
Can you use margarine instead of butter in cookies?
Yes, you can use margarine instead of regular butter for making cookies. However, if you are using margarine for making cookies, you need to remember that margarine is not suitable for baking. It does not melt well and it tends to burn easily. So, if you are planning to bake cookies with margarine, you need to use low fat margarine.
Is it okay to use margarine instead of butter?
Yes, margarine can be used instead of butter in baking. It can generally be used in place of butter unless the distinct flavor of butter is key to the recipe, as with butter cookies. One pound of butter (or margarine) is approximately the same as one pound of flour. When a recipe asks for butter, you may substitute margarine for it.
Can you substitute some vegetable oil for butter in cookies?
Vegetable oil is a viable substitute for butter when baking cookies. You will likely need to use a smaller amount to keep your cookies from being greasy. Before you substitute oil for butter in cookies, it's a good idea to understand what these ingredients do.
Is margarine healthier for you than butter?
While margarine used to be considered healthier, it’s now believed that butter is the healthier choice. You will find health experts on both sides of the debate, but research has shown that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol aren’t as bad as previously believed. So if you want to go with the healthiest choice, stick with butter.

What makes cookies softer butter or margarine?
However, each produces slightly different results. Butter improves a cookie's flavor and margarine improves its texture. Solid shortening creates soft, spongy cookies that stay soft for a long time but have little taste.
What is the difference between margarine and butter in cookies?
Cakes made with margarine tend to be denser and lighter in color, while cakes made with butter taste more, well, buttery, but can end up a bit less tender. Cookie recipes made with butter are more caramelized in color and crispier near the edges; margarine-based cookies are chewy but lack the same flavor punch.
Do cookies spread more with butter or margarine?
Butter, on the other hand, melts quickly, so the same recipe made with butter spreads faster and farther. Because cookies made with butter tend to spread more, the cookies are often thin and crisper. All types of fat—margarine, shortening, and butter—are tenderizers.
What happens if you replace butter with margarine?
In baking, melted margarine could work in recipes that call for melted butter, but in recipes that call for softened butter, swapping in tub margarine may change the texture; for example, cakes will be less tender, and cookies will generally spread out more and be less crisp.
Does margarine make cookies flat?
Cookies spread out just enough to be somewhat crunchy while also ooey-gooey. Margarine, on the other hand, works basically the same. But since it has more water and less fat, margarine cookies tend to spread a bit further and become thinner.
Which margarine is best for baking cookies?
2-When you're baking; butter margarine is the best option for baking. Its high-fat content makes it an excellent choice for cornbread and muffins, while its lower-fat content makes it excellent for baking cookies.
Can you use half butter and half margarine in cookies?
So one way to get the best of both: Use half butter and half shortening. By the way “butter” here is butter. Real butter, not margarine. And “shortening” here is Crisco baking sticks.
Why did my cookies come out so flat?
Why Are My Cookies Flat? Mistake: When cookies turn out flat, the bad guy is often butter that is too soft or even melted. This makes cookies spread. The other culprit is too little flour—don't hold back and make sure you master measuring.
What makes cookies Fluffy?
Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.
Can you use butter if a recipe calls for margarine?
The short answer is while there is no exact rule for substituting the fats in your recipes, you'll likely be able to use butter or shortening as a one-to-one swap for margarine. In addition to butter, we're sharing some easy (and healthier swaps) for when you need a margarine substitute stat.
What can I use if I don't have margarine?
The 5 Best Substitutes for Margarine1 – Olive Oil.2 – Coconut Oil.3 – Peanut Butter.4 – Canola Oil.5 – Ghee or Clarified Butter.
What can I use in cookies instead of butter?
In general, the following foods work best as butter replacements in cakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, and quick breads:Applesauce. Applesauce significantly reduces the calorie and fat content of baked goods. ... Avocados. ... Mashed bananas. ... Greek yogurt. ... Nut butters. ... Pumpkin purée.
Should I use butter or margarine?
Margarine usually tops butter when it comes to heart health. Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it contains unsaturated "good" fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These types of fats help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol when substituted for saturated fat.
Can I use margarine instead of butter in chocolate chip cookies?
You can definitely use margarine instead of butter for any cookie recipe. But, keep in mind, the flavor will be affected. However, margarine actually gives cookies a much better texture.
What is the function of margarine in baking?
Function. As a fat, margarine provides baked goods with texture, mouthfeel, and other sensory attributes. Its other roles include extending a product's shelf life.
Can I use half butter half margarine in cookies?
