Home / Substitution Guides / Shortening
Shortening is 100% fat with no water, which is why it gives cookies their soft chew and pie crusts their flakiness. A substitute needs to match the fat percentage and — for baking — the same solid-at-room-temperature texture.
Best for: Cookies, cakes, frosting
Butter is only 80% fat — the water compensation matters or the bake goes dry.
Best for: Pie crust, biscuits, crumbly bakes
Behaves closest to shortening for flaky crusts. No coconut flavor when refined.
Best for: Traditional pie crust, tortillas, tamales
Higher fat than shortening — slightly flakier crust, slight savory note.
Best for: Vegan cookies, frosting, pastry
Stick styles have less water than tubs. Use straight from the fridge for laminated doughs.
For pie crust flakiness, temperature matters more than the fat itself. Whatever you swap in, keep it cold and don't overwork the dough — cold cubes of fat + minimal handling is what makes flakes.
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Yes, 1:1 — but add 2 teaspoons of water per cup to compensate for shortening's lack of water. Cookies will spread a bit more and taste richer.
Cold refined coconut oil or lard, both at 1:1. Both stay solid in the dough long enough to create flaky layers when the pastry hits the oven.
Similar behavior when solid — both are 100% fat with a high melt point — but coconut oil has a distinct flavor unless you buy refined. Refined coconut oil is the closest 1:1 vegan swap for shortening.
Related guides: Butter · Vegetable Oil · All guides