what substitute for… · baking
What can I substitute for shortening?
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.
The full answer
Why shortening is hard to substitute (briefly)
Shortening (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).
In baking, shortening serves three roles:
- Flaky texture in pie crusts + biscuits (its solid fat creates layers between flour particles)
- High melting point keeps cookies thick (doesn't spread as much as butter)
- Neutral flavor — doesn't add character
The canonical substitutes
- Butter (1:1, best flavor)
- Coconut oil (1:1, works well solid)
- Vegetable oil (7/8 cup for 1 cup, for liquid recipes only)
- Lard (1:1, identical performance)
- Butter + shortening blend (1:1 mix, hybrid approach)
- Vegan butter (1:1)
Recipe-specific recommendations
| Recipe | Best substitute |
|---|---|
| Pie crust | Butter + shortening hybrid (50/50) OR butter alone with cold technique |
| Biscuits | Butter (1:1) or lard for traditional flavor |
| Sugar cookies | Butter (1:1, more spread) or coconut oil for similar structure |
| Pound cake | Butter (1:1) — flavor is part of pound cake character |
| Tortillas | Lard (best) or coconut oil (vegan) |
| Frosting | Butter (1:1) — better flavor |
| Refried beans | Lard (best) or coconut oil (vegan) |
| Tamales | Lard (best) — non-negotiable for traditional |
Substitutes that DO NOT work well
- Margarine (older formulations): inconsistent water content + flavor
- Olive oil: too strong flavor + liquid texture
- Ghee/clarified butter: works but unique flavor + lacks water for some recipes
- Whipped cream: too liquid + adds dairy character
For TASTE-PREFERRING recipes, use butter
Most modern home bakers prefer butter substitutions because: - Better flavor in cookies + biscuits + cakes - Wider availability + lower cost - Real food (no hydrogenation) - Many recipes already work better with butter (e.g., chocolate chip cookies)
For STRUCTURE-CRITICAL recipes, use butter+shortening hybrid OR coconut oil
When you need shortening's thicker, less-spread structure: - Cut-out cookies (gingerbread men, sugar cookies that hold shape) - Pie crusts that need extra flakiness - Frostings that need to hold piped shape
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.
Time ranges by condition
| Condition | Duration | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup shortening needed (have butter) | 5 seconds | 1 cup butter; reduce liquid by 1 tbsp due to butter's water content |
| 1 cup shortening needed (have coconut oil) | 5 seconds | 1 cup coconut oil, melted or solid as recipe requires |
| 1 cup shortening for liquid recipe (oil-based) | 5 seconds | 7/8 cup vegetable oil — only for recipes where fat is liquid |
| 1 cup shortening for traditional flaky crust | 5 seconds | 1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup shortening blend |
What changes the time
- Recipe type. Pie crust: blend butter+shortening. Cookies: butter or coconut oil. Liquid batter: vegetable oil. Tamales: lard non-negotiable
- Flavor tolerance. Butter adds flavor (usually desired). Shortening neutral. Coconut adds coconut character if not refined
- Cookie spread desired. Shortening = thick + no spread. Butter = more spread + browner. Coconut oil = middle ground
- Vegan/dairy-free required. Coconut oil or vegan butter; check ingredients for milk derivatives
Common questions
Can I substitute butter for shortening in cookies?
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.
Why does my pie crust get tough when I substitute butter for shortening?
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.
Is coconut oil a good 1:1 substitute for shortening?
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.
Sources
We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.
- T2King Arthur Baking — shortening alternatives — Authoritative published comparison of shortening vs butter substitutions
- T2America's Test Kitchen — pie crust + biscuit testing — Comparative recipes with shortening, butter, lard, hybrid options
- T2Cook's Illustrated — fat substitution guide — Detailed substitution ratios across cookies, biscuits, crusts, cakes
- T2Harold McGee, "On Food and Cooking" — Fat chemistry in baking + flakiness mechanisms
Books referenced in this answer
This answer draws on this book. Want to read the full source? Find it on Amazon.
- On Food and Cooking — Harold McGeeFind on Amazon
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Cite this page
de Vries, P. (2026). What can I substitute for shortening?. AskedWell. Retrieved 2026-06-02, from https://askedwell.com/pages/what-substitute-for/shortening
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