Cheese vs. Butter — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 22, 2023
Cheese is a dairy product formed by curdling milk and aging, while Butter is a fatty product made by churning cream.
Difference Between Cheese and Butter
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Cheese is derived from the coagulation of the milk protein casein, typically achieved through the addition of rennet or acidic substances. The mixture is then drained, and the curds are pressed into desired shapes. Different types of bacteria and molds, along with aging periods, contribute to the diverse flavors and textures of various cheeses. On the other hand, Butter is obtained by churning cream, separating the solid fats from the liquid, called buttermilk.
Making Cheese often involves a fermentation process where bacteria play a vital role in developing flavor. Aging can further influence the texture and taste. Butter, conversely, does not usually undergo fermentation. It is primarily fat and doesn't have the same breadth of flavors and textures that cheeses offer.
While Cheese can be aged for extended periods to develop flavors – from soft and fresh cheeses like mozzarella to hard, aged ones like Parmesan – Butter is typically consumed fresh, although there are variations like cultured or salted butter that can offer different nuances.
Both Cheese and Butter are beloved dairy products, utilized in a myriad of culinary applications. Cheese can be eaten on its own, melted, or included in dishes, while Butter is often used for cooking, baking, or simply spreading on bread.
Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
Curdled milk product
Churned cream product
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Production Process
Coagulation and possible aging
Churning
Flavor & Texture Variation
Wide variety due to bacteria and aging
Generally consistent, with variations in salt and culture
Nutritional Components
Contains proteins, fats, calcium, and other minerals
Primarily fat with some vitamins
Culinary Uses
Eaten alone, in dishes, melted, etc.
Cooking, baking, spreading
Compare with Definitions
Cheese
A solid food made from curdled milk.
I love having cheese on my sandwich.
Butter
A base for many sauces and gravies.
The sauce was made with garlic and melted butter.
Cheese
A product aged to produce varying flavors and textures.
Aged cheddar is my favorite type of cheese.
Butter
A staple in many kitchens.
No dish is complete without a dab of butter.
Cheese
Cheese is a dairy product, derived from milk and produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep.
Butter
A dairy product used in baking and cooking.
This cake has a rich butter flavor.
Cheese
A solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged.
Butter
A creamy product, sometimes salted or cultured.
I prefer unsalted butter for baking.
Cheese
A molded mass of this substance.
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat.
Cheese
Something resembling this substance in shape or consistency.
Butter
A pale yellow edible fatty substance made by churning cream and used as a spread or in cooking.
Cheese
An important person.
Butter
Spread (something) with butter
Lily buttered a slice of toast
Cheese
To stop.
Butter
A soft yellowish or whitish emulsion of butterfat, water, air, and sometimes salt, churned from milk or cream and processed for use in cooking and as a food.
Cheese
(uncountable) A dairy product made from curdled or cultured milk.
Butter
A spread made from fruit, nuts, or other foods
Plum butter.
Cashew butter.
Cheese
(countable) Any particular variety of cheese.
Butter
A vegetable fat having a nearly solid consistency at ordinary temperatures.
Cheese
(countable) A piece of cheese, especially one moulded into a large round shape during manufacture.
Butter
Flattery.
Cheese
A thick variety of jam (fruit preserve), as distinguished from a thinner variety (sometimes called jelly)
Butter
To put butter on or in.
Cheese
A substance resembling cream cheese, such as lemon cheese
Butter
A soft, fatty foodstuff made by churning the cream of milk (generally cow's milk).
Cheese
That which is melodramatic, overly emotional, or cliché, i.e. cheesy.
Butter
Any of various foodstuffs made from other foods or oils, similar in consistency to, eaten like or intended as a substitute for butter (preceded by the name of the food used to make it).
Peanut butter
Soy butter
Chocolate butter
Cheese
Money.
Butter
Any of various substances made from other (especially plant-based) oils or fats, used in moisturizers, cosmetics, etc.
Cheese
In skittles, the roughly ovoid object that is thrown to knock down the skittles.
Butter
Any specific soft substance.
Butter of antimony; butter of arsenic
Cheese
A fastball.
Butter
A smooth plane landing.
Cheese
A dangerous mixture of black tar heroin and crushed Tylenol PM tablets. The resulting powder resembles grated cheese and is snorted.
Butter
Someone who butts, or who butts in.
Cheese
Smegma.
Butter
(transitive) To spread butter on.
Butter the toast.
Cheese
(technology) Holed pattern of circuitry to decrease pattern density.
