Butter vs. margarine

[Night Elf]

I always use butter in baking, but I'm wondering what would happen to my baked goods if I used a light margarine to cut calories. Anyone know?

[mamaraby]

Light margarine has water added to replace some of the oil so the texture of your baked good would change.

[EKS]

Many years ago I switched from margarine (not light though) to butter because I found that it worked better.  I wouldn't use light margarine for baking because of what mamaraby said.  But it might work reasonably well for some things.  

[StaceyinLA]

I wouldn’t use it, but then again, I just won’t use margarine.

 

I’d rather just not have the baked goods if I was looking to cut calories.

Edited November 6, 2017 by StaceyinLA

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm agreeing with everyone else.  Cut smaller slices, make smaller cookies, even *gasp* try splenda or xylitol (caution: very poisonous to household pets) before using margarine!  

[ScoutTN]

Margarine is hydrogenated vegetable oil (of various kinds) and is terrible for you. Like Crisco.  :ack2:  :ack2:

Just use real butter, preferably made from the milk of cows that eat grass, not grain. Then enjoy your baked goods. If you need fewer calories, eat less of the baked goods or don't make them at all. Reducing wheat/grain and sugar is a quick way to reduce calories. 

 

 

[solascriptura]

It’s better for your health over all to use butter. Fake foods just confuse your body.

[HomeAgain]

I wouldn't, because it would have a different effect on your body.  When you eat something with fat, a signal is sent to your brain to tell you when you are sated.  When you replace the fat that your body is looking for, the signal is delayed.  You eat more to compensate.

 

At least, that's what happens with me.  I can happily eat 1 homemade Ghirardelli brownie and be fine, but would eat 3-4 of a packaged kind to get the same fulfillment.

[mamaraby]

Margarine is hydrogenated vegetable oil (of various kinds) and is terrible for you. Like Crisco.

*some* margarine may be hydrogenated vegetable oil, not all. I haven’t spent too much time reading labels lately because most of them have dairy in them, but based on those I have read, I suspect the number of even stick margarines that contain hydrogenated oils, either partially or fully, is pretty small these days. Most will be some combination of liquid vegetable oil mixed with palm oil. Palm oil is what makes it solid since it is solid at room temp, but not nearly as solid as coconut oil. So, not like Crisco.

[Night Elf]

I use light margarine for mashed potatoes and toast because I use so little I don't worry about not getting the fat. I've always used real butter for baking because I know it makes the goods taste better.

 

Yesterday I made almond crescent cookies. I was disappointed in them and they were high calorie too so figured it wasn't worth it and threw them out. I don't know what I'll bake next. I love cookies and cakes and prefer from scratch over mixes, but yes, I do wish they weren't so high calorie. 

 

FWIW, I'm not satiated by fat. I've gotten used to portions and know how much of something I can eat. I usually bake muffins which are low calorie but I was in the mood for cookies yesterday. Poor experiment.

[mamaraby]

If you like cakey cookies then light margarine might be ok. Most of the low-er fat cookie recipes that I’ve had are more cakey in texture. The whole “fat satiates†thing doesn’t work for me either. I just bake less.

[gardenmom5]

"light" margarine has a higher percentage of water, and generally doesn't bake the same.   even regular margarine doens't bake the same as butter.

 

my daughter will tell you different brands of butter bake differently.  a friend's mother could tell by taste if butter had ever been left out - her family sold candy at the holidays.

 o

[kiana]

A lot of times, you can swap out some of the butter in a recipe for applesauce, mashed banana, mashed pumpkin, or greek yogurt. I'd be more inclined to experiment with that than whipped margarine. 

 

Bonus: If it's fruit, I get to pretend it's healthy because I'm eating fruit, and if it's greek yogurt, I'm boosting the protein content ;)

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah the typical calorie reducing tactic is to add stuff like applesauce.  But this also does add more sugar which isn't so great.

 

I actually think margarine might work out.  Growing up that's all we used.  I don't like it and don't use it, but that wasn't your question.  So my suggestion is to just try it. 

 

 

[kiana]

Yeah the typical calorie reducing tactic is to add stuff like applesauce.  But this also does add more sugar which isn't so great.

 

I actually think margarine might work out.  Growing up that's all we used.  I don't like it and don't use it, but that wasn't your question.  So my suggestion is to just try it. 

