Types of Fats Oil is a liquid fat at room temperature; Shortening is a solid fat at room temperature. Butter, margarine, shortening and oil are used in breads. Butter or margarine add more flavor than shortening and are often used in the richer sweet doughs. Butter and margarine can be used interchangeably.

Lard. Lard is a perfectly acceptable substitute for shortening in most recipes.

When it comes to their uses, shortening and lard are quite similar and can even be interchangeable in certain cooking tasks. So, if you are vegan, a carefully chosen shortening can be a great alternative to lard.

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.

Pure Oils: Crisco’s 100 percent oils include Pure Canola Oil, Pure Vegetable Oil, Pure Corn Oil, and its Blends Oil. Canola Oil and Omega-3 DHA: Other vegetable oils get a bad wrap for an excess of omega-6 fatty acids — by adding omega-3s to its canola oil, the oil is arguably a more heart-healthy option.

Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren’t as flavorful.

Margarine and butter can both be used as a substitute for shortening, though their moisture contents should be taken into consideration before making the swap. While shortening is 100% fat, margarine and butter contain a small percentage of water (so, shortening adds more fat, thus more richness and tenderness).

Butter is considered a solid fat because it is solid at room temperature and oil is considered a liquid fat because it’s liquid at room temperature. Because of this, you can’t rely on oil to provide any leavening help in baked goods, which can result in a denser texture.