Frequently Asked Questions

Hello, fellow ghee lovers! As the cooler weather and holidays start to roll around, we find that we’re spending more and more time in the kitchen baking. We wanted to break down everything you need to know about baking with ghee, as well as provide a few delicious recipes that you can try out at home! Throw on a sweater, crank up that oven, grab a jar of 4th & Heart ghee, and let’s get baking! Enjoy, and happy cooking! 


How do I bake with ghee? 

This is the most glaring question, and the answer couldn’t be more simple: use it exactly like you would butter! Ghee is butter after all (just without the lactose and milk solids), so you should use it the same way you’d use butter in any given recipe. 


Are ghee and other oils interchangeable in baking? 

The short answer is yes, although it depends specifically on what you’re baking. If the recipe calls for oil instead of butter, you can certainly use melted ghee in a 1 to 1 ratio: for example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of vegetable oil, you can substitute 1 cup of melted ghee or even 4th & Heart ghee oil. Do keep in mind, though, that our ghee does have a fairly assertive buttery flavor, so if the recipe calls for a neutral, flavorless oil, you may want to use 4th & Heart ghee oil instead. 


Can I use ghee spray in my baking? 

Absolutely! We highly recommend that you use 4th & Heart ghee spray for any and all baking needs. It works just like any other brand of cooking and baking spray, but it’s even better because of its high smoke point (485 degrees!) Alternatively, you can also grease any pots, pans, or baking dishes with room temperature ghee or melted ghee as well. 


Does ghee taste different than butter? 

Because ghee is made by cooking butter to the point of separating milk solids, it has a slightly more concentrated butter flavor, which is perfect for baked goods! For pie crusts, cookies, muffins, and just about everything else, part of their delicious charm is that hint of buttery goodness that lingers after every bite. If you’re sensitive to lactose, ghee is a perfect substitute for butter because you can achieve the same amazing flavor in any baked goods without the lactose! 


Ultimately, if you have any trepidation about using ghee in your baking, why not pick up a jar of 4th & Heart ghee and try it yourself? It couldn’t be easier (or more delicious), and we’re confident that you’ll become a ghee-baking convert! Here are a few of our favorite baking recipes that feature ghee:


Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies by @fourthandheart

Arguably the greatest dessert of all time, 4th & Heart style! We use our grass-fed ghee instead of butter for a lactose-free, extra buttery chocolate chip cookie that will rock your world! If you’re feeling like you want to add even more flavor, why not try this recipe with our Vanilla Bean ghee, or even Chocti? 


Chocolate Babka by @fourthandheart

We love a dessert that also doubles as a breakfast (or really, for any time of day), and this recipe is just that! Swirls of chocolate and delicious brioche combine for a divine baked treat that will have you coming back for seconds and thirds. You may want to double this recipe, because it disappears fast! 


Healthy Banana Walnut Muffins by @fourthandheart

Portable breakfasts are roaring back now that people are starting to commute again, and this healthy (but no less delicious) and filling breakfast fits the bill perfectly! These yummy, buttery muffins are just what you need to kickstart your day with tons of flavor and nutrients—plus, they’re kid friendly, too! 


Chai Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting by @fourthandheart

This loaf absolutely screams autumn, and we know that we’ll be making it all season long! We didn’t think that carrot cake could get any better, but we stand corrected: the addition of chai takes this classic dessert to a whole new level. This is a perfect snacking loaf for absolutely any time of day (in the morning with coffee, as an afternoon pick me up, or in the evening after dinner), and we know that you’ll be making this recipe over and over again just like us! 

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Ghee is like butter, but better.

Ghee is a rich, delicious, lactose-free alternative to butter and cooking oils. It’s made by distilling butter down to its purest form (this is called clarifying) to remove water and lactose. Shelf-stable and packed with nutrients, ghee has a high smoke point, is good for digestion, and can even help you lose weight. Use it anywhere you would use butter.

