How To Substitute Butter For Shortening
Are you looking to remove seed oil from your diet and finding that the sheer number of recipes using vegetable shortening makes this task a lot more difficult than you had imagined? Shortening is a major source of vegetable seed oils that is used to make just about every flakey biscuit or pie crust under the sun these days to help lower the cost. You can improve the flavor and make recipes healthier by using butter as a shortening substitute.
Swapping butter for shortening is a great alternative, ensuring your baked goods turn out just as delicious, if not more so. Never worry about if you can make the perfect pie crust or biscuit again. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get started!
Why Substitute Butter for Shortening?

Before we jump into the how-to, let’s discuss why you might want to substitute butter for shortening in the first place. Shortening is a solid fat made from hydrogenated vegetable oil, and while it’s great for creating flaky pie crusts and tender cookies, it lacks the rich flavor that butter can offer.
Some people prefer to avoid shortening due to health concerns, as it contains trans fats. This can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and other health concerns. Whether you’re after a more flavorful result or simply want to make a healthier choice, butter can be an excellent alternative. Butter is by far my preferred option and I buy it in bulk when sales hit to help save money on food.
The Basic Butter Swap
The simplest way to substitute butter for shortening is to use a 1:1 ratio. This means that if your recipe calls for one cup of shortening, you’ll replace it with one cup of butter. There are a few important considerations to keep in mind when making this switch.
The Melting Point Matters
Butter has a lower melting point than shortening, which means it will melt and spread more quickly during baking. To counteract this, you can try chilling your dough or batter before baking. This is why some of the best cookie recipes have you chill the dough. Chilling helps the butter firm up and slows down the spreading process, resulting in a more desirable texture.
Keep an Eye on the Water Content
One key difference between butter and shortening is that butter contains about 15-20% water, while shortening is 100% fat. This extra water in butter can affect the texture of your baked goods, sometimes making them slightly denser or more cake-like.
To compensate for this, you can either slightly reduce the liquid in your recipe or add a touch more flour. It may take a bit of experimentation to get the perfect balance, so don’t be afraid to play around with your favorite recipes.
Customizing Your Butter Substitution
While a 1:1 substitution is the most straightforward approach, you can also get creative with your butter swap to achieve different results. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Go Half-and-Half
For a happy medium between the texture of shortening and the flavor of butter, try using a 50/50 blend of both fats. This way, you’ll still get the tender, flaky texture that shortening provides, while also incorporating the rich taste of butter. This will cut the unhealthy fats by half.
Brown the Butter for Extra Flavor

Want to take your baked goods to the next level? Try browning the butter before using it as a shortening substitute. Browning butter involves melting it over low heat until it turns a golden-brown color and develops a nutty aroma. This process adds depth and complexity to the butter’s flavor, which can elevate your recipe and make it truly stand out.
Substituting butter for shortening is an easy and effective way to add flavor and improve the nutritional profile of your baked goods. While it may require a bit of tweaking and experimentation, the end result is sure to be worth the effort. In the end not only is your treat better for you it will taste so much better as well.
Try these decadent butter rum chocolate chip cookies for a decadent cookie that will tickle your taste buds.