Olive oil vs butter: what's the difference
Olive oil is pure plant fat, while butter is milk fat with water: under EU rules it holds 80 to 90 % fat and up to 16 % water. That is why it makes sense to compare them per 100 g.
| 🫒 Olive oil | 🧈 Butter | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy per 100 g | 884 kcal | 717 kcal |
| Fat / water per 100 g | 100 g / 0 g | 81.1 g / 16.2 g |
| Saturated fat per 100 g | 13.8 g | 50.5 g |
| Cholesterol per 100 g | 0 mg | 215 mg |
| Vitamin A / vitamin E per 100 g | 0 µg / 14.35 mg | 684 µg / 2.32 mg |
Which to choose
Butter is “lighter” (717 vs 884 kcal) only because it is 16 % water. It has almost four times more saturated fat and contains cholesterol, but plenty of vitamin A, while olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat and vitamin E. Use olive oil for salads, dressings and Mediterranean cooking, and butter for a buttery taste in baking and on bread; partly replacing butter with olive oil lowers the share of saturated fat.
Sources
Themes
🥛Types of milkFrom cow to reindeer: composition, benefits, value🧀Cheeses of the worldParmesan, feta, bryndza, sulguni and more🥣Fermented milk productsKefir, yogurt, kumis, matsoni, skyr🌍Dairy traditionsRegions, peoples and their dairy products🐄Dairy animalsWhich animals are milked and how their milk differs🚚The journey of milkFrom pasture to shop — step by step❤️Milk and healthCalcium, lactose, allergy, benefits and risks👷JobsWho works with milk🗺️Map of traditionsWorld regions, peoples and their products on a map⚖️ComparisonsKefir or yogurt, sour cream or cream, and more🍳RecipesCottage cheese, yogurt, ghee, paneer, butter — at home📜History of milkFrom domestication to Tetra Pak🫒OlivesVarieties, oil, table olives, regions and traditions