Can I Use Leftover Bacon Grease in My Baking?

Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
published Jan 5, 2015
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Q: I have some bacon grease that I’ve saved in the hopes of using. Unfortunately, I haven’t really had to use it. I was wondering if the bacon grease (fat) could be used successfully in place of lard, shortening, and butter in recipes for cookies, pies, and biscuits, all of which I hope to make soon?

If so, besides reducing or omitting the salt, how would I make the substitution? Would it be an even substitution (e.g., a cup of butter/shortening for a cup of bacon grease)?

Sent by S

Editor: I’d think that you can use bacon grease as you would shortening or butter in any recipe — the only caveat is that this grease will taste like bacon, so only use it in recipes where you’d like the flavor of bacon. For instance, I think using it in biscuits, savory pie crusts, or other savory things would be great, but probably not the best for sweet cookies or pies (unless you’re being very trendy and doing something like a bacon-chocolate confection!)

Also, yes, if your bacon was salted, reducing the salt in the recipe sounds like a good idea.

Readers, what do you think?

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Baking
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