What can you use instead of shortening for dumplings?

Answer 1

Sometimes I use unsweetened applesauce in place of shortening in recipes. You will have to experiment on which recipes are suitable to use a substitution because there are so many types of cake and cookie recipes. You may also need to experiment with the amount of applesauce needed to replace the amount of shortening in the recipe. Applesauce will help keep your product moist like shortening but it won't prevent sticking to the pan or cookie sheet, and it does cut the calories.

1 tablespoon cooking oil = 120 approx. calories

1 tablespoon olive oil = 120 approx. calories

1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening = 112 approx. calories

1 tablespoon butter = 100 approx. calories

1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce = 6.5 approx. calories

Calories are listed as approximate due to small fluctuations from brand to brand. To calculate the calories for the recipe measurements of these ingredients, multiply the number of calories in one tablespoon by the number of tablespoons in your recipe:

1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons

1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons

1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons

1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons

2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons

3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons

1 cup = 16 tablespoons

Replacing 1/4 cup of oil (480 calories) for 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (26 calories) saves 454 calories. Well worth finding the right recipe and the right amount of substitution.

Answer 2

It depends on what you are using it for. If you are using it for cooking, as in frying something, you could substitute any vegetable oil, you could substitute lard, if you really wanted to be decadent, you could use duck fat.

If you are using shortening for baking, that's an entirely different matter. You have to be much more careful, and much more wary about substitutions in baking. Baking recipes contain proportions of fats, protein, flour, liquid, leavening agents, all carefully balanced to achieve the chemical reaction you desire and produce a great baked good. Shortening is 100% fat, whereas butter and margarine are only about 80% fat, and that can be a critical difference in your results. Shortening will produce flakier doughs, whereas butter or margarine produce more tender, better tasting doughs.

So you may have to do some experimentation, or a lot of experimentation, and be prepared to have some flops, if you want to do substitutions in baking.

Answer 3

Any other solid shortening. Butter, margarine, Crisco, even oil if you reduce the amount by 1/3 to 1/2. Oil gives a slightly different texture, but should still be acceptable.

Answer 4

If you want to cut down on the fat content, you can use applesauce in place of shortening in your cookie recipe.

Answer 5

Butter is the best substitute.

Answer 6

Butter, lard, or veg oil.