Vegan substitute for Lard
Key facts
- Replaces
- Lard
- Category
- Fats
- Options here
- 3 tested swaps
- Easiest swap
- Vegetable shortening — 1:1
Why the swap works
Lard does three jobs: it shortens pastry by coating flour proteins so gluten cannot form long strands, it stays plastic at room temperature so doughs roll without cracking, and it carries a mild savoury flavour. Solid plant fats replicate the first two mechanically — vegetable shortening is chemically the same kind of fat crystal network — so texture is easy. Flavour is the only real gap, and it is covered by technique rather than a special product: a pinch of salt, a little smoked paprika in savoury dishes, or a vegan block butter blend for taste-forward baking.
Options, ratios and best uses
Vegetable shortening
1:1Same solid structure and shortening power.
Best for: pastry, tamales, refried beans
Refined coconut oil
1:1Firm at room temperature; neutral when refined.
Best for: pastry, frying
Vegan block butter
1:1Adds flavour as well as fat.
Best for: pie crust
Compare the options at a glance
| Option | Taste | Texture | Cost | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable shortening | Neutral | Very short, neutral | Low | Supermarkets everywhere |
| Refined coconut oil | Neutral when refined | Firm, slightly crisper | Low-medium | Supermarkets everywhere |
| Vegan block butter | Buttery | Short with buttery layers | Medium | Most supermarkets |
| Liquid oil | Depends on oil | Mealy, not flaky | Low | Everywhere — but wrong tool for pastry |
Tips
- Keep the fat cold for flaky pastry
- Add smoked paprika for savoury depth
- Rest dough before rolling
Avoid
- Using liquid oil in shortcrust
- Overworking the dough
Three dishes with the swap applied
Flaky vegan pie crust
Cold vegetable shortening or vegan block butter, 1:1 — Keep everything cold, work quickly, rest the dough 30 minutes before rolling.
Refried beans
Neutral oil, 1:1 — Fry onion in the oil first; a pinch of smoked paprika replaces lard's savoury depth.
Tamales
Whipped vegetable shortening, 1:1 — Whip the fat with baking powder until fluffy before beating in the masa for a light texture.
Roast potatoes
Hot rapeseed or sunflower oil — Goose fat traditions aside, a hot neutral oil gives the crispiest crust.
Questions people ask
Are refried beans vegan?
Often not — traditional recipes use lard. Ask, or make them with oil.
Does shortening make good pastry?
Yes, very short and tender; a butter blend adds flavour.
Is vegetable shortening vegan?
Yes — modern shortenings are made from palm, soybean or rapeseed oils. Check for 'mono- and diglycerides' from unspecified origin if you are strict, but the major brands are plant-based.
Why did old recipes prefer lard for pastry?
It was cheap and solid year-round before refrigeration and hydrogenated fats. The flakiness people credit to lard comes from the solid fat structure, which shortening reproduces.
Is 'manteca' always lard?
In Latin American cooking, yes, unless labelled 'manteca vegetal' (vegetable shortening) — the word alone means the pork fat.
Related swaps
Reviewed 2026-09-16 by the Veg.ac editorial team · Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.
What you are actually replacing
Swapping Lard well is a food-science problem before it is a shopping problem. The original ingredient is doing a specific job — binding, aerating, browning, adding fat, adding salt or adding structure — and the best replacement is the one that does that same job, not the one that sounds closest on the label. Once you can name the job, the choice between Vegetable shortening, Refined coconut oil, Vegan block butter becomes obvious.
How to choose between the options
- Start from the dish, not the product. A swap that is perfect in a cake can be wrong in a sauce.
- Match fat and water content first; texture failures are usually a moisture problem, not a flavour one.
- Season and taste at the same point in the recipe where you would have tasted the original.
- Expect the first attempt to be about eighty per cent right, and adjust one variable at a time.
- Keep one reliable default in the cupboard so the swap is never a reason to abandon a recipe.
More questions people ask
What is the closest all-round replacement for Lard?
There is rarely one universal answer, which is why the table above splits by use. For everyday cooking, pick the option listed as best for the dish type you cook most often and keep it as your default; use the others when the recipe depends on a property your default lacks.
Will anyone notice the difference?
In mixed dishes — sauces, bakes, stews, doughs — almost never once the seasoning is adjusted. In dishes where the original ingredient is the entire point and eaten plain, the difference is more noticeable, so it is worth choosing the highest-quality option there.
Do these swaps cost more than Lard?
Whole-food options are usually cheaper; branded processed replacements are usually more expensive. Cooking from the cheaper end most of the time and keeping the branded product for convenience meals keeps the weekly cost roughly flat or lower.
Are these replacements nutritionally equivalent?
Not identical, and that is fine. Some are lower in saturated fat, some are higher in fibre, some are fortified. Judge the swap by the whole day's eating rather than a single line on the label, and check fortification if the original was a main source of a nutrient for you.
Keep exploring
Pages connected to this one across swaps, ingredients, nutrients and meals.