What to use instead of 1 cup vegetable shortening
1
1 cup + 2 tbsp butter
Adds flavour; cookies spread a little more, so chill the dough.
Best for: Cookies, pie crust, biscuits
2
1 cup solid coconut oil
Works well in pie crust and biscuits.
Best for: Pastry, dairy-free
Chef's tipFor the flakiest pie crust, keep any fat swap very cold.
Substituting pantry staples
Pantry swaps are usually the most forgiving, because these ingredients play a supporting role. Taste as you go, add the substitute a little at a time, and adjust seasoning at the end. When a swap is sweeter or saltier than the original, reduce other sugar or salt in the recipe to balance it.
Need more or less than 1 cup vegetable shortening? Scale the swap the same way as the original amount, or paste your recipe into the recipe converter to scale everything at once.