What is a healthy alternative to Crisco? Finding Better Fats for Your Kitchen

October 27, 2025 •

5 min read

Historically, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening was a kitchen staple, but modern versions are still heavily processed and devoid of nutritional value. As consumers become more health-conscious, many are searching for what is a healthy alternative to Crisco? The good news is that numerous nutritious options can deliver great results without sacrificing flavor or texture, providing heart-healthier fats.

Quick Summary

Explore top healthy substitutes for Crisco, including butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, and palm shortening, and learn how each option impacts flavor and texture in your baking and cooking.

Key Points

Avocado Oil: Excellent for high-heat cooking and baking, with a neutral flavor and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Coconut Oil: A top vegan solid alternative, especially refined versions for a neutral flavor, and great for high-heat cooking.
Butter: Offers superior flavor but lower flakiness compared to shortening due to its water content, ideal for cookies and flavorful pastries.
Palm Shortening: A non-hydrogenated, neutral-flavored, and solid fat that is a direct replacement for texture, but requires sustainable sourcing.
Fruit Purees: Low-fat substitutes like applesauce add moisture and sweetness to quick breads and muffins, though they do alter the final texture.
Substitution Ratios: Remember that substitutes like butter and fruit purees may require ratio adjustments to account for water content or differing fat percentages.
Processing Awareness: Modern Crisco has removed trans fats, but it remains a highly processed fat, so choosing natural alternatives like avocado oil or butter offers more nutritional benefits.

Understanding Crisco and the Need for Healthier Fats

For decades, Crisco has been a go-to fat for baking and frying, prized for its neutral flavor, high melting point, and ability to produce tender, flaky baked goods. Originally, the process of hydrogenation used to solidify vegetable oils into shortening also created trans fats, which were later linked to increased risk of heart disease. While modern Crisco products claim to be trans-fat-free, they are still highly processed and contain high levels of saturated fats, offering little to no nutritional benefits compared to more natural alternatives. This has driven many health-minded cooks to seek out natural, less-processed options that provide not only similar cooking properties but also offer beneficial nutrients, like heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Top Healthy Replacements for Crisco

Choosing the best substitute depends on the recipe's requirements and your health goals. Solid fats like Crisco are used differently than liquid oils in baking, impacting texture, so the best replacement will vary. For instance, creating flaky pie crusts often requires a solid fat, while adding moisture to a cake can be accomplished with a liquid oil.

Butter

Butter is a classic, minimally processed alternative that adds a rich, distinct flavor that shortening lacks. However, butter contains about 15–20% water, which can affect the texture of your baked goods by promoting gluten development. In general, this can lead to crispier, flatter cookies, and a less flaky pie crust compared to shortening. Some bakers combine butter and a neutral, solid fat to get the best of both worlds—flavor from the butter and a flakier texture from the solid fat. For a more direct substitution, you may need to adjust the liquid in your recipe when swapping butter for shortening, but for many recipes, a 1:1 ratio works well enough.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an excellent plant-based alternative that is naturally solid at room temperature, making it a great 1:1 substitute for shortening in many baking applications. It can be used in either solid or melted form depending on the recipe. For a neutral flavor, choose refined coconut oil. Unrefined (or virgin) coconut oil will impart a mild, nutty coconut flavor to your food, which can be delightful in certain recipes like tropical-themed cakes or cookies. Despite being a saturated fat, coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids, and many people consider it a healthier, less-processed option than traditional shortening.

Avocado Oil

Refined avocado oil is a fantastic option for both baking and high-heat frying due to its neutral flavor and exceptionally high smoke point. It is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. For recipes calling for melted shortening or vegetable oil, a 1:1 substitution with avocado oil is straightforward. In baking, it contributes to a moist, tender texture. You can also find specialized avocado oil shortenings on the market that are designed to replace traditional shortening directly.

Palm Shortening

For those seeking a solid, neutral-flavored, and plant-based fat, organic, non-hydrogenated palm shortening is a viable alternative. Unlike its traditionally hydrogenated counterparts, this product is trans-fat-free and functions almost identically to Crisco in terms of texture, making it ideal for flaky pastries and stable frosting. It's crucial to choose sustainably sourced palm shortening to minimize environmental impact.

