Due to its ability to be whisked easily and maintain air, butter is a basic ingredient in baking. Margarine is similar in appearance, taste, and smell to butter and is often used as a butter substitute in confectionery products.
In short: yes, you can use margarine instead of butter, and vice versa. You can definitely make a good pie crust with margarine. In terms of taste and quality, butter gives better results, but it is easier to work with margarine, especially in warm environments.
Because of my son’s food allergies, I always had to pay attention to what ingredients I choose when preparing food. This was also the case when making sweets. Since he was also allergic to milk, I often made pie crust with margarine. Dairy-free kinds of margarine are also available.
Some kinds of margarine contain milk, while others are made exclusively from vegetable ingredients. If you want to avoid milk or raw materials of animal origin, this should be taken into account.
Can you use margarine instead of butter?
You can make all the butter-containing recipes on this website with margarine or a combination of butter and margarine. My recipes include pies, cookies, cakes, and savory snacks, such as my crispy, thin cheese waffles.
Homemade Pie Crust With Margarine
A simple but delicious flaky pie crust made with margarine.
Ingredients
- 14 oz/400 g bread flour
- 8 oz/230 g margarine
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup/240 ml cold water
Instructions
- Mix the sifted flour with the sugar and salt.
- Cut the cold margarine into small cubes.
- Combine the flour mixture and the margarine. Knead for a short time, taking care not to melt the margarine. You can do this by hand, with a stand mixer or a pastry blender.
- Add the cold water little by little until the dough is combined. In order to get a flaky pie crust, do not work until completely smooth, but let the margarine remain in smaller pieces in the dough.
- Cover the pie dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can keep this homemade pie crust with margarine in the fridge for 3 days before using it, but you can also freeze it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 111 gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 24.7gSodium: 54mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
Note: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
You may be also interested in making some individual apple pies in a muffin Tin.
What types of dough can you make with margarine?
- Pie crusts
- Short dough
- Cookies
- Puff pastry
- Croissants
Both butter and margarine are suitable for making these types of pastries (sweet and savory), but you can also combine the two in equal proportions. If you use butter and margarine together, make sure the consistency of the two ingredients is the same.
If you choose margarine to make pie dough or other types of pastry, yous should also pay attention to the fat content of the margarine. Kinds of margarine with a fat content of 70%bor more are best suited for baking, as the rest of the content is mainly water which will make the dough dry and crumbly.
Talking of baking, you may wish to try out my cherry pie recipe.
Can you add margarine to the buttercream?
You can use margarine instead of butter when making buttercream, but this replacement will affect the taste of the product. Butter has a lower melting point than margarine, so icings made with butter have a more pleasant taste. Icings made with margarine cause a greasy effect in the mouth due to the higher melting point of margarine.
You can also use butter and margarine in equal proportions to make buttercream. This is especially helpful in warm environments as it makes the job easier. In this case, make sure that the butter and margarine have the same consistency, otherwise, they cannot mix well.
What is the difference between butter and margarine?
Butter is a food of animal origin, most commonly made from cow’s milk, but milk from other mammals, such as buffalo, goats, or sheep, can also be used.
Margarine is made by industrial processing of mostly vegetable fats and oils, but animal fats can be also used. Its raw material is most often sunflower, soybean, or corn oil.
Butter
The origin of butter
Butter has been present in the cuisines of different nations for thousands of years. The Bible also mentions it in the book of Genesis. Like cheese, butter is made naturally. The cream layer formed on the surface of the milk is subjected to a mechanical process called churning.
What does butter contain?
Butter contains a minimum of 80% milkfat, making it an excellent source of energy for the human body. Butter naturally contains vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are essential for our body. It also contains other useful substances such as lecithin, selenium, and lauric acid.
Butter is stable even at high temperatures, making it suitable for baking and cooking.
Physiological effects of butter
Butter was classified as harmful in the early 20th century because it contains saturated fats. These have been thought to increase cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent research, however, confirms that saturated fats improve the lipid profile of the blood, and with their vitamin K2 content, it contributes to the reduction of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.
Margarine
The origin of margarine
Margarine was invented by French chemist Hippolyte Mége-Mouriés in the 1860s as a substitute for butter. The aim was to make a product that is spreadable, easy to transport, and cheaper than animal fats. It was a part of the military supply of the Napoleonic army.
He called his invention oleomargarine, made from beef fat and milk. This new and inexpensive product was similar in appearance and texture to butter.
Margarine was named after its primary ingredient, margaric acid, which comes from the ancient Greek word μάργαρος (margaron), meaning pearl.
Plant-based margarine was developed in the early 20th century as a cheaper alternative to butter. At the time margarine was developed, experts thought that a product made from vegetable oils was healthier than butter of animal origin. Margarine can be produced by hydrogenation or by making a water-in-oil emulsion.
Physiological effects of margarine
Hydrogenation results in the formation of saturated fatty acids while the oils become solid or semi-solid. During hydrogenation, trans fatty acids (TFA) are also formed which have a detrimental effect on blood vessels.
Today, more modern methods can be used to eliminate the formation of trans fats. No trans fatty acid is formed during water-in-oil emulsion production due to the relatively low temperature. Also, other types of fats are added to margarine, such as palm oil.
Although some kinds of margarine contain vitamins, they are added afterward during production. These vitamins are not as valuable as the natural vitamins found in food.
Final thoughts
Butter and margarine are two substances of different origins and compositions, but both are suitable for baking.
My conclusion is that you can replace butter with margarine when making a pie crust. You can also make all kinds of cakes and icing with margarine, but their taste and quality will not be the same as those made with butter.
Based on the information gathered in my blog post, you can decide if you prefer to use butter or margarine to make pies, cookies, or cakes. If you find this information interesting or useful, be sure to share my post with your friends.
You may also wish to try out my simple homemade apple pie recipe.