Butter vs Shortening vs Lard in Pie Crust

Pie crust has only a handful of ingredients, so the fat you choose shapes almost everything about it. Butter gives the best flavor and big, crisp flakes but softens quickly in a warm kitchen. Vegetable shortening is easy to roll and very tender but tastes of almost nothing. Lard produces remarkably flaky, savory crusts and works especially well for meat pies.

Each fat has strengths and weaknesses, and many bakers settle on a blend. This guide explains how each one behaves in dough, how they differ in water content and melting point, how to swap one for another, and how to keep the crust flaky whichever you choose.

How fat makes a crust flaky

Flaky pie dough relies on small pieces of solid fat scattered through the flour. When you roll it, those pieces flatten into thin sheets between layers of dough. In the oven, the fat melts and leaves gaps, and any water in the dough or the fat turns to steam that pushes the layers apart. The result is crisp, separated flakes.

Fat also coats some of the flour so it cannot form much gluten, which keeps the crust tender rather than tough. The more completely fat is rubbed in, the more tender and short the crust becomes, and the fewer flakes it has. Most good crusts mix both: some fat worked in finely for tenderness and some left in pea-sized pieces for flakes.

Butter

Butter gives a rich, golden crust with the best flavor of any fat. Its water creates steam that helps separate the layers into big, crisp flakes. Milk solids brown in the oven, giving color and a toasty taste.

The drawback is temperature. Butter softens near 32 to 35°C (90 to 95°F), not far above the warmth of your hands, so a butter crust can turn greasy and sticky fast. Use butter straight from the refrigerator, cut it into cubes, and chill the dough at least an hour before rolling. If the dough softens while you work, return it to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.

Shortening

Vegetable shortening is solid plant fat with no water. It stays firm over a wider temperature range than butter, so the dough is easy to roll and patch, even in a warm kitchen. Crusts made with shortening are tender and hold crimped edges and decorative shapes crisply in the oven.

The weaknesses are flavor and a slightly waxy mouthfeel, since shortening tastes of little and melts at a higher temperature than butter. Its flakes are smaller and more crumbly. Shortening works well as a partner fat, or in a crust where the filling carries all the flavor.

Lard and leaf lard

Lard is rendered pork fat. Its crystal structure produces very flaky, crisp layers, and many older American and British pie traditions are built on it. Leaf lard, from around the kidneys, is the most neutral and prized for pastry. Ordinary supermarket lard is often hydrogenated and more strongly flavored.

Lard's savory, slightly porky taste is perfect for meat pies, pasties, empanadas and hot water crust, and it works surprisingly well in apple pie with a butter blend. It is not suitable for vegetarian bakes, and anyone avoiding pork will want butter or shortening instead.

Blending fats and making swaps

A blend gets you much of the best of both. About 60 percent butter with 40 percent shortening or lard gives good flavor, easier rolling and reliable flakes. Cut the butter in first, then the second fat, and keep both cold.

To replace butter with shortening or lard, use about 80 to 85 percent of the butter's weight, since those fats contain no water, and add a teaspoon or two of extra ice water. To replace shortening or lard with butter, use about 20 percent more butter by weight and reduce the water slightly. The classic 3-2-1 ratio by weight, three parts flour to two parts fat to one part water, is a useful starting point, though most recipes use a little less water in practice.

• 113 g butter → about 95 g shortening or lard plus 1 to 2 teaspoons ice water
• 100 g shortening → about 120 g butter, with slightly less water
• Blend: 135 g butter + 90 g shortening for a 300 g flour double crust

Keeping any crust flaky

Whatever fat you use, cold matters. Chill the fat and water, work quickly, and rest the dough wrapped in the refrigerator for at least an hour so the flour hydrates and the gluten relaxes. Resting reduces shrinkage in the oven.

Bake on a lower rack in a hot oven, around 200 to 220°C (400 to 425°F), so the fat melts and the water turns to steam quickly before the crust has a chance to slump. For custard and cream pies, partly or fully blind bake the crust first to keep the bottom crisp.

• Tough crust: too much water or overworked dough
• Greasy, flat crust: fat was too warm or rubbed in too finely
• Shrinking crust: dough was stretched into the pan or not rested

Common questions

Is all-butter crust harder to make?

It needs more attention to temperature, but it is not hard. Keep everything cold and rest the dough well. Return it to the refrigerator whenever it softens. Many bakers find the flavor worth the extra care.

Can I use coconut oil for pie crust?

Refined coconut oil, firm and well chilled, can replace shortening by weight. It gives a tender crust that suits vegan pies. It melts quickly when warm, though, so handle it like butter and keep the dough cold.

Why does my lard crust taste porky?

Many supermarket lards are rendered from mixed pork fat and keep a meaty flavor. Leaf lard is much more neutral. For sweet pies, use a blend of lard and butter, or switch to leaf lard from a butcher.