Butter
To move one's weight backwards or forwards onto the tips or tails of one's skis or snowboard so only the tip or tail is in contact with the snow. Similar to applying butter to bread with then end of a butterknife.
Cheese
A mass of pomace, or ground apples, pressed together in the shape of a cheese.
Butter
To spin on skis or a snowboard using only the tips or tails being in contact with the snow
Cheese
The flat, circular, mucilaginous fruit of the dwarf mallow (Malva rotundifolia) or marshmallow (Althaea officinalis).
Butter
To increase (stakes) at every throw of dice, or every game.
Cheese
A low curtsey; so called on account of the cheese shape assumed by a woman's dress when she stoops after extending the skirts by a rapid gyration.
Butter
Very smooth, very soft
That landing was total butter!
Cheese
(slang) Wealth, fame, excellence, importance.
Butter
An oily, unctuous substance obtained from cream or milk by churning.
Cheese
The correct thing, of excellent quality; the ticket.
These cheroots are the real cheese.
Butter
Any substance resembling butter in degree of consistence, or other qualities, especially, in old chemistry, the chlorides, as butter of antimony, sesquichloride of antimony; also, certain concrete fat oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures, as butter of cacao, vegetable butter, shea butter.
Cheese
To prepare curds for making cheese.
Butter
One who, or that which, butts.
Cheese
(technology) To make holes in a pattern of circuitry to decrease pattern density.
Butter
To cover or spread with butter.
I know what's what. I know on which sideMy bread is buttered.
Cheese
(slang) To smile excessively, as for a camera.
Butter
To increase, as stakes, at every throw or every game.
Cheese
(slang) To stop; to refrain from.
Cheese it! The cops!
Cheese your patter! (= stop talking, shut up)
Butter
An edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use
Cheese
(slang) To anger or irritate someone, usually in combination with "off".
All this waiting around is really cheesing me off.
Butter
A fighter who strikes the opponent with his head
Cheese
To use a controversial or unsporting tactic to gain an advantage (especially in a game.)
You can cheese most of the game using certain exploits.
Butter
Spread butter on;
Butter bread
Cheese
To use an unconventional, all-in strategy to take one's opponent by surprise early in the game (especially for real-time strategy games).
Butter
A fatty spread made from churned cream.
I spread butter on my toast every morning.
Cheese
(photography) Said while being photographed, to give the impression of smiling.
Say "cheese"! ... and there we are!
Cheese
The curd of milk, coagulated usually with rennet, separated from the whey, and pressed into a solid mass in a hoop or mold.
Cheese
A mass of pomace, or ground apples, pressed together in the form of a cheese.
Cheese
The flat, circular, mucilaginous fruit of the dwarf mallow (Malva rotundifolia).
Cheese
A low courtesy; - so called on account of the cheese form assumed by a woman's dress when she stoops after extending the skirts by a rapid gyration.
Cheese
A solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk
Cheese
Erect or decumbent Old World perennial with axillary clusters of rosy-purple flowers; introduced in United States
Cheese
Used in the imperative (get away, or stop it);
Cheese it!
Cheese
Wind onto a cheese;
Cheese the yarn
Cheese
Dairy product often paired with wine.
This cheese pairs well with a robust red wine.
Cheese
A key ingredient in many cuisines.
Pizza isn't complete without melted cheese on top.
Cheese
A term denoting a variety of milk-based products.
I can't decide which cheese to add to the charcuterie board.
Common Curiosities
Can you make Butter from cheese?
No, butter is made from cream, not cheese.
Is Butter a type of cheese?
No, butter is a separate dairy product made by churning cream.
Which has more protein, Cheese or Butter?
Cheese generally has more protein compared to butter.
Can you substitute Cheese for Butter in recipes?
Not directly, as they have different textures and functions in cooking.
Is Cheese made from cream?
No, cheese is primarily made from milk, not cream.
Can I use Butter as a topping like Cheese?
While both can be toppings, they offer different flavors and melting properties.
Why is some Cheese aged while Butter is not?
Aging develops flavors in cheese; butter is valued for its fresh, creamy taste.
Are there non-dairy versions of Cheese and Butter?
Yes, there are plant-based alternatives for both cheese and butter.
How is the fat content in Cheese different from Butter?
Butter has a higher fat content, while cheese contains a mix of fat, protein, and moisture.
Why does Butter melt differently than Cheese?
Butter is primarily fat, while cheese has a complex structure of fats, proteins, and moisture.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
