{"schema":"askedwell-answer-v1","url":"https://askedwell.com/pages/what-substitute-for/shortening","question":"What can I substitute for shortening?","short_answer":"For 1 cup shortening: 1 cup butter (best flavor), 1 cup coconut oil (works well in cookies), 7/8 cup vegetable oil (for liquid recipes), or 1 cup lard (rare but identical performance). Butter has lower fat content (~80% vs 100% in shortening) — reduce other liquid slightly.","long_answer":"**Why shortening is hard to substitute (briefly)**\n\nShortening (Crisco, Spectrum, etc.) is 100% fat — partially hydrogenated vegetable oil that's solid at room temperature. It contains zero water and zero proteins, making it functionally distinct from butter (80% fat + 16% water + 4% milk solids).\n\nIn baking, shortening serves three roles:\n\n1. **Flaky texture** in pie crusts + biscuits (its solid fat creates layers between flour particles)\n2. **High melting point** keeps cookies thick (doesn't spread as much as butter)\n3. **Neutral flavor** — doesn't add character\n\n**The canonical substitutes**\n\n1. **Butter** (1:1, best flavor)\n   - 1 cup butter for 1 cup shortening\n   - Butter is 80% fat + 16% water — slightly less fat content\n   - Adds buttery flavor (good in cookies, biscuits; neutral character if recipe needs)\n   - In pie crust: butter alone makes crust less flaky than shortening; consider butter+shortening hybrid (50/50)\n   - In cookies: butter makes them spread more + browner\n\n2. **Coconut oil** (1:1, works well solid)\n   - 1 cup coconut oil for 1 cup shortening\n   - Solid at room temp like shortening; melts at body heat\n   - Adds slight coconut flavor (use refined for neutral flavor)\n   - Vegan + dairy-free option\n\n3. **Vegetable oil** (7/8 cup for 1 cup, for liquid recipes only)\n   - 7/8 cup vegetable oil per 1 cup shortening\n   - Works in: muffins, quick breads, recipes where fat is melted anyway\n   - DOESN'T WORK: pie crust, biscuits, cookies (lacks structure)\n\n4. **Lard** (1:1, identical performance)\n   - 1 cup lard for 1 cup shortening\n   - Same 100% fat content\n   - Slight pork flavor (use leaf lard for neutral)\n   - Hardest to find outside specialty/Latino grocery stores\n\n5. **Butter + shortening blend** (1:1 mix, hybrid approach)\n   - 1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup shortening for 1 cup shortening\n   - Compromise: butter for flavor, shortening for structure\n   - Standard professional pie-crust method\n\n6. **Vegan butter** (1:1)\n   - 1 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance, Miyoko's, Country Crock) for 1 cup shortening\n   - Plant-based; some brands match shortening's structure closely\n   - Vegan-friendly; check brand for fat content (varies 60-80%)\n\n**Recipe-specific recommendations**\n\n| Recipe | Best substitute |\n|---|---|\n| Pie crust | Butter + shortening hybrid (50/50) OR butter alone with cold technique |\n| Biscuits | Butter (1:1) or lard for traditional flavor |\n| Sugar cookies | Butter (1:1, more spread) or coconut oil for similar structure |\n| Pound cake | Butter (1:1) — flavor is part of pound cake character |\n| Tortillas | Lard (best) or coconut oil (vegan) |\n| Frosting | Butter (1:1) — better flavor |\n| Refried beans | Lard (best) or coconut oil (vegan) |\n| Tamales | Lard (best) — non-negotiable for traditional |\n\n**Substitutes that DO NOT work well**\n\n- **Margarine** (older formulations): inconsistent water content + flavor\n- **Olive oil**: too strong flavor + liquid texture\n- **Ghee/clarified butter**: works but unique flavor + lacks water for some recipes\n- **Whipped cream**: too liquid + adds dairy character\n\n**For TASTE-PREFERRING recipes, use butter**\n\nMost modern home bakers prefer butter substitutions because:\n- Better flavor in cookies + biscuits + cakes\n- Wider availability + lower cost\n- Real food (no hydrogenation)\n- Many recipes already work better with butter (e.g., chocolate chip cookies)\n\n**For STRUCTURE-CRITICAL recipes, use butter+shortening hybrid OR coconut oil**\n\nWhen you need shortening's thicker, less-spread structure:\n- Cut-out cookies (gingerbread men, sugar cookies that hold shape)\n- Pie crusts that need extra flakiness\n- Frostings that need to hold piped shape\n\n**Cross-reference:** see /pages/what-substitute-for/butter for inverse (out of butter) + /pages/what-substitute-for/vegetable-oil for oil substitutes + /pages/how-long-does/butter-soften for softening techniques.","ranges":[{"condition":"1 cup shortening needed (have butter)","duration":"5 seconds","note":"1 cup butter; reduce liquid by 1 tbsp due to butter's water content"},{"condition":"1 cup shortening needed (have coconut oil)","duration":"5 seconds","note":"1 cup coconut oil, melted or solid as recipe requires"},{"condition":"1 cup shortening for liquid recipe (oil-based)","duration":"5 seconds","note":"7/8 cup vegetable oil — only for recipes where fat is liquid"},{"condition":"1 cup shortening for traditional flaky crust","duration":"5 seconds","note":"1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup shortening blend"}],"variables":[{"name":"Recipe type","effect":"Pie crust: blend butter+shortening. Cookies: butter or coconut oil. Liquid batter: vegetable oil. Tamales: lard non-negotiable"},{"name":"Flavor tolerance","effect":"Butter adds flavor (usually desired). Shortening neutral. Coconut adds coconut character if not refined"},{"name":"Cookie spread desired","effect":"Shortening = thick + no spread. Butter = more spread + browner. Coconut oil = middle ground"},{"name":"Vegan/dairy-free required","effect":"Coconut oil or vegan butter; check ingredients for milk derivatives"}],"sources":[{"label":"King Arthur Baking — shortening alternatives","url":"https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2022/04/14/butter-vs-shortening","note":"Authoritative published comparison of shortening vs butter substitutions","tier":2},{"label":"America's Test Kitchen — pie crust + biscuit testing","note":"Comparative recipes with shortening, butter, lard, hybrid options","tier":2},{"label":"Cook's Illustrated — fat substitution guide","note":"Detailed substitution ratios across cookies, biscuits, crusts, cakes","tier":2},{"label":"Harold McGee, \"On Food and Cooking\"","note":"Fat chemistry in baking + flakiness mechanisms","tier":2}],"faq":[{"question":"Can I substitute butter for shortening in cookies?","answer":"Yes — and many bakers prefer it. Butter gives better flavor + slightly browner cookies. Caveats: cookies will spread more (butter's lower fat + water content makes them less stable). For thick chewy cookies: chill dough 30 min before baking + use slightly less butter (3/4 cup instead of 1 cup). For thin crispy cookies: use butter 1:1; spread is welcome. For cookies meant to hold cut-out shapes (sugar cookies, gingerbread): keep shortening or use the hybrid blend."},{"question":"Why does my pie crust get tough when I substitute butter for shortening?","answer":"Two causes: (1) Butter is 16% water; when warm dough sits, water hydrates flour, developing gluten = tough crust. Fix: keep butter VERY cold (frozen, even); minimize handling; refrigerate dough 30+ min before rolling. (2) Butter's solid pieces don't create as many flaky layers as shortening's blob-like solid fat. Fix: keep butter pieces large (pea-sized chunks); don't overwork; use the hybrid blend (butter + shortening 50/50) for best of both worlds."},{"question":"Is coconut oil a good 1:1 substitute for shortening?","answer":"Yes, with two caveats. (1) Use REFINED coconut oil for neutral flavor; virgin/cold-pressed has coconut taste. (2) Use solid (room temp) coconut oil where the recipe calls for solid shortening; use melted coconut oil where recipe specifies melted shortening. Coconut oil performs nearly identically to shortening: same 100% fat, similar melting point (76°F vs shortening's ~95°F). Vegan-friendly bonus. Works for cookies, pie crusts, biscuits, frostings."}],"keywords":["shortening substitute","no shortening","shortening replacement","butter for shortening","coconut oil baking"],"category":"baking","date_published":"2026-05-21","date_modified":"2026-05-21","license":"CC-BY-4.0","attribution":"https://askedwell.com"}