Butter vs. Shortening: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between using shortening and butter? ›

Shortening traps more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes using shortening tend to produce baked goods with more lift and that hold their shape during baking. Interior texture will also be softer and lighter.

How to Substitute. No matter what you're using, use the same amount called for in your recipe. In other words, it should be a one-to-one swap. If your recipe calls for one cup of butter, you can use one cup of shortening and vice versa.

Shortening is a type of fat used in cooking and baking. It's typically made from hydrogenated vegetable oil and has a long history of use in American kitchens that dates back to the early 1900s. However, shortening has fallen out of favor in the past few decades because of its high trans fat content.

As an example, you have a cookie recipe that calls for two sticks of butter (1 cup or 226 grams), but you want to use shortening instead. There are two steps: Multiply the weight of the butter by 0.8, which gives you 181 grams. This is how much shortening you'll need.

While shortening can be used as a replacement, it lacks the same depth of flavor and deliciousness that butter provides. So if you're looking for a truly flavorful cookie, we recommend sticking with butter. Plus, butter is also much easier to work with than shortening!

Some use only butter, some use only shortening. I've found that a mixture of the two yields the best results. In my opinion, the fat from the butter is crucial for the flavor, and the shortening makes the frosting more stable and allows it to hold its shape better.

The Food Marketing Institute's FoodKeeper recommends storing unopened solid shortening, such as Crisco shortening, at room temperature for 8 months. After opening, store at room temperature for 3 months for best quality.

Lard, margarine and vegetable shortening such as Crisco are the most well known and most called for in recipes. Because butter is up to 20% water, it isn't the best shortening out there, but in some recipes, it is used as shortening. Shortening's job is to make doughs short.

In general, you can substitute Crisco shortening for butter or margarine in equal amounts (1 cup Crisco shortening = 1 cup butter or margarine). Not only does Crisco shortening have 50% less saturated fat than butter and 0g trans fat per serving, it gives you higher, lighter-textured baked goods.

In fact Crisco was invented as a Lubricant for tanks in WW II. After the war it was marketed as a cooking oil that could replace lard. That fact that it is hydrogenated (trans fat) is what has been killing it.

Why is shortening unhealthy? ›

Many processed vegetable shorteners have been made with hydrogenated oils and trans fats to improve their shelf life and cost efficiency. However, these fats have been linked to a number of health problems, including increased risk for heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.

After rejecting the names "Krispo" and "Cryst" (the latter for its religious connotations), Procter & Gamble called the product Crisco, a modification of the phrase "crystallized cottonseed oil".

Butter is slightly more nutritious than shortening. Using fat in your baked goods helps keep them moist and tender. However, the type of fat you use also affects the nutritional content of the finished product.

Crisco shortening is a type of vegetable shortening that is used in baking. It typically comes in stick form, and while it can be stored at room temperature, it will last longer if frozen. If you have new Crisco sticks and don't want to waste them, you can freeze them for later use.

From biscuits to pie crusts, butter is an easy swap for shortening. In fact, you can use the exact same amount. Baked goods may not turn out quite as flaky, but the rich, buttery flavor will make up for that.

Margarine and butter can both be used as a substitute for shortening, though their moisture contents should be taken into consideration before making the swap. While shortening is 100% fat, margarine and butter contain a small percentage of water (so, shortening adds more fat, thus more richness and tenderness).

In general, you can substitute Crisco shortening for butter or margarine in equal amounts (1 cup Crisco shortening = 1 cup butter or margarine). Not only does Crisco shortening have 50% less saturated fat than butter and 0g trans fat per serving, it gives you higher, lighter-textured baked goods.

The pros: Shortening has a higher melting point than lard or butter, so it's easy to incorporate into pie dough and roll out. It's also helpful when making any kind of decorative pie crust, because doughs made with shortening hold their shape the best during baking.