The key difference. Is there really a difference between the two? (It begins as cream, after all, and margarine is made from vegetable oil.) Margarine usually tops butter when it comes to heart health. As an animal product, butter has high levels of cholesterol and saturated fats that aren’t present in margarine. What is Butter Butter is a dairy product that is made by churning milk or cream. Margarine, on the other hand, has more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (the good kinds!) What is margarine? Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it contains unsaturated "good" fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

If there is a difference, what is it? It is typically made of 80 percent vegetable oil and water and flavored to taste like butter. These types of fats help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or … (Most margarines contain trace amounts of dairy. Butter is a natural food made from milk, while margarine is a processed food made from chemically altered vegetable oils. If you're looking for a completely non-dairy product, choose "vegan margarine".) For cakes, cookies, and pastries, butter (unsalted, that is) provides richer flavor. Butter's high fat content is also what gives baked goods their texture. but also often contains trans fats (the very bad kind!). Some people prefer to use margarine rather than butter. This difference has an impact on taste, texture, and nutrition. The type of fat found in butter and margarine is a defining factor in what sets them apart. Originally invented in the 1860s as an inexpensive butter substitute, margarine is a trickier beast to cook with.Margarine is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil. It’s often heavily diluted—especially the kind found in tubs. You can buy margarine in sticks or tubs. By churning it, the butterfat is separated from the buttermilk. It all comes down to the kind of fat involved. Margarine is an oil-based product. Some recipes call for butter, while others specify margarine. While butter is derived from animal fat, margarine is made with vegetable oil.