Clarified Butter vs Ghee: What’s the Real Difference? (2026 Guide)

Many people believe that clarified butter and ghee are the same thing. While they look similar and are often used interchangeably, the truth is — they are not exactly the same, especially in terms of process, nutrition, digestion, and traditional value.

In this article, we’ll clearly explain the difference between clarified butter and ghee, using simple language, real food science, and traditional Indian knowledge — so you can choose what’s best for your health.

What Is Clarified Butter?

Clarified butter is made by heating butter until the milk solids (proteins and sugars) separate from the fat. The solids are removed, leaving behind pure butterfat.

Key characteristics of clarified butter:

• Made by melting butter directly
• Milk solids are strained out
• Neutral taste and aroma
• Commonly used in Western cooking
• Higher smoke point than butter

Clarified butter is mainly a cooking fat, not a wellness food.

How Clarified Butter Is Made

1. Unsalted butter is slowly heated
2. Milk solids rise to the top
3. Solids are skimmed off
4. Clear fat is strained and stored

This process increases the smoke point and shelf life compared to regular butter.

What Is Ghee?

Ghee is a traditional Indian food that has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, cooking, and rituals.

Unlike clarified butter, ghee is made from curd (not butter) and follows a slower, more traditional process.

How ghee is made (Bilona method):

1. Milk is set into curd
2. Curd is hand-churned to extract butter (makkhan)
3. Butter is slow-heated to make ghee

This process gives ghee its:

• Rich aroma
• Granular texture
• Deep golden color
• Better digestibility

Clarified Butter vs Ghee: Side-by-Side Comparison

All ghee is clarified butter, but not all clarified butter is ghee.

Clarified Butter vs Ghee: Nutritional Difference

Both contain healthy fats, but ghee offers additional benefits due to fermentation and slow processing.

Ghee contains:

• Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K
• Natural antioxidants
• Short-chain fatty acids
• Butyric acid (supports gut health)

Clarified butter mainly provides:

• Calories
• Fat
• Energy

Ghee is more than fat — it’s a functional food.

Is Clarified Butter the Same as Ghee?

Short answer: No.

While clarified butter and ghee look similar, ghee goes a step further:

• Fermentation (curd stage)
• Traditional slow cooking
• Ayurvedic relevance

Clarified butter is a simplified version, whereas ghee is a refined, traditional product.

Clarified Butter vs Ghee: Which Is Healthier?

If your goal is just high-heat cooking, clarified butter works fine.

But if you want:

• Better digestion
• Daily consumption
• Ayurvedic benefits
• Traditional Indian diet support

Ghee is the healthier choice, especially A2 cow ghee made using the Bilona method.

Clarified Butter vs Ghee for Indian Cooking

For Indian food, ghee is clearly superior because:

• It enhances flavor of dals, rotis, and sabzis
• It supports digestion of spices
• It has cultural and ritual significance

Clarified butter is better suited for:

• Baking
• Western dishes
• Neutral-taste recipes

Clarified Butter vs Ghee in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda:

• Ghee is considered sattvic
• It balances Vata and Pitta
• Used as a carrier (anupan) for herbs

Clarified butter has no Ayurvedic role.

Common Misconception: “Ghee Is Just Clarified Butter”

This confusion exists because:

• Western definitions oversimplify ghee
• Industrial ghee is often machine-made
• Traditional Bilona ghee is rarely explained properly

Traditional ghee ≠ factory ghee ≠ clarified butter

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose clarified butter if:

• You only need a neutral cooking fat
• You follow Western recipes
• Taste and tradition don’t matter much

Choose ghee if:

• You want daily wellness benefits
• You follow Indian or Ayurvedic diet
• You need better digestion and immunity support
  

FAQs: Clarified Butter vs Ghee