 

Margarine works fine (other than tasting blehhh :) ), light/whipped margarine doesn't because it's fluffed out with stuff that doesn't bake like butter.

 

And just swapping out margarine doesn't reduce calories really.

 

With you on the sugar content. If I swap in fruit I tend to reduce the rest of the sugar a bit to compensate. 

[Bootsie]

If you do want to use margarine, I would suggest looking for cookie recipes from the 1960s or 70s that call for margarine rather than butter.

[cjzimmer1]

I grew up using margarine in everything,  it's all I knew.  As I got older and more aware of what we ate, I switched to butter.  Now I can't eat margarine it's very artificially tasting to me.  A friend and me swapped cookies recipes.  But she uses a mixture of margarine and butter and I use straight butter.  My kids can taste the difference and they won't eat hers even though it's the same recipe because they don't like the margarine flavor.

 

That said if you are happy with the flavor of margarine it can be used.  Product texture might not be exactly the same but for most things it will be good enough.

[hornblower]

We're vegan and so use margarine and oils in all our baking. We have tons of yummy desserts because my dd loves baking. 

[wapiti]

Butter has a better molecular structure for cookies.  If you must swap out (as I have done for dairy-free purposes), personally I prefer to use olive oil and mostly/only in cookie recipes that call for oil rather than butter.  (I don't even like the earth's balance sticks in baking, but I'm picky!)  Fat reduction will change how they turn out.  Note that sugar reduction can also change the spread of the cookies, depending on the recipe.

 

More generally, I think lower-calorie in the context of cookies is not a useful goal.

[Rachel]

I always use butter in baking, but I'm wondering what would happen to my baked goods if I used a light margarine to cut calories. Anyone know?

I would figure out a different way to cut calories, reduce the sugar if possible. Baking is chemistry so it can be difficult to figure out what changes you can make without compromising your results. I have had good luck replacing oil with applesauce in cakes though. I haven't played around with cookie recipes much.

[Tanaqui]

If you want to cut calories, it'd be better for you to just eat less of whatever-it-is.

[regentrude]

It would alter the fat content and depending on the baked good make it impossible to even bake it.

My German grandmother's cookie recipes do not even work with the standard US supermarket butter because the water content of the American butter is too high; the dough does not stay together and cannot be rolled. I need to buy Irish butter which has more fat.

 

Also, hydrogenated vegetable oils (i.e most margarines) are unhealthy.

 

If you want to cut calories, simply eat fewer of the cookies instead of compromising on their quality.

Edited November 6, 2017 by regentrude

[regentrude]

We're vegan and so use margarine and oils in all our baking. We have tons of yummy desserts because my dd loves baking. 

 

Sure, but the recipe must be designed for the swap to work. You cannot simply swap the butter in a butter cookie for oil and expect a good result.

[ScoutTN]

*some* margarine may be hydrogenated vegetable oil, not all. I haven’t spent too much time reading labels lately because most of them have dairy in them, but based on those I have read, I suspect the number of even stick margarines that contain hydrogenated oils, either partially or fully, is pretty small these days. Most will be some combination of liquid vegetable oil mixed with palm oil. Palm oil is what makes it solid since it is solid at room temp, but not nearly as solid as coconut oil. So, not like Crisco.

 

 

Some palm oil, you are right. I didn't know that. But still some hydrogenated oils and lots of other yucky stuff. Read labels and decide which is better food. Not a hard choice. 

 

Organic Valley Salted butter ingredients:

Pasteurized Organic Sweet Cream (Milk), Salt.

 

Land O Lakes Salted butter:

Sweet Cream, Salt.

 

 

 Ingredients of Light Stick Parkay margarine:

• liquid soybean oil
• partially hydrogenated soybean oil
• water
• whey
• salt
• potatoes
• vegetable mono- and di- glycerides
• soy lecithin
• potassium sorbate
• sodium benzoate
• artificial flavor
• phosphoric acid
• vitamin A palmitate
• beta carotene (color and source of vitamin A)

As cited on FoodServiceDirect.com web site.

 

 

 

Blue Bonnet tub margarine:

 

Ingredients:  WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, PALM OIL, PALM KERNEL OIL, SALT, LESS THAN 2% OF: EMULSIFIERS (MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, PROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOSTEARATE), PRESERVATIVES (SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA), WHEY, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR). CONTAINS STATEMENT: MILK, SOY.

