The 7 Best Substitutes for Butter Flavored Crisco

If you’ve run out of butter-flavored Crisco, don’t worry. There are several readily available substitutes you can use, and you’ll likely already have one in your pantry. That way, you won’t be forced to make an emergency run to the grocery store.

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has a similar texture to butter-flavored Crisco and is one of the few vegan substitute options available, both of which make it an attractive option when you’ve run out of Crisco. However, the challenge with using coconut oil lies in its flavor.

If you’re looking for a replacement for butter-flavored Crisco, you’re ideally looking for something that has a neutral flavor or a taste similar to butter. Coconut oil, on the other hand, has a noted coconut taste. Alternatively, you can use refined coconut oil – however, while this will reduce the coconut flavor, it will not eliminate it.

Should you choose to use coconut oil as a butter-flavored Crisco replacement, you can substitute it at a one-to-one ratio.

2. Margarine

Margarine is a spread made as a substitute for butter and comprises vegetable oils or animal fats. In terms of texture, margarine is as good a substitute for butter-flavored Crisco as butter. 

However, the challenge in using margarine is that it is a highly processed product. While the flavor is similar to regular butter, it is not the same, and that “almost” buttery taste can be off-putting for some people.

If you don’t mind the margarine flavor, substituting it for butter-flavored Crisco is easy. All you need to do is substitute it in a one-to-one ratio and add a tablespoon of margarine for every cup of Crisco specified by your recipe.

Related Can I Use Margarine Instead of Butter for Baking?

3. Vegan Butter

Vegan butter is a vegan substitute for butter. It is dairy-free and is generally derived from plant-based milk and vegetable or plant-based oils (such as olive or coconut oil). It’s also a great alternative to butter-flavored Crisco if you want to keep your dish vegan.

It’s also an easier substitute to work with than regular dairy butter. Like margarine, substitute it in a one-to-one ratio for Crisco, and add an extra tablespoon of vegan butter for every cup of Crisco in your recipe.

That said, keep in mind that vegan butter has another similarity to butter and margarine – when used as a replacement for butter-flavored Crisco, you’ll get a slightly different texture for your final dish, especially if you’re using it when baking.

4. Plain Shortening

Butter-flavored Crisco is relatively similar to regular Crisco. While the butter version provides a tasty, buttery flavor to your dish, regular Crisco is just as effective in imparting a crisp, crumbly texture to your baked goods or for use in frying foods. 

You can use it if you’ve run out of butter-flavored Crisco but have the regular version in your pantry. Replace it in a one-to-one ratio with butter-flavored Crisco. Using the same one-to-one replacement ratio, you can also use any other brand of shortening you may have.

This addition will alter the taste of your final dish a little – there’s a chance that it will turn out slightly blander than if you had used butter-flavored Crisco. However, this difference in flavor is relatively minor, and you can mask it using a dressing, sauce, or, in the case of sweet baked goods, a pinch of additional sugar. 

5. Butter

If you’re looking for the best substitute for butter-flavored Crisco, butter is the best option. You get the benefit of the same taste, and butter also offers recipes a great texture and consistency. You can substitute butter for butter-flavored Crisco in most, if not all, recipes.

That said, it’s essential to remember that butter has a higher water content than Crisco (and other vegetable shortenings). This high moisture content means you cannot simply substitute it in a one-to-one ratio in your recipes. 

Instead, you’ll have to do some math to determine how much butter to use by following these steps: 

1. First, check the recipe to see how much Crisco/shortening requires.
2. Then, multiply that weight by 1.25. 
3. If your recipe calls for 3.53 ounces (100 g) of Crisco, you should multiply that by 1.25. 
4. This calculation will give you the number of 4.41 ounces (125 g).
5. Next, multiply the number you got by 0.15. 
6. So, using our above example, you should multiply 125 by 0.15, giving you the number of 0.66 ounces (18.75 g). 

The first number you calculated (4.41 ounces or 125 grams) is how much butter you should measure for your recipe. You should remove 0.66 ounces (18.75 grams) from this portion of butter – this will account for the additional water content.

