptable.
Except when making cookies. Using butter will give you a crispier cookie, whereas margarine will give you a softer cookie, generally.
Thank you for this!
I am reading a book called Apothecary where people eat oleo. Now I understand what they are saying!
Glad to help out!
Okay, just to have a laugh! My husband thinks “oleo” is the chant the wicked witch’s guards recited in The Wizard of Oz. Somebody save me!!!!
Seriously, this was an interesting article. Appreciate it.
Got here because I saw this picture on Imgur: http://i.imgur.com/dVcql8f.jpg
Mom always makes the best Christmas cookies.
Someone had some fun with photoshop 😉
Actually not photoshop for once.. real tombstone in the cemetery in Cascade Iowa USA
Me too
Got here by researching this not because of an old recipe but because I remember my grandma always using the word “oleo” (I think even when it was butter but cannot exactly remember), just remember that word being used all the time. Your website was the first I found.
Many of my Grandmother’s recipes have the Oleo as an ingredient in them too 😉 You can use margarine in it’s place, but honestly, I really like to use butter when I can.
Yes but today’s margarine has more water added to it so you will need a little extra flour to hand the same consistency and reciepes back in the day.
You have to be nuts to eat that crap. Hydrogenated vegetable fat is infinitely worse than real butter in almost every regard except price.
Today Parkay is made without hydrogenated oil and uses nonfat milk in it as do other margarines. I am old enough to remember the actual brand Oleo and was born in 1961.
Crossword puzzle clue… “Margarine”… answer: Oleo… hmpf Well learn something new!
It is in a lot of old recipes. Glad that we could help out.
you should never use margarine. Always use butter. It’s natural and healthy.
“Natural” doesn’t necessarily mean good or better. Arsenic, radon and toadstools are three “natural” products that come to mind. There are a whole host of others.
Maybe but you wouldn’t eat Arsenic, Radon or toadstools, would you?
I wouldn’t eat butter either. Doesn’t agree with me.
OLEOMARGARINE FOUND IN CHICAGO BURLINGTON & QUINCY DINING CAR 1947 RECIPES
I see this is a old thread but I’ll post anyways.Our local newspaper does a section called ‘a hundred years ago’ and they made mention of the dairy farmers in our area complaining about Oleo hurting their butter sales,real milk dairy butter was expensive and Oleo was using cheap beef fat and underselling them. It sounds like the first Oleo used beef lard instead of vegetable oils How do you think that would go over today with the ‘health conscious’?
If Oleo and margarine are just synonyms, then why is “Oleo” spelled with a capital “O” and margarine is not?
I believe it is because “Oleo-margarine” was a brand, so the “o” remained capitalized.
My grandma’s kolache recipe calls for 4 T butter, 3 T oleo, and 2 T chicken fat. Help! Should I use 9 T butter – or should I use some shortening?
I believe either way would work. The recipe is calling for a total amount of fat, the specific kinds are probably about flavor more than workability. (The chicken fat is definitely a flavor thing, and a fairly soft kind of fat.) Good luck, have fun cooking, experiment a bit with different fats to see if it makes a difference in taste.
Thank you for the response. I appreciate your insight. I agree chicken fat makes many things taste so much better.
I think all butter would give you a completely different result. Oleo is hydrogenated oil, and has a fair amount of water in it, and has a burn-point that is higher than butter. You will end up with a much more crisp result using all butter. My mother left behind a cherry pudding dessert recipe. Her recipe calls for oleo. I used butter and it gives a completely different texture, one we aren’t used to.
Do you mind sharing that…My husband is Polish and I would LOVE to make a good recipe for him?
Well she must have had something there. I would try 4 T butter, 3 T margarine, and 2 T of rendered chicken fat. I bet they are amazing.
A friend,some long time ago, would give me recipes using oleo. I was not sure what it was. I looked it up, but I wanted to double check. So, I put it in again, on a search engine. Then I found your site. I was happy to find you. And, for sure, this is margarine. Since then, I also go to yard sales with my daughter. And, have several old fashioned books, that call for oleo. I was just wondering, though, can a person substitute something else. And, what would be the best choice on what to use! Thank you so much!
You can substitute for margarine or better yet, butter.
Thank you so very much! I thought so, but did not know which was best to use. Perhaps this is something for everyone to ponder. How about coconut oil. I keep mine in the fridge. It is trans free, but I am intimidated on using it. I really am but, at the same time know that it must be healthier in some ways. I am so very big on extra virgin olive oil. My Mediterranean heritage, I suppose. I love your website. My friend that gave me these recipes was just the best! She came into my life when I needed her the most. One recipe with an old fashioned name brought so much love & warmth! Who would of guessed! I loved this article, thank you, again! I also asked another friend if I could put oregano in biscuits & gravy. She said, no, you can’t! Because then you would have something else! I have thought about it since, and thought it was kind of funny! She should not be scared to experiment, as I sometimes am! Great site!
I am not sure what you mean by the coconut oil, sometimes I use coconut oil. I don’t bake with it, because I haven’t tried it. Good luck 😉
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Im so gonna share this keep it up 🙂
Thank you so much
Ok I understand that olel is margarine but when the receipe asks for both oleo and margarine of butter how do I adjust for that.Its my gramdmothers egg noodles receips thanks.
It’s just one thing. You use it just like you would butter.
I’m trying to find a WHITE oleo for a buttercream receipe, to keep the frosting nice and white. This receipe calls for White shortening, White olel and butter.
I think one thing you can do is to use clear vanilla.
white shortening is Crisco solid.
This is Alireza Sahebalam my company has most activity about oil and oleo chemical field therefor I will be so glad to know more about your company and its products and probable
cooperation.
If you’re recipe calls for a “stick” of oleo, and all you have is soft margerine or stick butter, which would be best to use in a candy recipe that is dropped onto wax paper to harden?
Soft margarine is not for baking, use a stick of butter or a stick of margarine.