From butter to bacon grease, these shortening substitutes will store your weekend baking project.
It’s the secret ingredient that makes ourpie crustextra flaky and ourdinner rollsultra-tender.
Shortening has been a pantry staple for decades for a reason.
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What are the best substitutes for shortening?
We’re here to help you troubleshootand keep your weekend baking project on track.
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What Is Shortening?
That makes shortening a great choice for vegan baking.
Just confirm to check the labelCrisco is completely vegan, but some shortening brands might include animal products.
When Should I Use Shortening?
When might you use shortening?
Lisa Cericola, our deputy editor, uses shortening in baked goods from cookies to frostings.
It also makes cakes more tender and pie crusts flakier.
Use it to makebuttercream frostingfor a firmer texture that won’t melt on a hot day.
What Are The Best Substitutes For Shortening?
Here are some of the best substitutes for shortening that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Butter
Butter is one of themost popular choices for bakingfor a reason.
If you’re baking something savory like biscuits, lard makes a particularly great substitute for shortening.
Look for refined coconut oil, which has a neutral flavor.
Margarine
You canconsider margarineif that’s your go-to rather than butter.
Check the label to be sure.
No matter what you’re baking, this dairy-free spread will do the trick.
Because they are liquid, they cant be substituted in every recipe.
Use oil in recipes that call for melted shortening instead.
It adds a rich, buttery flavor.
It has less water than regular butter.
it’s possible for you to use a one-to-one ratio when swapping ghee for shortening during baking.
Reservedbacon greaseis the flavor-boosting ingredient Southerners utterly adore.
Like lard, bacon grease also makes a fantastic substitute for shortening.
Fry up some bacon and save the fat for your baking projects this weekend.
Vegetable oil is a flavorless option.
Lard and refined coconut oil can be melted and have a high smoke point.
Refined coconut oil has neutral flavor that’s less coconutty than unrefined.
Many professional bakers use shortening.
Because of the hydrogenation process, some shortening contains trans fats, which are unhealthy.
Shortening is 100% fat with very few nutrients.
Cleveland Clinic.Trans Fat Has Been Banned, but That Doesn’t Mean You’re Free From It.
