How to Exchange Shortening for Butter

The size and texture of cookies will change when shortening is substituted for butter.

When a recipe calls for butter but all you have is shortening, you can substitute one ingredient for the other, however the results may vary. Butter contains water whereas shortening does not, so recipes such as cookies made with only shortening will cause the final product to be higher and lighter. Because butter melts faster than shortening, cookies made with butter are flatter and crispier. One downfall to using shortening over butter is the taste since shortening has a bland, tasteless flavor. Does this Spark an idea?

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Vegetable shortening
Teaspoon
Water

Instructions

- 1
  
  Substitute vegetable shortening for butter by first choosing the type of shortening you'd like to use. Some shortenings come in various flavor choices. The consistency of the flavored product is the same as the regular shortening so measurements will stay the same.
- 2
  
  Figure out the amount of butter needed for the recipe. You will then substitute shortening for the same amount of butter. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, you will use 1 cup of shortening.
- 3
  
  Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons water for every 1/4 cup of shortening you use. Since butter contains water and shortening doesn't, adding water to the mix will help give your recipe an effect closer to butter.