Since 4th & Heart ghee is made from grass-fed, pasture-raised New Zealand butter, it has a rich, golden yellow color and contains a higher concentration of vitamins A, D, E & K than traditional butter.

*Ghee, once aligned with a healthy lifestyle or specific diets (such as Keto, Paleo, or Whole30), can aid in the process of weight loss.

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4th & Heart ghee can do all the things butter can do—like make toast taste awesome and trick your kids into eating broccoli. But it can also do things butter can’t do. Like maintain its molecular integrity at extremely high temperatures and be digested by lactose intolerant people. Oh, and it also supports weight loss, improves digestion, and reduces inflammation. No big deal. Actually, this IS a big deal. Why don’t more people know about this delicious, amazing superfood? Once you learn what it is and figure out where it is in the store (Pro Tip: it’s by the cooking oils and you can find the store closest to you here), there is no reason NOT to upgrade. Put simply, 4th & Heart ghee is like butter, but better.

Even more, ghee is perfect for baking! Never scramble to get butter to room temperature quickly for baking again, simply keep a jar of our shelf-stable, spreadable Original Recipe Ghee in your pantry for when you get a hankering for homemade treats! Plus, anything you bake with ghee will be naturally lactose-free and easy to digest. Ghee also makes your meals richer tasting and baked goods more moist, because it has more butter and less water than butter itself. It’s buttery-er.

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Ghee is easy to incorporate into your daily cooking and baking due to its delicious, buttery flavor without any of the troublesome lactose or casein. Coconut oil is not nearly as versatile because it has a very distinct, coconut flavor that can dominate a meal or baked good’s flavor profile.

Coconut oil used to be all the rage, but we’ve run the numbers and it just doesn’t make the mark. Ghee beats coconut oil in terms of smoke point (ghee = 485ºF; coconut oil = 350ºF) AND percentage of saturated fats (the amount can vary, but generally ghee contains about 50-60% saturated fats as compared to coconut oil’s 80-90% saturated fats), so it’s the healthier choice to keep in your pantry for daily use!

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When olive oil is used for cooking, it is often overheated because it has a low smoke point of 325ºF. If your olive oil has started to smoke, it degrades and free radicals are released, which can harm the body if consumed. Ghee has a high smoke point of 485ºF and a delicious buttery taste, making it the perfect olive oil substitute for everyday cooking.

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Ghee is a 1:1 substitute for butter or oil in any recipe! Anytime you use coconut oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter – use ghee instead! Our ghee has a spreadable texture that makes it easy to use in baking recipes and it tastes great on toast.

4th & Heart fans have been known to put our ghee on EVERYTHING, but we suggest you try it out by frying up some eggs with Original Recipe, roasting veggies with Himalayan Pink Salt, spreading Garlic on a piece of fresh sourdough toast, or blending Vanilla Bean with coffee for a more nutrient-dense morning pick-me-up.

Follow @fourthandheart on Instagram for new recipes, tips, and tricks to upgrade your meals with ghee every day!

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Ghee is a 1:1 substitute for butter or oil in any recipe, but a little ghee goes a long way when you’re sautéing veggies, adding a dollop to a sweet potato, or spreading on toast.

  • Original Recipe Ghee, 6oz = 1.5 sticks of traditional butter
  • Original Recipe Ghee, 9oz (our most popular size and flavor!) = 2.25 sticks of traditional butter
  • Original Recipe Ghee, 16oz = 4 sticks of traditional butter
  • Original Recipe Ghee, 32oz (Available exclusively on Amazon) = 8 sticks of traditional butter

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4th & Heart ghee is made from the highest quality butter from grass-fed, pasture-raised New Zealand cows. Grass-fed is a more prized designation than organic because it is more humane and has even more health benefits – higher levels of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a better Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acid ratio, and a higher concentration of micronutrients and vitamins A, D, E & K.