Other Options: Fruit Purees

For some sweet baked goods, you can replace a portion of the fat with unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. These substitutes add moisture and natural sweetness, allowing you to cut back on fat and calories. However, they work best in quick breads, muffins, and certain cakes, and will significantly alter the texture, so they are not suitable for recipes that require creaming solid fats or achieving a flaky crust. A common ratio is substituting half the shortening with applesauce.

Comparison of Crisco Alternatives


Feature	Crisco	Butter	Coconut Oil (Refined)	Avocado Oil (Refined)	Palm Shortening	Applesauce
Health Profile	Highly processed, saturated fat, 0g trans fat claims may be misleading.	Natural dairy product, contains saturated fat and some water.	Solid at room temp, saturated fat, but less processed than Crisco.	High in healthy monounsaturated fat and Vitamin E.	Solid at room temp, non-hydrogenated, trans-fat-free.	Low in fat and calories, high in moisture.
Best Uses	Flaky pie crusts, frostings, frying.	Flavorful cookies, pastries, cakes.	Vegan baked goods, high-heat frying.	High-heat frying, moist cakes and muffins.	Flaky pie crusts, biscuits, stable frostings.	Quick breads, muffins, low-fat baking.
Flavor	Neutral.	Rich and buttery.	Neutral.	Neutral.	Neutral.	Naturally sweet, fruity.
Texture Impact	Tender, flaky.	Crispier, chewier cookies, flakier pies.	Crisper texture in baked goods.	Moist, tender crumb in cakes.	Very similar to shortening.	Adds moisture, denser texture.

Choosing the Right Substitute for Your Recipe

For flaky pastries like pie crusts: Your best bet for a classic, flaky texture is either butter (for flavor) or palm shortening (for a neutral flavor and structure). Some bakers use a combination of butter and palm shortening for optimal results.
For moist cakes and quick breads: Liquid oils like avocado oil or refined coconut oil work beautifully here, adding richness and keeping baked goods moist for longer. For a low-fat option, try substituting half the fat with unsweetened applesauce.
For high-heat frying: Refined avocado oil or refined coconut oil are excellent choices due to their high smoke points and stability.
For frostings: Palm shortening or a combination of butter and palm shortening are ideal for creating a stable, smooth frosting.
For cookies: The best choice depends on your desired outcome. Butter creates flatter, crispier, and more flavorful cookies, while coconut oil offers a more delicate crumb.

Making the Healthy Switch

Transitioning away from Crisco doesn't mean compromising on taste or texture. By understanding the properties of different healthy fats, you can choose the best alternative for each recipe. Experiment with different options and start with small batches to find your preferred substitute. The shift towards healthier fats, especially natural and less processed ones, can be a rewarding part of improving your overall nutrition. As an added benefit, these alternatives often offer a more nuanced flavor profile, elevating your cooking and baking to a new level. The American Heart Association recommends focusing on healthy cooking oils high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to support a heart-healthy diet.

Conclusion

While Crisco has long been a staple in many kitchens, numerous healthier and more nutrient-dense alternatives are available today. Whether you prioritize heart health, a richer flavor profile, or a specific texture, options like butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, and palm shortening offer superior nutritional value and versatile cooking applications. By making an informed switch, you can enjoy delicious, high-quality food while supporting a healthier lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

In many baking recipes, you can use butter as a 1:1 replacement for Crisco, but be aware of the texture difference. Butter contains water, which can cause baked goods to spread more and be less flaky than with shortening.

Yes, coconut oil is an excellent plant-based, solid substitute for Crisco, offering a healthier, less-processed alternative. Use refined coconut oil for a neutral taste, or unrefined for a distinct coconut flavor.

Refined avocado oil is one of the best alternatives for high-heat frying, with a high smoke point and neutral flavor. Refined coconut oil is also a good option.

For flaky pie crusts, butter adds great flavor but can make the crust less flaky. Palm shortening is a non-hydrogenated option that behaves similarly to Crisco, providing tenderness and flakiness.

You can use a liquid oil like extra-virgin olive oil for certain baked goods that require moisture, such as cakes or quick breads, using a 3/4 cup oil for every cup of shortening. However, liquid oil will not produce the same flaky texture required for pastries and crusts.

For sweet baked goods, you can substitute half of the fat with unsweetened applesauce. This will reduce fat and calories but will also affect the texture, making the result more dense.

While modern Crisco is advertised as trans-fat-free, it is still a highly processed fat with minimal nutritional value. Natural fats like avocado oil and butter contain beneficial nutrients, such as heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamins, which are generally considered healthier choices.