Vegan Butter Vs. Margarine: End Your Vegan Dilemma Today!

Butter and margarine are two popular spreads used in various recipes because they add flavor, glaze, and richness to food. While many people use vegan butter and margarine as each other's substitutes, they are not usually the same.

As a substitute for dairy-based butter, vegan butter is made by combining water with plant-based oils like- coconut, olive, rapeseed, almond, shea butter, avocado oil, or a combination of oils. Margarine was originally made from animal fat, as a cheaper alternative to butter. But the spread is now commonly made from vegetable oils like soy, sunflower, cottonseed, safflower, or corn oil.

There isn't a huge difference between the two: however, margarine may still contain traces of dairy. Therefore, people strictly following a plant-based diet must know the ingredients list.

Here is a comprehensive guide on the differences between vegan butter and margarine, where we'll discuss ingredients, nutritional value, uses of the spreads, and health benefits, to help you make a conscious choice and enjoy your vegan food to the fullest.

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Understanding What Makes A Butter Or Margarine Vegan: Ingredients & Cooking Process

Before we understand what makes butter and margarine vegan, it's important to have a clear knowledge of what a vegan diet is. It's a plant-based diet that excludes all animal products and by-products, such as meat, fish, dairy, poultry, eggs, honey, gelatin, whey, lard, etc. Basically, anything that has animal derivatives is discarded by vegans.

This is the reason why vegans can't have traditional butter. As you may already know, traditional butter is made by beating cream, the creamy thick part of dairy milk. This makes traditional butter a misfit for vegans.

Vegan butter and vegan margarine are the best alternatives to dairy butter. They have the same richness and give recipes a taste similar to normal butter. So you must be wondering what ingredients are in vegan butter and margarine.

As stated earlier, the key ingredients in vegan butter are water and some kind of plant-based oil. It may have only one plant-based oil or a combination of two or more oils like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, palm kernel oil, etc.

Additional ingredients in vegan butter are: salt, emulsifiers, natural or artificial flavors, and color.

Because plant-based butter or vegan butter is free from dairy, it's lower in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated fat, which is beneficial for reducing obesity and heart disease.

Margarine, on the other hand, is made from a blend of water and fat. The fat is usually added in the form of plant-based oils like soy, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, canola, or corn oil. Similar to vegan butter, margarine has salt, artificial or natural flavors, and colors as additional ingredients.

As there are no animal-derived products like dairy milk, curd, cream, eggs, honey, etc., margarine and plant-based butter fit right into a vegan diet.

**Important Note: Not all margarine is vegan. Some manufacturers add milk-based or animal-based ingredients in addition to vegetable oils to improve taste and texture. So while buying margarine, check for ingredients like whey, lactose, casein, marine oil, suet, lecithin, animal fat, or tallow. The presence of these ingredients is a red flag for vegans. **

Related: How to Become a Vegan: Going Vegan Easily & Healthily

Difference Between Vegan Butter And Margarine: Make The Right Choice

Source: Healthyhints

Mentioned below are some of the main differences between vegan butter and margarine. The differences are in terms of taste, texture, ingredients, and nutritional value. Let's take a look at them:

• Margarine And Plant Butter Ingredients

The main difference between vegan butter and margarine lies in the ingredients used. Vegan butter has natural oils derived from various nuts, seeds, and fruits like olive, coconut, etc.

Margarine on the other hand is made from a mixture of water, vegetable oil, and emulsifiers to achieve a smooth and spreadable texture like butter.

• Taste & Texture

As vegan butter is made from nuts, seeds, and fruit oil, it has a very creamy and smooth texture and a buttery taste. Its creamy flavor tastes quite similar to dairy butter, making it a very close alternative to traditional butter.

While margarine has the same texture as vegan butter, it has a slightly more salty or tangy taste. Margarine leaves a greasy aftertaste that vegan butter doesn’t.

• Nutritional Value

Nutrition-wise, plant-based butter is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. But vegan butter has high amounts of Omega 6, and its increased consumption isn't very good for health.

The nutritional content of margarine depends on the type of vegetable oil it contains. But like vegan butter, vegan margarine contains a high amount of monounsaturated fat.

Let's see the nutritional information of both vegan butter and margarine from two popular brands.

Earth Balance vegan butter nutritional information (per one tablespoon):

Calories	100
Cholesterol	0mg
Total fat	11g
Monounsaturated fat	5g
Saturated fat	3.5g
Polyunsaturated fat	2.5g
Sodium	120mg

Becel vegan margarine nutritional information (per 2 teaspoons):

Calories	70
Cholesterol	0mg
Total fat	8g
Monounsaturated fat	4.5g
Saturated fat	1g
Polyunsaturated fat	2g
Sodium	70mg

The nutritional value of both spreads will vary from brand to brand. But more or less, there isn't a significant difference in the nutritional content of vegan butter and margarine.

• Health Benefits

As plant-based spreads, vegan butter and margarine both have potential health benefits. Foods high in monounsaturated fat, like vegan butter, are good for blood sugar control, heart health, and weight control.

Additionally, plant-based eating patterns are good for the environment because they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and required water usage.

