Substituting Salted Butter with Vegetable Shortening + Salt
You will need:
Nutrition Facts
Best Uses
Effects on Your Baking
Flavor Impact
Butter has a rich, slightly sweet flavor while shortening is flavorless. Adding ½ teaspoon salt helps compensate, but the final product may still taste a little less buttery. If butter flavor is important in your recipe, add some butter extract or your favorite flavored oil.
Texture Changes
This is a great replacement because shortening is 100% fat, while butter contains water and milk solids. This means baked goods made with shortening tend to be softer, taller, and less crispy than those made with butter. Cookies won’t spread as much, and pastries will be extra flaky.
Structural Effects
Shortening usually creates a more tender and stable structure in baked goods. It helps trap air, leading to a fluffier texture in cakes and a flakier texture in pastries. However, it lacks the steam-creating moisture of butter, so some baked goods may not develop the same richness.
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