Which Is Better: Butter or Margarine?
Neither is clearly 'better' - it depends on your priorities. Butter tastes better and is minimally processed but is high in saturated fat. Modern margarines are lower in saturated fat but are processed foods. Old margarines contained harmful trans fats, but most modern margarines do not. For heart health, soft margarines without trans fats may be preferable; for taste and baking, butter wins.
Key Takeaways
- Butter is churned cream, containing about 80% fat (mostly saturated), vitamins A, D, E, and K, and small amounts of protein and carbs.
- Ghee (clarified butter) has a higher smoke point and works for high-heat cooking.
- Plant-based butter alternatives vary widely in ingredients and health profiles.
Explanation
Butter is churned cream, containing about 80% fat (mostly saturated), vitamins A, D, E, and K, and small amounts of protein and carbs. Saturated fat was long believed to cause heart disease, but recent research is more nuanced. Butter remains high in calories and should be consumed in moderation regardless.
Margarine was created as a cheaper butter substitute. Early margarines contained trans fats from partial hydrogenation, which are worse for heart health than saturated fats. Modern margarines use different processes and most are now trans-fat-free. Some are fortified with plant sterols that can help lower cholesterol.
For cooking, butter has better flavor for sauteing and baking, but lower smoke point than margarine. Margarine spreads more easily when cold. For health, choose soft margarines with no trans fats and no partially hydrogenated oils. Neither should be a major part of your diet - both are calorie-dense fats.
The nutritional comparison per tablespoon reveals important differences. Butter contains about 100 calories, 7g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, and traces of vitamin A (about 7% daily value). Stick margarine has similar calories but only 2g saturated fat, no cholesterol, and is often fortified with vitamins. However, butter contains butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that research suggests may support gut health and reduce inflammation. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to 5-6% of total calories, which means about 13g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet.
In baking, the differences become critical. Butter's 80% fat and 15-18% water content create steam during baking, producing flaky layers in croissants, pie crusts, and puff pastry. Margarine typically has a higher water content and different melting behavior, resulting in denser, less flavorful baked goods. Professional bakers overwhelmingly prefer butter, particularly European-style butter with 82-86% fat content (brands like Kerrygold, Plugra, or President) for its richer flavor and superior texture in laminated doughs.
Things to Know
- Ghee (clarified butter) has a higher smoke point and works for high-heat cooking.
- Plant-based butter alternatives vary widely in ingredients and health profiles.
- For baking, butter usually produces better texture and flavor than margarine.
- Whipped butter has about 70 calories per tablespoon due to incorporated air, making it a lower-calorie option for spreading - but it performs poorly in baking because the air content throws off measurements.