Our ghee has a smooth, creamy texture like spreadable butter, unlike other ghee products on the market that separate and may be grainy or runny when you go to spread some on toast. We won’t give away our secret, but rest assured that when you buy from 4th & Heart your ghee will have a creamy, smooth texture.

We also offer a variety of delicious, chef-inspired flavors to please different palettes and cooking inspirations. Even more, we were also the first company to produce a Ghee Oil Spray to make cooking and baking with ghee even easier!

4th & Heart ghee is certified Non-GMO, Lactose & Casein Free, Paleo, Keto, Whole30 Approved, made with Kosher dairy, and Gluten-Free.

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Technically, yes – ghee is a version of clarified butter. Traditional clarified butter is made simply by heating butter and removing the milk solids which have risen to the top of the pot. To make ghee, butter is brought to a boil and cooked until all the moisture is boiled off, and all the milk solids (lactose and casein) have settled to the bottom. These milk solids which have settled on the bottom of the pot are intentionally burned or caramelized, developing the rich, nutty flavor you’ll find in 4th & Heart ghee. Put simply, ghee is the pure extraction of oil from butter.

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If you keep the jar nice and clean (never double dip after you spread some ghee on toast, as you can introduce crumbs and water into the jar that can cause mold to develop) it should last indefinitely. We generally recommend consuming your ghee within 3 months of opening. It will last up to 12 months unopened in the pantry. Ghee does not need to be refrigerated and is best left in the pantry away from the heat of your stovetop or oven.

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Our butter comes from grass-fed, pasture-raised New Zealand cows. These countries have very stringent dairy regulations and produce the highest quality butter, but it does not technically qualify as organic. Grass-fed is a more prized designation than organic because it is more humane and has even more health benefits – higher levels of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a better Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acid ratio, and a higher concentration of micronutrients and vitamins A, D, E & K. We searched long and hard to find the best butter to use in our ghee!

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Prices vary by region and retailer, so please inquire at your local store. To get the best possible deal on our ghee, shop on Amazon Subscribe & Save, where we have larger jars available (which have a lower price per ounce). When you Subscribe & Save, you’ll be able to set the delivery cadence yourself and you’ll get 5% off each purchase!

Though it may seem expensive to compare the price of our ghee to the price of traditional butter, it takes roughly 3 sticks of butter to make just one 9oz jar of 4th & Heart ghee. We’ve done the hard work so your digestive system doesn’t have to.

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Because we don't use any additives or aerosol propellants, the ghee oil blend can sometimes thicken and clog the nozzle. Try running the nozzle under hot water for 1 minute to melt the oil. If you have any additional questions, please contact support.

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To contact Support, click here. From there, you’ll be routed to a contact form where you can send an email to our Customer Support Team with your inquiry. If you have an issue with a specific product you have purchased, please make note of the batch number printed in black ink on the jar.

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To contact Wholesale, click here. From there, you’ll be routed to a contact form where you can send an email to our Wholesale team.

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Ghee has a melting point of around 85 degrees, which can be easily reached and even exceeded while in transit during hotter times of the year. The good news is that melting alone does not pose a safety hazard. If you’re using the ghee to cook, the quality will be the same as it will be used in its liquid state anyway! Alternatively, you can toss the jar in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once completely frozen, you can bring it back out to thaw to room temperature. It should stay solid as long as temperatures do not get too high in your house. If you have any additional questions, please contact support.

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A slight graininess is normal during certain times of the year due to warmer weather causing the ghee to melt and re-solidify before arriving at your door! You can smooth it out by melting the ghee and then tossing it in the freezer. Once completely frozen, you can bring it back out and let it warm to room temperature. This should return the ghee to the consistency you're looking for! If you have any additional questions, please contact support.

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We test all of our products for total milk allergens, including casein, and the results are indicative of less than 5 parts per million. If you have a casein sensitivity, you will most likely be fine consuming our ghee!

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