🥧 Baking

Shortening Substitutes for Biscuits: Complete Guide

Discover the best shortening substitutes for biscuits including butter, lard, and other alternatives. Learn techniques for creating flaky, tender biscuits without shortening.

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Quick Answer

The best shortening substitutes for biscuits are cold butter (1:1 ratio) for flaky layers, lard (1:1 ratio) for tender texture, or a combination of both. Cold butter creates the most flaky biscuits with rich flavor.

Best Substitutes

Cold Butter

1:1

Cold butter is the most popular shortening substitute for biscuits. It creates flaky, layered biscuits with rich, buttery flavor. The key is keeping the butter very cold and working quickly.

Best for:

flaky biscuitsbuttermilk biscuitswhen you want rich flavorbreakfast biscuits

Creates flaky, layered biscuits with rich, buttery flavor

Lard

1:1

Lard creates very tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits with neutral flavor. It has a higher melting point than butter, creating superior texture and tenderness.

Best for:

tender biscuitstraditional Southern biscuitswhen you want neutral flavor

Creates very tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits

Half Butter, Half Lard

1:1 (1/2 butter + 1/2 lard)

This combination gives you the flakiness of butter with the tenderness of lard. It's often considered the best of both worlds for biscuits.

Best for:

all biscuit typesbalanced flavor and textureprofessional results

Combines flakiness of butter with tenderness of lard

Coconut Oil

1:1

Coconut oil works well for vegan biscuits and creates tender results. It's solid at room temperature and has a subtle coconut flavor that works well in many biscuit recipes.

Best for:

vegan biscuitstropical-flavored biscuitswhen avoiding animal products

Solid at room temperature, good for vegan biscuits

Vegetable Oil

1:1

Vegetable oil creates tender, moist biscuits with neutral flavor. It's easier to work with than solid fats and produces consistently good results, though less flaky than butter or lard.

Best for:

drop biscuitswhen you want easy preparationmoist biscuits

Creates tender, moist biscuits with neutral flavor

Cooking Tips

  • 💡Keep all ingredients cold - refrigerate flour, use cold liquid, and work quickly
  • 💡Don't overwork the dough - mix just until combined to avoid tough biscuits
  • 💡Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut fat into flour
  • 💡Add liquid gradually, just until the dough holds together
  • 💡Pat or roll the dough gently - don't knead it
  • 💡Cut biscuits with a sharp cutter and don't twist when cutting
  • 💡Place biscuits close together on the pan for softer sides
  • 💡Bake until golden brown on top

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute butter for shortening in biscuits?

Yes, butter can be substituted for shortening in biscuits using a 1:1 ratio. Use very cold butter and work quickly for best results. The biscuits will be flaky with rich, buttery flavor.

What's the best shortening substitute for flaky biscuits?

Cold butter creates the flakiest biscuits as a shortening substitute. It has a lower melting point than shortening, creating better flaky layers when kept cold during preparation.

Why do my biscuits turn out tough?

Tough biscuits are usually caused by overworking the dough or using warm ingredients. Keep everything cold, work quickly, and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.

Can I use coconut oil instead of shortening in biscuits?

Yes, coconut oil works well as a shortening substitute in biscuits. It's solid at room temperature and creates tender, flaky results with a subtle coconut flavor.

What's the difference between shortening and lard in biscuits?

Lard creates more tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits than shortening. It has a higher melting point and better fat distribution, resulting in superior texture and flavor.

How do I make vegan biscuits without shortening?

Use coconut oil or palm shortening for vegan biscuits. Both are solid at room temperature and create tender, flaky results without animal products.

Summary

Find the best shortening substitutes for biscuits including butter, lard, and coconut oil. Learn techniques for creating flaky, tender biscuits without shortening.