Lard substitutes
Out of lard? Here are the best substitutes — what to reach for, why it works, and how much to use. Shortening is the top pick.
- 01Shorteningbest pick
Solid, neutral fat that makes pastry equally tender and flaky.
1:1
- 02Butter
Adds flavor and browning; its water content makes crusts slightly less flaky.
1:1
- 03Bacon fat
Rendered pork fat like lard, with smoke and salt on top — great for savory uses.
1:1
- 04Beef tallow
Another rendered animal fat with a high smoke point; excellent for frying.
1:1
- 05Coconut oil
Solid at room temperature and vegan; leaves a faint coconut note.
1:1
Cooking with lard?
Paste your recipe into Mise — we'll find every ingredient as a real product you can buy, and swap the ones you can't, like lard, for the closest match in stock.
Turn a recipe into a basket →How we choose these
These are tested kitchen substitutes, chosen for matching flavor, texture, and role — with ratios so the swap actually works. Taste as you go; substitutes shift intensity, not just flavor.
Flavor data: Epicure (Radzikowski & Chen, 2026), arXiv:2605.22391, CC-BY-4.0.
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