What's the Difference Between Margarine and Butter?

Butter: its creamy, dreamy, and essential to so many recipes. What would we spread on freshly baked dinner rolls, dip our lobster tails in, or use to bake our favorite sugar cookies? There are lots of alternatives to butter, one of the most popular being margarine. But what's the difference between the two? Here, find out when to use margarine versus butter.

Margarine, which is made mostly from vegetable oil, has its place, especially if you have dietary restrictions and need to limit dairy (though most brands have trace amounts of dairy in them), or are watching your cholesterol and saturated fat intake. It is, however, a highly processed food that is artificially flavored to taste like butter, so unless you absolutely need to use it, we don't recommend consuming it all that often.

If you need to use softened butter in a recipe, try using a high-quality butter and use it in moderation. Butter yields better results in baking and has qualities that give it a greater depth of flavor, like how you can brown it, giving it a nutty, caramelized flavor, or use it as a thickening agent. It is also made from cream, so it has less ingredients and is minimally processed compared to margarine.

If you're cooking and need some fat in the pan, try using extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter or margarine; it's helpful for when you're looking to be more health-conscious and need something that is dairy-free and lower in cholesterol.

Which is healthier: margarine or butter?

If you're looking to incorporate more whole, unprocessed foods into your diet, then butter is the healthier choice over margarine since it is made from only one or two ingredients (cream and salt, if using salted butter). Using it in moderation and for special-occasion foods like pies, cakes, and cookies is perfectly fine in a healthy diet. Margarine is made from a number of vegetable oils like soybean oil, palm kernel oil, artificial flavors and a number of preservatives. Unless you're using margarine to avoid saturated fats and cholesterol, it's not really recommended to consume on a regular basis. If you want to use another vegetable oil product try cooking with extra-virgin olive oil.

Why would I choose to use margarine instead of butter?

Margarine can be used as a substitute for butter, and it is particularly useful in baking, since it gives baked goods a softer texture than butter, which some people prefer. If you're following a diet where you're trying to avoid cholesterol and saturated fats, then using margarine would be a better choice for you as well. Try also looking for other brands of vegan butter (they're often made with nuts instead and contain less artificial ingredients) instead of margarine, or use extra-virgin olive oil instead.

Is butter better than margarine in cooking?

Around here, we definitely prefer butter in cooking. You just can't beat that buttery flavor in so many of our favorite recipes like Ree Drummond's macaroni and cheese, blueberry pancakes, roasted beef tenderloin, and of course, her Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever!