what is the best vegan substitute for lard?
I am attempting to re-create a heart-of-palm torte I had while in Brazil and while it is pretty simple, I am having difficulty finding a vegan substitute for the lard that will still make the crust flaky. Any ideas what the best substitute is?
Best Answer
The best substitute in general for lard would be a combination of vegetable shortening - which is generally hydrogenated palm oil - and butter.
Since this is a vegan substitute, you'll have to just stick to the shortening. That's OK - shortening was quite literally invented to replace lard - but you'll lose a lot of the flakiness and full flavour if you don't mix it with some butter.
For pastry crusts, you might also mix some coconut oil in with the shortening; the flaky texture essentially comes from saturated fats, for which coconut oil ranks pretty highly. Just don't use too much, as it imparts a not-so-subtle flavour of its own.
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Quick Answer about "what is the best vegan substitute for lard?"
You can swap equal amounts of coconut oil for lard in many recipes, especially when baking, grilling, or pan-frying foods. Note that unrefined coconut oil tends to have a strong coconut taste and aroma, so it may slightly change the flavor of certain dishes.What do vegans use instead of lard?
The best vegetarian lard substitutes are coconut oil, vegetable oil, avocado, and mashed bananas.What is a good substitution for lard?
The best substitute for lard is butter. Unless your recipe says otherwise, you'll want to use unsalted butter as a substitute in most recipes that call for the lard. There are other alternatives as well. If you prefer, you can use shortening or oils like coconut, vegetable, or olive.Is there such thing as vegan lard?
The inexpensive alternative is a commercially available coconut fat, which is partially \u201cnaturally\u201d hardened. The vegan lard goes well with a good snack. Also other delicious vegetarian spreads, like the potato cheese, the Liptauer, the Obazda and the herb quark bring variety at dinner.All the TOP Essential Vegan Substitutes | 30+ Products vegan cooks recommend
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Answer 2
You mention Earth Balance in comments, the stick versions maybe a reasonable substitute.
Earth Balance - Vegan Buttery Sticks (nutrition)
Earth Balance - Natural Shortening (nutrition)
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