Is Margarine Vegan? Whey, Vitamin D3 and Fish Oil in Spreads
Margarine is plant-oil based but many spreads add buttermilk, whey, lactose, vitamin D3 or fish oil. Here's how to find a truly vegan margarine or butter.
4 min read · Updated October 2026
Margarine is not automatically vegan. It's made mainly from plant oils, but many tubs add dairy ingredients for flavour (whey, buttermilk, milk solids, lactose) or animal-derived nutrients (vitamin D3 from lanolin, omega-3 from fish oil). Plenty of margarines are fully vegan, often labelled so.
Non-vegan ingredients that turn up in spreads
| Ingredient | Why it's added |
|---|---|
| Buttermilk, whey, skim milk, milk solids | Butter-like flavour |
| Lactose | Flavour, browning |
| Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) | Fortification; usually from sheep's wool lanolin. See vitamin D3 |
| Fish oil / omega-3 (EPA/DHA) | Heart-health claims |
| Butter or butterfat | “Blends” of butter and oil |
| Mono- and diglycerides | Emulsifier; usually plant-based in spreads but can be animal (details) |
Vitamin A is usually synthetic or from beta-carotene and is rarely a concern. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is plant/fungal and vegan.
Margarine vs vegan butter
There's no strict legal difference in many countries between a vegan “butter” and a margarine: both are emulsions of plant fat and water. Products sold as vegan butter tend to use more coconut or shea fat to mimic the firmness of dairy butter and work better for baking. Soft tub spreads have more water and liquid oil; they're fine on toast but can make cookies spread and pastry soggy.
Lower-fat spreads and baking
If you're baking, check the fat content. Recipes written for butter (about 80% fat) behave best with a block or spread that's also around 75–80% fat. Light spreads under 60% fat contain a lot of water and can ruin shortbread and pastry.
How to choose a vegan margarine
- Look for a vegan logo or “dairy-free and suitable for vegans”.
- Check the allergen bold text for milk.
- Check the vitamin D type: D2 or “vegan D3” (from lichen) is fine.
- Skip “with omega-3” products unless the source is plant-based (flax, algae).
- If you're unsure about an emulsifier, run the list through the label scanner.
For more swaps, see our dairy-free guide. Remember dairy-free isn't always vegan.
Need a faster check? Vegan ingredient checker
Frequently asked questions
- Is all margarine dairy-free?
- No. Many margarines contain buttermilk, whey or milk solids for flavour.
- Is margarine the same as vegan butter?
- Not always. Some margarines contain dairy; vegan butters are formulated without animal products.
- Why isn't vitamin D3 vegan?
- Most D3 is made from lanolin, a grease from sheep's wool. D2 and lichen-derived D3 are vegan.
- Can I bake with vegan margarine?
- Yes, especially block or stick margarine with around 75–80% fat. Low-fat spreads don't bake well.
- Is Country Crock vegan?
- Its Plant Butter line is vegan. Some of its regular spreads have contained dairy, so check the tub.
Sources & verification
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