Which is better Butter or Margarine?

Our obsession with health nowadays have made us very conscious in what kind of food we put in our bodies. Words like 100% organic, all-natural and locally-sourced have been slapped on to labels to make us think what we are buying is good for us.

Butter recently has received a lot of flak due to its perceived saturated fat content. It has been recently proven by scientist that moderate amounts of saturated fat does not pose any health risk.  Margarine on the other hand has been thought of as a cheaper and healthier alternative to butter.

This article will just focus on the plain hard facts and cover the pro’s and cons of butter and margarine in baking. Novice bakers sometimes confuse one from the other.

Which one do I choose when I do my baking?

A lot of bakers will tell you that butter is the way to go. The very best bakers will tell you that butter provides the texture and rich flavor margarine cannot come close to.

Due to the water content of butter, when used for baking it will help in the gluten production when mixed with flour. Unsalted butter is the best since you have the freedom to calibrate your seasoning in your recipe.

Margarine for all its health benefits is not a desirable product for baking unless its called for in your recipe. Chefs do agree that margarine is better for cooking rather than baking.

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The Bailiwick Team