Margarine also contains high polyunsaturated fat; for instance, margarine made from soybean oil has 20% polyunsaturated fat, which is linked to heart health and is good for controlling weight.

Important Note:

While both vegan butter and margarine are better alternatives to dairy butter, they are high in Omega-6 fatty acids. Even though including Omega-3 and Omega-6 in our diet is healthy, increased consumption of them may cause chronic inflammation. Therefore, moderate consumption is recommended to avoid such problems.

Using Vegan Butter And Margarine In Cooking And Baking: Savory To Sweet

When it comes to swapping vegan butter for normal butter, a common query that people have is what should be the proportion of vegan butter.

Well, as a general culinary rule, you have to use an equal amount of vegan butter as dairy butter to achieve the desired taste and texture. It means the quantity will vary from recipe to recipe.

Apart from the quantity, consider the flavor and smoking point of vegan butter. Since vegan butter is made from nuts and fruits, it can have a slightly nutty taste, affecting the ultimate taste of the recipe. Also, different vegan butters have different smoking points. If you use vegan butter for frying or cooking, consider getting one with a high smoking point, such as coconut oil-based vegan butter.

And when baking, you may have to slightly adjust the time and temperature. The important thing to note is to use vegan butter of similar consistency as traditional butter.

For example, if the recipe needs melted butter, use applesauce or butter made from olive. And if the recipe needs solid butter, use solid coconut vegan butter. The consistency of fat and water in butter affects the taste and texture of baked goods. So using the right consistency of butter is important.

Do check if the vegan butter has salt; if yes, add extra salt carefully or avoid adding it at all.

You have to consider the same things when cooking and baking with margarine. But please note that margarine's water content is higher than typical butter, which gives a softer texture to baked goods. Also, margarine is not as rich in flavor as dairy butter, and it's evident in the taste of baked foods.

Specialty Vegan Butters & Margarines: Brands For Conscious Vegan Consumers

If you're newly venturing into vegan cooking, you're definitely exploring the market and seeking the best brands. Here are some of the great specialty vegan butter and margarine brands you may want to consider. These have been loved by vegans and have great flavor and taste:

Vegan Butter Brands

Miyokos Creamery Organic Salted Vegan Butter: Miyokos Creamery butter is made with a blend of coconut oil, filtered water, and cashew milk. The butter has a rich taste and creamy, buttery texture and comes in a variety of flavors. Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread: Earth Balance is another known brand that offers different flavors of vegan butter. Earth Balance vegan butter contains ingredients like a natural oil blend, filtered water, salt, and a few other ingredients. You can use this vegan butter as an alternative to dairy butter in all recipes and baked treats. Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil With Butter Flavor: Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil with butter flavor is a versatile substitute for butter and can be used in recipes that require butter.

Margarine Brands Becel: When it comes to margarine, there isn't a brand more popular than Becel. The product has a blend of vegetable oils and is a source of vitamins A, D, and Omega 3. This basic kitchen staple can be used in a variety of recipes and baking treats. Land O Lakes Margarine: Land O Lakes is another great brand for Margarines. It's made from a blend of vegetable oil and a few other ingredients to provide that perfect buttery flavor. You can use this margarine as a spread to cook or bake. ConAgra Blue Bonnet Solid Margarine Stick: You can use this ConAgra margarine stick as a spread or add in recipes. Keep this margarine stick always refrigerated as it's a perishable material.

Easy Vegan Butter & Margarine Recipes You Can Make At Home

If you have a knack for cooking and love trying your hands on different recipes, you’ll love these easy-to-make vegan butter and margarine recipes. Here is the ingredient list and the complete recipe details.

Vegan Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup refined coconut oil (melted)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast

Cooking Method

• Add the canola oil and the coconut oil to a blender.

• Mix apple cider vinegar with the soy or almond milk and stir till the milk curdles. Add this milk into the blender as well, along with all the other ingredients. Blend until you get a very smooth texture.

• Transfer into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Vegan Margarine Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup soy milk
• 1 cup sunflower seed oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Cooking Method:

• Take a tall glass container (like a mason jar) and add soy milk, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

Source

• Using a hand blender, start blending the milk. Then add the oil in a slow and steady motion and keep blending. Don’t add all the oil at once; it’ll ruin your margarine.

Keep blending in up and down motion until you get a thick, creamy, and smooth margarine. Store it in the refrigerator. You can use this margarine for up to 5 days.

Conclusion

Vegan butter and margarine are both equivalent substitutes for traditional butter. Both substitutes are healthier alternatives to dairy butter as they are low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. Besides, margarine and plant-based butter provide the same creamy, buttery texture in recipes. However, the flavor may be slightly different.

We hope this guide helped you get a better understanding of these spreads and which one you should use in cooking and baking. Make sure to use the same consistency of vegan butter or margarine as dairy butter for best cooking results.

Want to learn more about veganism and plant-based diets? You can check out articles published by Havard Health or the National Library Of Medicine.

References:

• Myrecipes
• Healthdigest
• Tofubud
• Healthline
• Forbes
• Sporked
• Biggerbolderbaking
• Vegannews