Margarine Substitutes

Out of margarine? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert margarine between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the margarine converter.

What to use instead of margarine

  • Butter

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup margarine = 1 cup butter (1:1 by volume)

    The best-tasting swap: butter brings dairy richness margarine only mimics, and the two weigh almost the same per cup (227 g vs 235 g) with a similar fat-to-water ratio. Works straight across in cakes, cookies, and pastry, giving deeper flavour and a slightly firmer set.

    See butter substitutes →

  • Shortening

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup margarine = 1 cup shortening (1:1 by volume)

    Shortening is pure fat with no water, so it makes pastry flakier and cakes a touch drier than margarine. It is lighter per cup (205 g vs 235 g), so weigh when swapping; add a tablespoon or two of water per cup if the recipe relied on margarine's moisture.

    See shortening substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for margarine?
There are 2 workable substitutes for margarine, depending on what you have on hand and which property of margarine matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup margarine = 1 cup butter (1:1 by volume). Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting margarine change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the margarine converter
How do I measure margarine accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The margarine converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the margarine converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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