Ghee vs Butter: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Ghee is higher in calories at 900, while butter has 717 calories. Butter has more protein at 0.8 g, compared to ghee's 0 g.

Ghee and butter are both popular cooking fats, but they have distinct nutritional profiles. This comparison highlights their differences in calories, protein, and fat content.

What Is the Difference Between Ghee and Butter?

Ghee is a type of clarified butter made from the milk of cows or buffalo. It is often used in Indian cooking and has a high smoke point. Butter is a dairy product made by churning cream. It is commonly used as a spread and in cooking for its rich flavor.

Ghee vs Butter: Nutrition Side by Side

Below is a side-by-side comparison of ghee and butter based on their nutritional values.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Ghee (clarified butter)	Butter (salted)
Calories	900 kcal	717 kcal
Protein	0 g	0.8 g
Carbs	0 g	0.1 g
Sugar	0 g	0.1 g
Fat	100 g	81.1 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Sodium	0 mg	643 mg

Which Is Better, Ghee or Butter?

For weight loss: Ghee has 900 calories, while butter has 717 calories, making butter a better choice for weight loss.

For muscle and protein: Butter contains 0.8 g of protein, whereas ghee has 0 g, making butter the superior option for protein intake.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Both ghee and butter have negligible carbs and sugar, with ghee at 0 g and butter at 0.1 g for carbs and sugar.

How to Track Ghee and Butter Accurately

It's easy to misjudge portion sizes and macros when using fats like ghee and butter in cooking. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies foods from a photo and returns calories and macros from a database of more than 1.8 million foods. It also supports barcode scanning and voice logging. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

How We Compiled These Numbers

The numbers provided are rounded reference values for educational use and not intended as medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for dietary recommendations. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which has more protein, ghee or butter?

Butter has 0.8 g of protein, while ghee has 0 g.

Which has fewer calories, ghee or butter?

Butter has 717 calories, whereas ghee has 900 calories.

What is the fat content of ghee?

Ghee contains 100 g of fat per 100 g.

What is the fat content of butter?

Butter contains 81.1 g of fat per 100 g.

How much sugar is in ghee?

Ghee has 0 g of sugar per 100 g.

How much sugar is in butter?

Butter has 0.1 g of sugar per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Ghee has 900 calories per 100 g.
• Butter has 717 calories per 100 g.
• Ghee contains 0 g of protein.
• Butter contains 0.8 g of protein.
• Ghee has 100 g of fat.
• Butter has 81.1 g of fat.