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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
6 Min
27/01/2026
When it comes to cooking, there’s always room to experiment with ingredients. And the more you know about these ingredients, the better you can use them — especially if your end goal is to improve your health. That’s why we’ve broken down the differences between two of the most common cooking ingredients, ghee and butter.
Both ghee and butter have their loyalists and detractors. But, is one really better than the other? And what determines the inclusion of an ingredient in a recipe? Are they easily swapped, or do they directly impact the taste, texture, and health benefits of a dish? All these questions are something that food lovers, cooks, and even the average consumer have searched for or thought about at one time or another. Well, for all of them and others, we’ve finally got all the answers.
A commonly available dairy product, butter is produced by churning cream. Churning cream separates the fat globules from the buttermilk. These globules make up fresh butter. Consequently, fresh butter is off-white or pale yellow in colour. Salt was originally added to preserve it during transportation. Today, it’s just added to processed butter for the taste. Some commercial butters may even have food colouring. Butter can be used as a spread on breads, for pan-frying, baking, sauce-making, and a host of other cooking processes.
Ghee is a type of clarified butter made by simmering butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids separate and caramelise. The clear golden fat that remains is strained to produce ghee. Simply put, gently heating (or simmering) butter) produces clarified butter, which is a clear, golden liquid. Ghee requires another step— additional cooking (or heating) till the solids brown slightly (caramelise). It’s commonly used in cooking, especially in Indian cuisine. Similar to butter, ghee can also be used as both a raw ingredient and a topping or condiment (smeared on flatbreads, puffed dumplings like baati, etc. and drizzled on cooked vegetables and lentils before serving). It’s also commonly used in Hindu religious ceremonies.
Though animal milk forms the base of both products, ghee and butter have a wide difference in terms of taste, texture, and shelf life.
Smoke point is the point at which a fat begins to break down. Because of its higher fat concentration, ghee has a higher smoke point (482 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius)). This makes it a better choice for high-heat cooking methods, such as pan-frying. It’s also why it’s used for tempering in most Indian dishes. Ghee-based tempering also helps bring out the aroma of the spices, adding a fragrant touch to all dishes.
Butter has a lower smoke point (350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius)) and a creamier texture. This makes it ideal for creamy sauces and spreads, low-heating dishes, and baked goods. It’s also great for pasta sauces that require thickening.
Consuming too much of anything, ghee or butter, is bad for health. However, inherently, none of these food items is bad for your body. In fact, the fat they provide is necessary for holistic development.
Here are a few quick points to keep in mind when choosing between ghee and butter in your diet:
Nutritionally, both have the same benefits. The choice comes down to your needs and food tolerance.
The bottom line — if you’re only looking at calories and fats, butter and ghee are easily swapped. But if you’re looking to cook specific dishes, understand how an ingredient interacts with other components and reacts to different cooking methods to get the best results. And if you’re concerned about health, then consume these fats in moderation. The answer is not in the elimination of a food group, but rather, in mindful consumption.
