An emulsion of vegetable oils and water built to imitate butter's roughly 80% fat content. Stick and block forms are firm; tub spreads hold much more water.
What it does in a recipe: A butter-shaped fat for creaming, spreading and baking, usually chosen on cost or to avoid dairy. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Stick margarine, Baking margarine
4substitutes
2close matches
Fats & oilscategory
Quick answer
Butter
1 cup margarine = 1 cup butter
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace margarine
Butter
Closest match
1 cup margarine = 1 cup butter
Margarine is formulated to butter's fat and water percentages, so the exchange is direct in both directions with no adjustment.
MethodIf the margarine was salted and you are using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp of fine salt per cup.
Trade-offBetter flavour, better browning and a firmer set. Butter is harder when cold, so a dough may need a few extra minutes to soften before rolling. Not vegan or dairy-free.
Allergen checkThis adds dairy to a recipe that may have been avoiding it. Margarine is not reliably dairy-free either — many brands contain buttermilk or whey — so read both labels rather than assuming from the category.
Vegan butter block
Closest match
1 cup margarine = 1 cup vegan butter block
Essentially a modern margarine sold under a different name, built to the same fat and water proportions.
Trade-offUsually better-flavoured than a budget margarine and firmer straight from the fridge. Salt levels vary, so taste before adding more.
Allergen checkVegan blocks are commonly soy-, coconut- or cashew-based and formulas are revised without notice. Read the pack each time, and where an allergy is diagnosed confirm the individual product with the manufacturer rather than trusting the category.
Shortening
Reliable
1 cup margarine = 7/8 cup shortening (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)
Shortening is close to 100% fat while margarine is around 80%, so slightly less delivers the same amount of fat.
MethodAdd 2 tbsp of water or milk per cup if the recipe is a cake, to replace the moisture margarine would have brought.
Trade-offCookies spread less and stay taller, pastry is more tender and less flaky, and the flavour is completely flat.
1 cup melted margarine = 7/8 cup neutral oil (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)
Oil is 100% fat against margarine's roughly 80%, so a little less matches the fat load of the original.
MethodOnly where the margarine is melted or the batter is stirred together. A creaming method needs a solid fat to trap air and will collapse with oil.
Trade-offMoister, softer crumb that keeps better, but no structure for creamed cakes and no browning at the edges.
Tub spreads are not the same product as stick margarine. Many run at 50-70% fat with the balance water, which will slacken a dough and flatten a cake. Check the fat percentage on the tub before baking with it.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.