Structural and thermodynamic properties of a novel butter analogue via synergistic fractionation and oleogelation of milk fat

Background Milk fat, an important component of dairy products, is prized for its flavour, texture and nutritional richness. However, it contains high levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), raising health concerns and limiting its suitability for health‐oriented formulations. Fractionating milk fat and incorporating it into oleogels offers a promising strategy to develop butter analogues with reduced saturated fat levels, yet their combined application remains underexplored. Aim This study aimed to formulate and characterise healthier, spreadable butter analogues by integrating milk fat fractionation with a beeswax‐based oleogel matrix. The approach sought to lower saturated fat and cholesterol contents while maintaining desirable sensory and functional qualities. Methods Anhydrous butter oil was subjected to multi‐stage thermomechanical fractionation to obtain high‐melting (stearin) and low‐melting (olein) fractions. These were blended with a beeswax oleogel prepared from olive, sesame and flaxseed oils. The analogues were analysed for fatty acid composition, solid fat content (SFC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), microstructure dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and sensory attributes. The Bragg–Williams approximation was applied to model solid–liquid equilibrium and predict phase behaviour, facilitating rational formulation design. Findings Oleogel incorporation significantly reduced SFAs (from 65.44% to 39.20%) and cholesterol (>50%) while increasing mono‐ and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The modified formulations exhibited improved spreadability, evidenced by reduced SFC at 10°C (11.54–19.82% vs. 47.47% in control butter). Sensory analysis indicated that optimised samples achieved superior scores in flavour, texture and overall acceptability compared with recombined and commercial butter. Implications This work demonstrates a viable framework for producing nutritionally enhanced butter analogues with high consumer appeal. The combined use of dry fractionation and oleogelation is scalable and applicable for developing healthier fat‐based products such as spreads, shortenings and confectionery fats.