Out of Shortening, one case

Shortening substitute for frosting

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Butter

1 cup for every cup of shortening

In frosting, replace shortening with the same amount of butter, 1 cup per cup, and add the milk or cream last, a teaspoon at a time, because butter brings its own water. The frosting tastes better and comes out ivory, not white. It also softens sooner: butter melts at about 90°F to 95°F and shortening at about 117°F, so a butter frosting will not hold piped shapes in a warm room. Vegetable oil is not a swap here.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Use it cool room temperature, about 65°F. Beat it alone for 3 to 5 minutes until pale, add the powdered sugar, then add milk a teaspoon at a time only if the frosting is too stiff.
Best for —: buttercream for cakes and cupcakes
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full shortening card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Shortening substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup shortening	Verdict
1	Butterbuttercream for cakes and cupcakes	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
2	Palm shorteningpure white decorator frosting	1 cupWorks	Works
3	Vegan butter block or stick margarinedairy-free buttercream	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
4	Refined coconut oil, soliddairy-free frosting served cool	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Lard	not a swapNot for this	Not for this
Not a swap	Vegetable oil	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Butter

rich and buttery, where shortening tastes of nothing

Butter beats to the same fluffy texture and tastes far better. It is about 80% fat and the rest is mostly water, so the frosting needs less added liquid. In frosting the texture is set with powdered sugar and milk, so the extra butter a baked recipe needs is not needed here.

Best for: buttercream for cakes and cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, cookie filling
Prep: Use it cool room temperature, about 65°F. Beat it alone for 3 to 5 minutes until pale, add the powdered sugar, then add milk a teaspoon at a time only if the frosting is too stiff.
Suits: vegetarian
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Outdoor parties, warm kitchens and tall piped flowers: it softens and slides well before shortening would. It cannot make a pure white frosting.

For the whitest result, beat the butter longer and use clear vanilla. Salted butter works; leave out any salt in the recipe.

Palm shortening

neutral taste

A solid, white, flavorless fat sold as non-hydrogenated or organic shortening. It is shortening in every way that matters to a frosting.

Best for: pure white decorator frosting, dairy-free frosting, piping that must hold in warm weather
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Where it fails: It can be firmer than regular shortening when cool. Let it come to room temperature and beat it well before adding sugar.

Vegan butter block or stick margarine

buttery, a little salty

The firm block kind, about 80% fat, behaves like butter in a frosting and keeps it dairy-free. Add liquid sparingly, as with butter.

Best for: dairy-free buttercream, everyday cake frosting
Prep: Use sticks or blocks, not a soft tub spread. Add milk or plant milk a teaspoon at a time at the end.
Where it fails: Tub spreads hold too much water and make a loose, greasy frosting. Blocks soften in warmth about as fast as butter.

Not every margarine is dairy-free. Check the label for whey or milk solids.

Refined coconut oil, solid

neutral if refined; clearly coconut if virgin

All fat, white and neutral if refined, so it makes a white dairy-free frosting. The catch is its melting point of 76°F: it goes from hard to liquid across a few degrees.

Best for: dairy-free frosting served cool, frosting that should set firm in the refrigerator
Prep: Scoop it solid; do not melt it. Beat it when it is soft but still opaque, around 70°F, and add milk at room temperature so the fat does not seize into lumps.
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Contains: coconut
Where it fails: Above 76°F the frosting turns to liquid and slides off the cake. Straight from the refrigerator it is hard and cracks when cut.

Lard

faintly savory and porky

Lard is solid and all fat, so it would beat up the same way, but ordinary lard has a faint savory pork flavor.

Best for: pie crust and biscuits, not frosting
Contains: pork
Where it fails: A frosting is uncooked fat and sugar, so the pork note has nowhere to hide. Use butter. Lard is also not vegetarian.

Vegetable oil

neutral taste

Oil is the same fat in liquid form, and a frosting depends on a fat that is solid at room temperature.

Best for: thin glazes that are meant to be poured
Where it fails: It cannot hold air or shape. Beaten with powdered sugar it makes a greasy paste that never fluffs and separates as it sits.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeShortening

Shortening is in a frosting recipe for three reasons: it is pure white, it has no flavor to compete with, and it stays solid up to about 117°F, so piped decorations hold in a warm room. Any replacement trades away at least one of those. Butter gives up the color and the heat stability and gains flavor.

Tips for substituting shortening

5 tips

If the recipe uses half shortening and half butter, replace the shortening with the same amount of extra butter, and add the milk last, a teaspoon at a time, stopping when the frosting spreads easily.
If the frosting turns soft while you work, chill the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes and beat again. Do not add more sugar to fix warmth.
For a cake that will sit out in a warm room, frost with butter but keep the cake refrigerated until 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
For a whiter butter frosting, beat the butter alone for a full 5 minutes before the sugar goes in.
Keep added liquid at room temperature. Cold milk makes butter and coconut oil seize into small lumps.

Questions

5 questions

Can I substitute butter for shortening in frosting?

Yes, cup for cup. Add the milk or cream at the end and only as needed, since butter is about one-fifth water and milk solids. The frosting tastes better, is ivory in color, and softens sooner in a warm room.

Can I substitute coconut oil for shortening in frosting?

Yes, with care about temperature. Use the same amount of refined coconut oil, scooped solid and beaten while soft. It melts at 76°F, so the frosting is firm in a cool room and liquid in a warm one. Keep the cake cool until serving.

Can you substitute lard for shortening in frosting?

It is not a good idea. Lard beats up the same way, but its savory pork flavor comes through in an uncooked frosting. Use butter, a vegan butter block or palm shortening.

How do I keep a frosting white without shortening?

Palm shortening or refined coconut oil keeps it white. With butter, beat it for 5 minutes until very pale and use clear vanilla. It will still be ivory next to a shortening frosting.

Will a butter frosting crust like one made with shortening?

Less. A crusting buttercream depends on a high ratio of powdered sugar to fat and on little moisture. An all-butter version forms a thinner, softer crust. Keep the added liquid to a minimum to help it.