6 Best Shortening Substitutes That You Likely Already Have in Your Fridge

Vegetable shortening is one of those old-fashioned ingredients that you might not reach for too often—until it's time to make pie! Ree Drummond's favorite pie crust recipe uses shortening, as do many other recipes that call for making a "short dough," like her Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits. So what if you're making a recipe that calls for shortening (like Ree's famous Skillet Cornbread) and you don't have a tub of it on hand? Don't worry! There are lots of other baking fats that can be used as an easy shortening substitute. Read on to learn more about them—and which you can use in baking recipes.

But first, you may be wondering: What is vegetable shortening? It's a hydrogenated form of vegetable oil, which means it was turned from a liquid to a solid state (hydrogenated oils tend to give foods a longer shelf life). Shortening was invented in the early 1900s as an alternative to animal lard, which has a very similar consistency. Unlike butter, shortening doesn't have a ton of flavor, but it's great for making baked goods super flaky. These best shortening substitutes won't give you the exact same texture—but they'll work in a pinch.