Is margarine better for baking desserts than butter?

You need to use salted butter (or margarine). Unsalted will make your baking taste like cr*p. **Unless it specifically calls for unsalted, as in some pastries**

I can’t really speak to the margarine/butter issue. I’ve used both in my life and now live in an all butter household.

Good luck!

does it call for unsalted? The salt is important part of the baking chemistry. Try using slated. The margarine is salted

Nope, margarine will definitely not give them a better taste. Maybe it’s just that the butter you bought is crap….. LOL. Try another one or put a bit less of butter than the recipe indicates (check the consistency of the batter to make sure that won’t affect them)…. but believe me, the margarine won’t give you the consistency or the flavor that butter does! I eat margarine all the time, but don’t use it for baking….

Here is some information regarding the battle between Butter or Marg.

Cooking
The main problem with light spreads and tub margarines is their unsuitablility for cooking and baking. Because they contain only about 25% fat compared with at least 80% in butter and margarine, they would ruin most recipes. For cooking, choose heart-healthy canola or olive oil instead. Better still, if you can use cooking sprays or broth you will save additional fat calories.
Baking
In baking, regular butter and margarine provide textures and flavors that are difficult to reproduce. It is also hard to substitute a liquid fat for a solid fat, since they behave differently with the other ingredients. Oils are generally not suitable for cookie recipes, although they are usually fine in muffins and cakes. Fruit purees, low fat or fat free sour cream and yogurt can often be used instead of butter or margarine in cakes and muffins, but the outcome will be affected in some way, often leading to a dense product.

I hope this info helps!

Margarine is better for some baking, but it totally depends on the type of margarine. Full fat stick margarine works best because it has been chemically altered to be “stable” at room temperature. Usually, I use a combination of unsalted butter and either margarine or vegetable shortening. Possibly your cookie recipe isn’t the greatest. Try this one.
12 oz. stick margarine(*not low-fat or light)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar cream these 3 things together until light and fluffy
Add 3 eggs, one at a time until thoroughly incorporated.
stir in 4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 TBL vanilla
4 cups flour
mix until incorporated.
then add 3 cups of chips, nuts, dried fruits, or anything else you like.
Drop onto cookie sheet by spoon fulls and bake at 350 for 10-12 min until lightly golden brown.
Good luck!

Actually I think it’s the unsalted part that is getting you. In baking I use butter because there is less oil in butter than in margarine and it gives it a richer flavor.