So one way to get the best of both: Use half butter and half shortening. By the way “butter” here is butter. Real butter, not margarine. And “shortening” here is Crisco baking sticks.
Difference Between Margarine and Butter
Before you can understand whether or not you can use margarine instead of butter in cookies, you need to know the difference between the two.
Can You Use Margarine Instead of Butter in Cookies?
Yes, you can use margarine instead of butter in cookies. It’s really easy to do so, too, considering the ratio is 1:1. So, if your chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for one cup of butter, you can swap it for one cup of margarine.
Other Butter Alternatives for Cookies
If you want to swap the butter but don’t have margarine (or don’t like it), don’t worry – there are other substitutes for butter in cookies. I’m just going to name a few here to help you out in a pinch.
FAQs
Now you can nail your cookie recipe, feeling confident using margarine as a replacement for butter. But wait! You still want to learn more. I’m here to teach, fellow bakers. Check out these frequently asked questions for more.
Final Words
You can easily use margarine instead of butter in your cookie recipe. Just try to find margarine that has a higher fat content, like most stick margarine. Keep in mind that it’s easier to burn margarine cookies as they spread thinner, so keep an eye on them while baking.
What Does Margarine Do To Cookies?
Let’s understand first how butter works for cookies and why it’s important as an ingredient. Butter melts really slow compared to other baking shortenings available.
Pick The Right Margarine When Substituting
It’s always best to look at the label before making that purchase and substitution. Not all margarine have the same water and fat content. I suggest going to the ones that have more fat content. Just like how the fat from butter increases the quality of the cookie making it chewy and crispy at the same time.
Other Butter Substitutes You Can Use
Aside from margarine, here are other options that you can take advantage of when both are not present in your pantry.
How To Use Margarine in Cookies
The part we’ve all been waiting for. To ease your kitchen woes, we’ll show you how to bake your cookies with margarine instead of butter by following the easy recipe below:
Is unsalted butter the same as margarine?
Butter (unsalted, that is) adds a deeper taste to cakes, cookies, and pastries. (After all, it starts off as cream, and margarine is produced from vegetable oil.) Margarine may result in thin cookies that spread out while baking since it contains more water and less fat (and may burn).
Why is unsalted butter used in recipes?
When a recipe asks for unsalted butter, it indicates the salt levels in the dish take no additional salt sources into consideration. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt quantity in half as directed. Butter that has been salted has a longer shelf life than butter that has not been salted. As a result, unsalted butter is usually fresher.
Is it preferable to bake using butter or margarine?
When it comes to baking, though, butter always wins out over margarine. Butter (unsalted, that is) adds a deeper taste to cakes, cookies, and pastries. Margarine may result in thin cookies that spread out while baking since it contains more water and less fat (and may burn). When it comes to frying, butter is the superior option.
Is there a difference in flavor between salted and unsalted butter?
Unsalted butter is made entirely of cream, while salted butter contains some salt, the quantity of which varies from brand to brand. Because salt is a preservative, salted butter lasts longer in the fridge—usually about five months vs three months for unsalted.
Can Country Crock be substituted for butter?
Country Crock Baking Sticks not only have a delicious buttery taste, but they can also be used in place of butter in any recipe.
What kind of butter is best for baking?
The Test Kitchen advises using unsalted butter for baking because it allows you to regulate the quantity of salt in the recipe. Salted butter is best served with bread at the table or used to enhance a meal such as mashed potatoes.
Is it true that cookies made with butter or margarine are softer?
Use stick butter when a recipe asks for it. If you use margarine or oil instead of butter, your cookies will likely be flatter since they contain more water than butter. If you use shortening instead of butter, the cookies will be more cake-like and won’t flatten as much.
1. Margarine
Margarine can be used for butter replacement in baking. It tastes similar to butter and contains fat like butter, but it may offer you some health advantages when you use it in your baking.
2. Applesauce and Other Fruit Purees
Fruit purees provide bulk and flavor as a butter substitute in baking. Applesauce, mashed bananas, pureed dates, prunes or figs are just a few examples of nutritious, fibrous and low-fat butter substitutes.
3. Mashed Avocado
Avocado is technically a fruit, and it can work just as well as a butter substitute, according to California Avocado.
5. Plain Yogurt
If you have a bit of butter on hand — and your goal in swapping out butter isn't to eliminate dairy — you can sub in yogurt for some of the butter.
Tips for Replacing Butter
Subbing out any ingredient always comes with the risk that your cookies won't turn out as expected. But with a little bit of expertise, you have a better chance of success.
