Can butter be substituted for shortening in a recipe?
Maryeileen from Brooklyn OH
Yes butter is all I ever use in baking, much better flavor for pastries cakes, breads, etc.
Only if you want it to taste much better than it would with any other shortening! And depending on the age and the source of your recipe, butter may be what it was calling for in the first place. Bon Appetit!
I use butter a lot unless it is for frying things like chicken or donuts. It gives cookies and cakes a much better flavor than other things.
You might have to make other minor changes as butter has a much higher water content than shortening.
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
Can I use butter instead of shortening?
By jessica from Middletown
You most certainly can substitute butter for shortening and just use the equal amount for most recipes. The butter is better tasting than shortening too. ;-) The difference it makes using it in cookie recipes in equal amounts is that the cookies won't be as fluffy as when using shortening and will be a bit crispier but you can remedy much of that by using 20% less butter than the recipe calls for of the shortening.
Substituting oil for shortening in a recipe is a simple 1:1 ratio. The swap will change the texture of the finished product, making it more dense, less cake like.
