Mayonnaise vs Butter: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Mayonnaise has 680 calories and 1.0 g of protein, while butter has 717 calories and 0.8 g of protein. Mayonnaise is lower in calories and higher in protein.

Mayonnaise and butter are common condiments and cooking fats, each with unique nutritional profiles. Understanding their differences can help inform dietary choices.

What Is the Difference Between Mayonnaise and Butter?

Mayonnaise is a thick, creamy dressing made from oil, egg yolks, and vinegar or lemon juice. It is often used in salads, sandwiches, and as a base for sauces. Butter is a dairy product made from churning cream to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is commonly used in cooking, baking, and as a spread.

Mayonnaise vs Butter: Nutrition Side by Side

Below is a side-by-side comparison of mayonnaise and butter, highlighting their nutritional content.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Mayonnaise	Butter (salted)
Calories	680 kcal	717 kcal
Protein	1.0 g	0.8 g
Carbs	0.6 g	0.1 g
Sugar	0.6 g	0.1 g
Fat	74.8 g	81.1 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Sodium	635 mg	643 mg

Which Is Better, Mayonnaise or Butter?

For weight loss: Mayonnaise contains 680 calories per 100 g, while butter has 717 calories. Mayonnaise is lower in calories.

For muscle and protein: Mayonnaise has 1.0 g of protein per 100 g, compared to butter's 0.8 g. Mayonnaise is higher in protein.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Mayonnaise has 0.6 g of carbs and 0.6 g of sugar per 100 g, while butter has 0.1 g of carbs and 0.1 g of sugar. Butter is lower in carbs and sugar.

How to Track Mayonnaise and Butter Accurately

Portion sizes and macronutrient content can be easily misjudged, impacting dietary choices. 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, not medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional for dietary guidance. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which has more protein?

Mayonnaise has 1.0 g of protein, while butter has 0.8 g of protein.

Which has fewer calories?

Mayonnaise has 680 calories, while butter has 717 calories.

What is the fat content in mayonnaise?

Mayonnaise contains 74.8 g of fat per 100 g.

What is the fat content in butter?

Butter contains 81.1 g of fat per 100 g.

How much sodium is in mayonnaise?

Mayonnaise has 635 mg of sodium per 100 g.

How much sodium is in butter?

Butter contains 643 mg of sodium per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Mayonnaise has 680 calories per 100 g.
• Butter has 717 calories per 100 g.
• Mayonnaise contains 1.0 g of protein.
• Butter contains 0.8 g of protein.
• Mayonnaise has 74.8 g of fat.
• Butter has 81.1 g of fat.