Source: CONAGRA FOODS

[hornblower]

 

Also, hydrogenated vegetable oils (i.e most margarines) are unhealthy.

 

I think butter is way more unhealthy, and unethical to boot.   Anything that reduces butter consumption is a good thing. 

 

 

[ScoutTN]

Interesting to me that some many margarines do have at least a bit of dairy in them. I didn't know that before.

Also how much soy they often have was a surprise, though I should have know since a friend with soy intolerance cannot have most fake butters. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I just read a few websites that say cream cheese (even the light one) works as a good butter sub in baking.

 

 

 

 

[hornblower]

 

Some palm oil, you are right. I didn't know that. But still some hydrogenated oils and lots of other yucky stuff. Read labels and decide which is better food. Not a hard choice. 

 

It isn't a hard choice for me to not use butter.  Saturated fats are associated with numerous health problems and inherently cruel to animals. 

 

http://dairy.mercyforanimals.org/

 

 

 

 

 

[maize]

It would alter the fat content and depending on the baked good make it impossible to even bake it.

My German grandmother's cookie recipes do not even work with the standard US supermarket butter because the water content of the American butter is too high; the dough does not stay together and cannot be rolled. I need to buy Irish butter which has more fat.

 

Also, hydrogenated vegetable oils (i.e most margarines) are unhealthy.

 

If you want to cut calories, simply eat fewer of the cookies instead of compromising on their quality.

Oh, oh, oh! I don't suppose you have a recipe or two you could share? I have French butter all ready to go!

 

And a cooking scale too.

Edited November 6, 2017 by maize

[regentrude]

Oh, oh, oh! I don't suppose you have a recipe or two you could share? I have French butter all ready to go!

 

And a cooking scale too.

 

Butter cookies

250 g flour (sifted), 250 g wheat starch, pinch of baking powder, 250 g butter, 200 g sugar, grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Mix dry ingredient, add cold butter in pieces, knead in. Add two eggs. Knead dough until smooth, let rest in refrigerator for 4+ hours.

Roll out on floured surface, cut with cookie cutters, brush with egg wash, bake. Can be decorated.

Dough must remain cold; cut off portions for rolling and put remainder back in the fridge.

 

With American supermarket butter, the dough will not stay together and cannot be rolled out, but will crumble.

Edited November 6, 2017 by regentrude

[regentrude]

I just read a few websites that say cream cheese (even the light one) works as a good butter sub in baking.

 

Cream cheese has a pronounced taste and not enough fat for a 1:1 substitution.

It may work in loaf cakes, but not in cookies. 

 

ETA: Cream cheese has 9g fat/28 g. Butter has 22g fat/28 g. You cannot substitute without altering the baking chemistry significantly, so you have to really know what you're doing for this to work.

Edited November 6, 2017 by regentrude

[maize]

Butter cookies

250 g flour (sifted), 250 g wheat starch, pinch of baking powder, 250 g butter, 200 g sugar, grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Mix dry ingredient, add cold butter in pieces, knead in. Add two eggs. Knead dough until smooth, let rest in refrigerator for 4+ hours.

Roll out on floured surface, cut with cookie cutters, brush with egg wash, bake. Can be decorated.

Dough must remain cold; cut off portions for rolling and put remainder back in the fridge.

 

With American supermarket butter, the dough will not stay together and cannot be rolled out, but will crumble.

Thank you!

The only thing I don't have is wheat starch--is that readily available do you know? I have corn starch and tapioca starch on hand.

Edited November 6, 2017 by maize

[regentrude]

Thank you!

The only thing I don't have is wheat starch--is that readily available do you know? I have corn starch and tapioca starch on hand.

 

You can make them with all flour. They won't turn out quite as refined, but still very tasty

[Sarah CB]

And the palm oil industry is killing orangutans and is a major contributor to rapid deforestation.

 

Yes, there are ethical considerations for every choice. Some are just less obvious than others. 

[hornblower]

And the palm oil industry is killing orangutans and is a major contributor to rapid deforestation.

 

This is true and I try to limit palm. There are some supposedly ethically sourced palm oil margarines on the market as well. 

 

I would hope too that everyone concerned about palm is also only buying ethically sourced cocoa and chocolate. Most of what's on the market is harvested by child labour. 

[regentrude]

I would hope too that everyone concerned about palm is also only buying ethically sourced cocoa and chocolate. Most of what's on the market is harvested by child labour. 

