SaurabhCookies whatever the flavor or consistency, it’s always a perfect dessert or afternoon snack paired with coffee. Some like it gooey, some like it brittle. Whatever preference we have with our cookies, the same truth is shared, it’s one of the best sweet treats in the world!
When baking cookies, butter is usually a common ingredient. But if you run out of butter, it’s good to know that you can use margarine instead. Let’s find out how you can do this substitution and how it affects the cookies in general.
What Does Margarine Do To Cookies?
Let’s understand first how butter works for cookies and why it’s important as an ingredient. Butter melts really slow compared to other baking shortenings available.
It is capable of improving the cookies’ consistency and texture by achieving a well spread out and crispier cookie. That’s also the reason why you get to have a fudgier or gooey cookie which is actually preferred by most individuals.
Margarine acts the same duty, however, considering that butter has more water content and lesser fat compared to butter. Expect that when substituting butter with margarine, the cookies are thinner due to too much spreading out and will turn out crispier than the usual. It’s like a biscuit kind of texture if you’re trying to compare it.
But, you can aid this by adding some more chocolate chips to add more gooeyness in it. Always opt to refrigerate your butter and not add it to the cookie batter melted. This will ensure that the cookie will not become too flat when baked inside the oven.
Pick The Right Margarine When Substituting
It’s always best to look at the label before making that purchase and substitution. Not all margarine have the same water and fat content. I suggest going to the ones that have more fat content. Just like how the fat from butter increases the quality of the cookie making it chewy and crispy at the same time. By picking the right margarine, you get to achieve almost the same quality.
You can test other brands and try doing an experiment by comparing it with your cookie recipes. Identify which brands of margarine works best to substitute butter for cookies.
So the next time you run out, you don’t have to run in the grocery store just to get some butter. Let your creativity and resourcefulness shine in your kitchen.
Just Use Zero Substitution
Your cookies can still work without butter, it’s actually much healthier and guilt-free to consume. Especially if you’re trying to watch out for your diet. There’s a lot of recipes that you can find online that offer a ton of alternatives for baking cookies without butter.
But keep in mind that this is a big compromise to do because obviously, you won’t get the same cookie texture when butter is absent. Expect that the cookies will be crumblier, less gooey, and flatter like a biscuit. But it’s worth a try than skipping your baking session completely.
Other Butter Substitutes You Can Use
Aside from margarine, here are other options that you can take advantage of when both are not present in your pantry.
Peanut Butter
I’m pretty sure every home has a peanut butter spread, not unless you’re allergic to it. Always keep in mind when adding this ingredient especially if you have someone who’s allergic to peanuts. Peanut butter is made of peanuts and butter, obviously from the name itself. That’s why it’s a perfect substitute for butter using the ratio 1:1. I always go for peanut butter cookies for a healthier dessert and especially if I lack butter in the fridge. Just perfectly works all the time.
Olive Oil
One of the healthiest options you can choose over butter. Although it doesn’t help achieve that desirable cookie texture, it still works as a substitute. It makes the cookie less crumbly although not that chewy.
I use the ratio 3:4 when doing a substitution. Believe me, you won’t really notice the change in the recipe. If you’re making this with chocolate chip cookies, just add more chocolate chips to increase its chewiness.
Mashed Avocados
As we all know, avocados are rich in good fats. No wonder, it can be used as a replacement for butter in cookies. Replace 2 tbsps of mashed avocados over 1 tbsp of butter for your cookie batter. This will work some wonders. The only thing is, the cookie is quite rounder when cooked since avocados don’t melt. Know that the cookies are flatter when butter is added because of its ability to melt while in the oven.
How To Use Margarine in Cookies
The part we’ve all been waiting for. To ease your kitchen woes, we’ll show you how to bake your cookies with margarine instead of butter by following the easy recipe below:
Margarine Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of high-fat margarine
- 1 cup of muscovado sugar
- ½ cup of white sugar
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cups of cocoa powder
Instructions:
- First, preheat your oven at a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Take a clean large bowl and start beating the margarine for a minute.
- Add in the muscovado sugar, white sugar, salt, and baking soda. Beat for another minute or until everything’s well combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract in the cookie mixture. Beat until well combined.
- Then start adding the flour. Add the first half and beat in the mixture until combined. Then add the rest of the flour until combined.
- Add the cocoa powder stirring in slowly making sure the batter is not drying out or too wet.
- Grease a cookie baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Grab an ice cream scoop and scoop some cookie dough. Place the scooped cookie doughs onto the tray. Maintain spacing for cookies to expand.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve and garnish with extra cocoa powder.
Enjoy!!
