Shortening substitutes: 4 swaps and how the nutrition changes
To replace 1 cup of shortening (solid, in baking), use 1 cup minus 2 tbsp lard, 1 1/8 cups butter or 1 1/8 cups margarine, plus 1 more option below. 1 cup of shortening has 1812 calories, and the swaps come to 1618 to 1927 calories for the same amount. The biggest change is in saturated fat: 51.2 g in the original, 33.2 g to 116.5 g in the swaps.
Per 1 cup (solid, in baking)
| Calories | Fat | Saturated fat | Protein | Carbs | Total sugars | Sodium | Cholesterol | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shortening (original) | 1812 calories | 205 g | 51.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| 1 cup minus 2 tbsp lard | 1618 calories (-194) | 179.4 g (-25.6) | 70.3 g (+19.1) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 mg | 170 mg (+170) |
| 1 1/8 cups butter | 1897 calories (+85) | 209.9 g (+4.9) | 116.5 g (+65.2) | 2.2 g (+2.2) | 0.15 g (+0.2) | 1.5 g (+1.5) | 1338 mg (+1338) | 600 mg (+600) |
| 1 1/8 cups margarine | 1831 calories (+19) | 206.1 g (+1.1) | 38.8 g (-12.5) | 0.41 g (+0.4) | 1.8 g (+1.8) | 0 g | 1918 mg (+1918) | 0 mg |
| 1 cup oil | 1927 calories (+115) | 218 g (+13.0) | 33.2 g (-18.0) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 mg | 0 mg |
Numbers in brackets show the change from the original. USDA FoodData Central.
How to make each swap
- 1 cup minus 2 tbsp lard. Compared with 1 cup of shortening: -194 calories, -25.6 g fat. Source: NMSU Extension, NDSU Extension.
- 1 1/8 cups butter. Cut the salt in the recipe by 1/2 tsp. Compared with 1 cup of shortening: +85 calories, +4.9 g fat, +2.2 g protein, +1.5 g sugars, +1338 mg sodium. Source: NMSU Extension, NDSU Extension, USU Extension.
- 1 1/8 cups margarine. Cut the salt in the recipe by 1/2 tsp. Compared with 1 cup of shortening: +19 calories, +1.1 g fat, +0.4 g protein, +1918 mg sodium. Source: NMSU Extension, NDSU Extension, USU Extension.
- 1 cup oil. Use: only when the recipe calls for melted shortening. Compared with 1 cup of shortening: +115 calories, +13.0 g fat. Source: NMSU Extension, NDSU Extension.
Which swap fits what you need
Per 1 cup, among the swaps above.
- Fewest calories: 1 cup minus 2 tbsp lard, 1618 calories (1812 calories in shortening)
- Least saturated fat: 1 cup oil, 33.2 g (51.2 g in shortening)
- Most protein: 1 1/8 cups butter, 2.2 g (0 g in shortening)
Choosing a swap
For baking, 7/8 cup of lard is the closest match by volume for a cup of solid shortening. Butter and margarine work at 1 1/8 cups, with 1/2 tsp less salt in the recipe. Oil only works where the recipe calls for melted shortening.
Calories stay within about 10% either way. Saturated fat changes the most. Shortening has 51.2 g a cup, lard 70.3 g, butter 116.5 g, and margarine and oil under 40 g.
Butter and margarine also bring 1338 to 1918 mg of sodium, which shortening does not have.
Written from the extension guidance and USDA numbers on this page, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Sources
Substitution ratios
- New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension, In a Pinch Ingredient Substitution (Guide E-131, revised May 2016). https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_e/E131/ (accessed 2026-10-12)
- NDSU Extension, Ingredient Substitutions (FN198, J. Garden-Robinson, April 2013 edition). https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HHS/HHS-784-W.pdf (accessed 2026-10-12)
- Utah State University Extension, List of Ingredient Substitutions for Cooking and Baking. https://extension.usu.edu/archive/list-of-ingredient-substitutions-for-cooking-and-baking (accessed 2026-10-12)
Nutrition numbers: USDA FoodData Central (accessed 2026-10-12)
- Vegetable shortening: Shortening, household, soybean (partially hydrogenated)-cottonseed (partially hydrogenated), FDC ID 171011 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01)
- Lard: Lard, FDC ID 171401 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01) · full profile
- Butter (salted): Butter, stick, FDC ID 2710155 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
- Stick margarine: Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt, FDC ID 172346 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01)
- Vegetable oil (soybean): Oil, vegetable, soybean, refined, FDC ID 172370 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01)
How we calculate: each part of a swap is converted from its household measure to grams with the USDA portion weight for that food (1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp), then multiplied by the USDA values per 3.5 oz (100 g). Water counts as zero, and so do pinches under 5 g (salt, baking powder) where USDA lists no value. A dash (—) means USDA reports no value for at least one part. USDA measures sugars directly but calculates total carbohydrate by difference, so in a few foods here, mostly dairy, sugars come out slightly higher than carbs. We show the USDA numbers as published. How we verify.