 

Would a Fair Trade seal ensure that this isn't the case?

[KathyBC]

In our location, margarine is 1/3 the price of butter. We serve food with butter (toast, steamed veggies, etc.) but use margarine for baking. When it is just dh and I - and I probably won't need to bake much at that point at all - we may switch for health reasons, though I suppose any calorie reduction will be in reduced baking consumption, not from the baked goods' ingredients. :D

[Bluegoat]

I'd not substitute margarine - it's not actually food.

 

Depending on the baked good, you can substitute a number of things, it can be worthwhile to experiment.  I like olive oil in cakes, or in muffins I will use some applesauce and reduce the sugar a little.  

 

 

[Night Elf]

I appreciate those of you suggesting I simply eat less. I already do. A serving size is one cookie. If I have them in the house I may have two a day, one in the mid morning and one in the evening.

 

I also eat pie and cake, but about 1.5 oz. of each is a serving size for me.

[mamaraby]

 

Some palm oil, you are right. I didn't know that. But still some hydrogenated oils and lots of other yucky stuff. Read labels and decide which is better food. Not a hard choice.

 

Organic Valley Salted butter ingredients:

Pasteurized Organic Sweet Cream (Milk), Salt.

 

Land O Lakes Salted butter:

Sweet Cream, Salt.

 

 

Ingredients of Light Stick Parkay margarine:

:snip:

There’s a lot of food judgment underpinning your comparison that I don’t share. The assumption here being that fewer ingredients is better and more “natural†is better. That isn’t an assumption that I share so while the butter seems a better choice given your presuppositions, it’s not for me. The same goes for statements that margarine isn’t really “food.†Yeah, it really is.

 

I don’t think that’s what the OP was looking for either. She was looking for real honest to goodness, practical can I do x and will it turn out the same. The answer is no because of the chemistry involved. And also, if a different texture/result is ok for you then maybe, sorta, kinda if you’re the adventuring sort.

 

But regardless of what one chooses, for me baking less often is preferable and I’ll stick with my non-hydrogenated margarine and limit that because of the palm oil issue. YMMV

[regentrude]

nm

Edited November 6, 2017 by regentrude

[eternalsummer]

We're vegan and so use margarine and oils in all our baking. We have tons of yummy desserts because my dd loves baking. 

 

I love vegan desserts  (as we don't eat eggs or milk) but I am terrible at making them.  

 

I do like the green Earth Balance; I remember the delectable oily butteriness of real butter but alas, this is good enough.

[eternalsummer]

I'd not substitute margarine - it's not actually food.

 

Depending on the baked good, you can substitute a number of things, it can be worthwhile to experiment.  I like olive oil in cakes, or in muffins I will use some applesauce and reduce the sugar a little.  

 

Now this isn't true, the margarine I use is 98% Palm, Canola, Extra Virgin Olive, Safflower, and Flax oil.  Then it has a little bit of this and that added for flavor and I color and I assume texture (hard to say for sure).

[StephanieZ]

BUTTER.

 

Margarine is POISON.

[Guest]

I’m another always-butter user. I do have a couple of sticks of Earth Balance for when I am seeving vegan friends, but I have only baked specifically vegan recipes with it, like Black Bean Brownies.

 

My mother used margarine all of the time. I hate it.

[TeenagerMom]

I have always found that my cookies spread more, are thinner, and chewier with margarine.  The edges tend to be crunchy, rubbery too (if that makes any sense).

 

I'm a diehard butter only user.

 

 

[maize]

We just finished eating a batch of regentrude's grandmother's cookies.

 

Mmmm.

[Loesje22000]

Would a Fair Trade seal ensure that this isn't the case?

According a dutch documentary no.

If a certain % of the ingredients of the product is fairtrade, the whole product will be considered fairtrade.

 

Something like chocolate - hazelnut - paste is fairtrade because of the chocolate and the sugar.

For the hazelnuts child labor has been used.

 

This just for information on your question, not to derail the thread.

[Night Elf]

How many days a month?

 

I have some kind of sweet every day. Most days I also have a Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar which is also sweet.

[Night Elf]

Ah see that's pretty often. It adds up so fast.

 

It just seems like eating less sweet things would more efficiently cut calories than switching from butter to margarine, ykwim?

 

That's true, but for me that would be deprivation and I don't think that's healthy. I lost 55 lbs. eating apple pie every day and never felt deprived.