9 Best Margarines For Baking Of 2026
While we might consider butter to be the staple fat to use in baking, there are many reasons that someone may not want to use it.
Perhaps there is a dairy allergy or milk intolerance in the household. Or you could be on a vegan or plant-based diet!
If you’re looking to find an alternative to butter in your baking, then turning to margarine is a great idea.
These products have come a long way and can be made with some delicious and flavorful alternatives to give a special touch to your baking, without the butter.
So, how do you choose the best margarine for baking? The best margarine for baking should not only state that it’s made for baking, but it should also melt well, be made with organic ingredients, and have a delicious buttery flavor to it.
Read on to learn what to look for so you can choose the best margarine for all your baking needs, as well as my best-of list!
How To Choose The Best Margarines For Baking
When it comes to choosing the best margarines for baking, there are some things to look out for. Check out the following guide to help you pick the best margarine for your budget and baking needs.
Avoid Margarine That Is Specifically For Spreading
Some margarines are going to be designed specifically to be spread on bread or other items.
This spreadable quality means they may have more air whipped into them or have a slightly different structure than firmer margarines that are better for baking.
Remember that baking is chemistry, so it’s important that margarine have similar properties to butter or shortening so that your final product turns out airy, delicious, and crisp!
Look For Margarines That Say They Can Be Used For Baking
A great way to figure out whether a tub of margarine can be used for baking is to check the description.
Lots of brands will say whether it can be used as a replacement for butter right in their product descriptions, which saves you a lot of time.
I also like to scroll down and read reviews just to make sure that the margarine works in the recipes that I have in mind.
Look For Buttery Flavors
As I mentioned above, most margarines are going to be able to be used in baking. The ones you may want to avoid are those specifically designed to be spreadable since they might not have the molecular structure to hold up your baked goods.
With that being said, if you want to add a delicious layer of flavor to your baking, you can look for margarines that have a buttery or creamy flavor. It can help round out the flavor of your goodies similar to butter.
Look For Products That Melt
These criteria may seem a little obvious, but you want to make sure that your margarine melts similarly to butter since that melting process is crucial to the delicate and complex chemistry that is baking.
Each ingredient has a role to play and your margarine should act as close to butter as possible so that you get the final results that you’re looking for.
Look For Organic Ingredients
While being certified organic isn’t necessarily required, it’s important to some folks to buy organic products whenever possible. Organic foods are less heavily sprayed with pesticides and can have more eco-friendly farming practices.
If pesticide use and organic farming is important to you, then I’ve included a couple of organic brands on this list for you to choose from.
The Best Margarines For Baking
Now that you know what to look for in terms of the best margarines, you can check out the choices below to find the one that best fits your baking needs and budget.
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Melt USDA Organic Rich & Creamy Butter | Best overall margarine for baking |
| 2. | Nutiva Organic Shortening/Margarine | Made from a blend of organic coconut and palm oils |
| 3. | Spectrum Naturals Organic Vegetable Shortening | Contains no hydrogenated oils |
| 4. | Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks | Plant-based margarine |
| 5. | Buckeye Flex Bakers Margarine | Nice buttery flavor |
| 6. | Conagra Fleischmanns Solid Margarine | Dairy free |
| 7. | Parkay, Vegetable Oil Buttery Sticks | Comes in convenient sticks |
| 8. | I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! | Also a spread |
| 9. | Smart Balance Buttery Spread Butter Replacement | Excellent source of vitamin D |
1. Melt USDA Organic Rich & Creamy Butter
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This product from Melt has amazing reviews across the board both as a spread and as a replacement for butter in baking.
It has a great flavor, is made with a variety of fruit and plant oils, some of which are omega-3 and omega-6 fats for health.
It’s also USDA-certified organic, which is great for folks who are looking for that quality.
Since it’s made with plant oils, Melt is perfect for those who are avoiding dairy due to dietary preferences or intolerances and/or allergies.
It also freezes really well, so you can stock up and save some money by buying in bulk.
2. Nutiva Organic Shortening/Margarine
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The next margarine on our list is a bit closer to a plant-based shortening, but since it works so well in baking I wanted to include it.
If you’re looking for a margarine that you also spread on toast and such, the Nutiva Organic shortening might not be the best choice.
However, this brand is amazing for baking. It’s made from a blend of organic coconut and palm oils and is amazing for baking, frying, sautéing and is an excellent alternative to butter.
It produces a deliciously flaky pie crust, so you know it will work well for all your baking needs.
This brand is also perfect for folks who are avoiding dairy since it is 100% plant-based, with no lactose or milk proteins.
It makes an ideal addition to Whole30, vegetarian, vegan, Kosher, paleo-friendly, ketogenic, and gluten-free diets.
Nutiva also partners with small, well-established, organic family farms in Ecuador to source and process responsibly harvested red palm fruit with absolutely no deforestation, habitat destruction, or monocropping.
3. Spectrum Naturals Organic Vegetable Shortening
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Spectrum Naturals has another organic, plant-based product that’s perfect for all of your baking needs.
It even makes amazingly creamy and rich frostings! This brand is made from USDA-certified organic palm oil and contains no hydrogenated oils.
You can use it to make crispy fries, flaky piecrusts, and rich, creamy frostings, without any animal products.
It’s perfect for vegans or folks with dairy allergies or lactose intolerances.
4. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
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These vegan buttery sticks are a plant-based margarine that has a delicious butter flavor.
They come in convenient sticks to make measuring our your margarine quick and easy.
Earth Balance makes lots of spreadable products, but these sticks are specifically for baking, so you can use them in a one-to-one replacement with butter.
While they aren’t certified organic, they are 100% plant-based, making them a great choice for vegans or people allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant.
5. Buckeye Flex Bakers Margarine
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This margarine from Buckeye Flex is specifically marketed as a baking margarine, so you know you can use it one-to-one in any recipe.
It’s made mostly with soybean oil, so folks with soy allergies may want to avoid this brand.
It does have a nice buttery flavor, so it should taste great in whatever you decide to bake!
6. Conagra Fleischmanns Solid Margarine
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Another nice solid margarine that can be used in baking comes from Fleischmanns.
They make yeast and other great baking products, so it’s safe to say they know what they are doing with their baking margarine.
While it’s not organic and it doesn’t say whether it has a butter flavor, it should still work well for all your baking needs.
It also appears to be dairy-free, so it should be safe to enjoy for folks with lactose intolerance, dairy allergies, or vegans.
7. Parkay, Vegetable Oil Buttery Sticks
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Parkay is another brand that comes in convenient sticks that are perfect for measuring out the right amount for your recipes.
They also have a delicious buttery flavor, making them a great choice.
If you are vegan or avoiding dairy, they do contain some milk ingredients so it’s not the best choice for these folks.
8. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
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Even though I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter is technically a spread, it does say it’s great to use in baking and cooking.
It’s also not dairy-free, so folks avoiding milk products probably won’t want to choose this brand.
9. Smart Balance Buttery Spread Butter Replacement
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Our last baking margarine is a great dairy-free choice that works as a spread or butter alternative for all your baking needs.
It’s a healthy, affordable option that’s an excellent source of vitamin D as well!
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