Butter vs Shortening
Butter is about 80 percent fat with water and milk solids; shortening is 100 percent fat and flavorless. The water in butter turns to steam and spread, so butter cookies bake flatter and crisper while shortening cookies stay taller and softer. Shortening also has a higher melting point, which is why it holds piped frosting in a warm room. Swap them 1:1, but you lose butter's flavor — many bakers use half of each.
At a glance
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Type | Key trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 227 g | Dairy & Fats | One US cup of butter is 2 sticks, or 16 tablespoons — exactly 227 grams. |
| Shortening | 191 g | Dairy & Fats | Shortening is whipped with air, so it is lighter than butter per cup — pack it firmly. |
How to swap butter and shortening
- 1 cup butter = 1 cup shortening (King Arthur Baking)Cookies spread less, cakes are slightly drier, no buttery flavor. Most reliable in pie crusts, biscuits, and frostings where flake or structure matters more than flavor.
- Equal butter (1:1 by volume or weight) (King Arthur Baking)Butter adds flavor and a touch of water, so cookies will spread more and pie crusts will be less flaky. For closer texture in flaky pastries, freeze the butter first and work it in cold.
Full conversions: Butter converter · Shortening converter. More swaps: Butter substitutes · Shortening substitutes.
More comparisons
* Conversion figures are typical average weights for one US customary cup (236.6 ml), based on the King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart and cross-referenced with the U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central database. Actual weight varies with packing, brand and humidity — see our methodology.