Butter and margarine - what’s the difference when cooking?

Butter and margarine are types of fats that are solid at room temperature. They look similar but there are important differences when you are baking or cooking.  

• Margarine is made from oil, water, salt, and often emulsifiers, additives, and some flavourings. It often has a lower saturated fat content and has a higher water content than butter making it much softer when cold.  
• Butter is a dairy product that is produced from the churning of cream or milk. Since butter comes from an animal source, it contains cholesterol and saturated fat (but tastes delicious!).  

Baking

• When used in pastry, butter makes it more flavourful and creamier than margarine, but it might not be as flaky.
• Because it’s softer, margarine can make biscuits spread out more and be less crisp than if using butter.
• The high fat quantity in butter provides baked goods with great texture and depth, while margarine changes their overall quality - making them thin and flat due to the product having less fat and more water.
• In recipes that rely on the flavour of butter, such as shortbread, butter is obviously better!
• The high fat content in butter allows cakes to remain moist and tender for a longer period compared to margarine

General cooking

• Butter is a preferred choice for chefs, due to its high smoke point of 150˚ C, meaning it is suitable for most heating tasks in the kitchen. It is also more resistant to being broken down with heat.  
• If you are using margarine for sautéing or frying, remember to keep the heat low and watch it closely to reduce the risk of it burning. The flavour will still be good, just slightly different to that of butter.
• Butter’s flavour is near-impossible to imitate because the complex combination of its naturally occurring flavour compounds. Some of those compounds are only released when heated, giving cooking and baking the buttery flavour we all know and love.

Obviously, if your diet restricts dairy foods (such as a vegan diet, or a low fat/low cholesterol diet) then you can use margarine – it will do the job, but the flavour may not be exactly the same.

And as we all know, foods with a high fat and/or sugar content should be enjoyed in moderation!

How to avoid a baking flop!

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