My hot take: Margarine is just as good as butter for budget cooking

I use margarine in everything from scrambled eggs to cookies, and it works great. It costs less than half the price of butter where I shop. Sure, butter tastes richer, but when you're pinching pennies, that extra flavor isn't worth the cash. I've been doing this for months and no one has complained.

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabeth2202mo agoMost Upvoted

Heard my friend use margarine in her cake mix last month. She said it turned out totally fine and saved her cash. Now she won't go back to butter for everyday stuff.

aaron_cooper1mo ago

Got to point out that margarine doesn't brown the same way butter does for pan frying. It has more water, so you're steaming more than searing. That golden color on potatoes is from milk solids in butter caramelizing, which margarine just doesn't have. You can still cook with it, but the flavor and texture are different. It's a fine substitute if you're just trying to keep things from sticking, but it's not the same result.

grantjones2mo ago

It's true for baking, but I've found margarine works just as well for savory stuff too. I pan fry my morning potatoes in it and they get that same nice golden color. Even roasting vegetables with a little margarine and salt turns out great. The savings really add up over time without changing the meal that much.