Food compare · 2026

Olive oil vs Butter

Olive oil vs Butter compared per 100 g — use protein density, fat profile, and the goal of the swap to pick.

Per 100 g

Macro table

Metric	Olive oil	Butter
Calories	884 kcal	717 kcal
Protein	0 g	0.9 g
Carbs	0 g	0.1 g
Fat	100 g	81 g
Fiber	—	—
Protein per 100 kcal	0.0 g	0.1 g

Reference macros from AskCalories food pages (USDA FoodData Central where available). Your plate still needs portion and cooking-fat edits.

What each is for

Decision rule

Both are nearly pure fat calories. Pick olive oil for unsaturated cooking fat; pick butter when dairy flavor is the point and you accept more saturated fat.

Pick Olive oil when

Sautéing vegetables, making salad dressings, and Mediterranean-style cooking.

Pick Butter when

Baking or finishing where butter flavor is non-negotiable.

Caveats

Tablespoons dominate — a “drizzle” is often 100+ kcal. Log oils deliberately.
This is not medical advice about blood lipids; talk to a clinician for personal fat guidance.

Food notes

🫒 Olive oil

120 kcal per tbsp. Easy to drizzle 3 tbsp without thinking — eyeball under 1 tbsp portions instead.

🧈 Butter

~100 kcal per tbsp. Easier to portion than oil because it stays in place.

AskCalories

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FAQ

Is olive oil lower calorie than butter?

Per gram, fats are similar in calories. The choice is mostly fatty-acid profile and culinary use, not a free calorie swap.

Olive oil or butter for cooking calories?

Log the grams either way. A tablespoon of either is a large calorie add — the decision is flavor and fat type, not a meaningful calorie discount.