This adjustment can seem minute and irrelevant when baking in small batches. However, baking is an exact science and requires you to be precise with your measurements. Additionally, this change is relatively small if you’re only making a single batch of 12 cookies; it becomes a significant concern when you work on larger baking projects.

That said, if you’re looking for a butter-flavored Crisco substitute for non-baked recipes, you should be able to get away without making this calculation. Regular cooking is much more forgiving than baking, and while we recommend you make the changes, there are ways to mask the additional water in non-baked dishes you cannot use when making baked goods.

6. Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Ghee is an Indian clarified butter that manufacturers make by removing the water and milk solids from regular butter. This process also means ghee has a lower water content than regular butter.

It is an excellent substitute for butter-flavored Crisco, and you may use it in everything from baked goods to pan-fried recipes. Substituting ghee for Crisco is much easier than swapping butter for Crisco – you can use it in a one-is-to-one ratio instead of making complex calculations. 

So, if your recipe calls for 3.53 ounces (100 g) of Crisco, you can use 3.53 ounces (100 g) of ghee instead.

7. Olive Oil

Crisco – including butter-flavored Crisco – is made from vegetable oils, so it’s easy to see why these oils are such a good substitute. Our favorite is olive oil, thanks to its relatively neutral taste.

Like ghee, you can substitute olive oil in a one-to-one ratio. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that the fact that olive oil is liquid at room temperature, unlike Crisco, means that the final texture of your recipe will be denser and heavier. Unless you have no other choice, we recommend against using this as a substitute for baked recipes like cookies, biscuits, and pie dough.

Is Butter-Flavored Crisco the Same As Shortening?

Butter-flavored Crisco is the same as vegetable shortening, with an added buttery flavor. Crisco is one of the best-known brands of vegetable shortenings, and butter-flavored Crisco is a variation on their traditional, all-vegetable shortening.

Crisco shortening contains no trans fats and is entirely vegan. This lack of animal byproducts makes it a popular vegan and vegetarian alternative to butter and other similar dairy-based products, such as ghee.

How To Make Butter-Flavored Crisco at Home?

To make butter-flavored Crisco at home, you must mix butter and shortening together. Because butter is an effective substitute for butter-flavored Crisco, you can use it directly in your recipe instead of trying to recreate butter-flavored Crisco.

However, if you enjoy butter-flavored Crisco over regular butter, it is easy to make this shortening yourself. You only need unsalted butter and regular Crisco (or another unflavored vegetable shortening).

Then follow these simple steps:

1. You will have to use one stick of unsalted butter for every 1 pound (453.6 grams) of shortening. 
2. Decide how much butter-flavored Crisco you’re looking for, and portion out the appropriate amounts of shortening and unsalted butter.
3. Next, wait until both the butter and shortening have reached room temperature.
4. Then, mix them in a bowl with a handheld mixer or immersion blender. Your mixer/blend should be at the lowest speed setting.

Alternatively, you can also use butter flavoring. I recommend using Chef’s Quality Alternative Liquid Butter from Amazon.com. This product is a delicious liquid alternative to butter in a stick form and doesn’t separate when heated like regular butter. However, you can also use your preferred brand by following these steps:

1. Decide how much butter-flavored Crisco you want to make. 
2. For every 1 pound (453.6 grams) of shortening used in this recipe, you’ll need to add 2 tablespoons of the liquid butter, so do the relevant calculations and portion the ingredients accordingly.
3. Then, wait until the shortening is at room temperature. 
4. Put it in a mixing bowl and pour in the liquid butter, slowly blending it into the shortening with your handheld mixer or immersion blender at the lowest speed setting. 
5. Once you’ve made your butter-flavored Crisco, store it in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dark place.

Recap

The best substitutes for butter-flavored Crisco:

1. Butter
2. Ghee (Clarified Butter)
3. Olive oil
4. Coconut oil
5. Margarine
6. Vegan butter
7. Plain shortening

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