What can you substitute for butter in pie pastry?
Lard, block baking margarine, and vegetable shortening are the best substitutes for butter in pie pastry, swapped weight for weight. Lard gives the crispest, flakiest crust with a mild savoury flavour, while shortening and block margarine keep the pastry dairy free. Soft tub spreads and oil are poor substitutes for rubbed in pastry.
By the chickenpie.net test kitchen · Published 4 August 2026
The main options compared
All of these are used at the same weight as the butter they replace. The differences are in flavour, texture, and how forgiving they are to handle.
| Fat | Texture result | Flavour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lard | Very short and flaky | Mild, savoury | Traditional for savoury pies, not vegetarian |
| Half lard, half butter | Flaky and rich | Buttery | The classic savoury pastry compromise |
| Vegetable shortening | Tender, crumbly | Neutral | Dairy free, easy to handle when chilled |
| Block margarine | Close to butter | Slightly flat | Use baking block, not soft spread |
| Coconut oil, chilled solid | Crisp but brittle | Faint coconut | Works, but harder to rub in evenly |
Why soft spreads and oil disappoint
Rubbed in pastry depends on solid fat coating the flour in small pieces, which melt in the oven and leave flaky layers. Tub spreads contain a lot of water and are too soft to hold that structure, so the pastry turns greasy and tough.
Vegan block butters are the exception among the spreads. The firm baking blocks are formulated to behave like butter and make respectable pastry swapped straight across at the same weight.
Oil pastry exists, but it produces a dense, biscuit like crust rather than a flaky one. It is fine for a rustic galette, less so for a proper double crust chicken pie.
Handling adjustments
Lard and shortening are softer than butter at fridge temperature, so chill the fat, the flour, and the finished dough thoroughly. Give the lined tin a final 20 minutes in the fridge before baking, and weigh the fat rather than guessing, since pastry proportions are less forgiving than a sauce.
These fats also brown less than butter, so a good egg wash or milk glaze matters more for colour on the finished lid.