Home cooks of today have access to a variety of yogurt products that bakers of past generations could only dream of. At the time of its invention, shortening was a convenient alternative and could be substituted cup for cup for butter or lard, with only minor changes in the liquid content. Substituting yogurt for some of the butter in a quick bread or brownie recipe is commonplace; however, the conversion doesn't extend to shortening in the same manner.

Shortening is 100 percent fat. If your recipe specifically calls for shortening, it probably needs those fat molecules for a particular purpose. In cakes, fat contributes to the amount of spread and eventual form. When you're making biscuits or pie crust, shortening "shortens" the gluten fibers, resulting in a light, flaky product instead of a hard, dense dough.

One cup of nonfat yogurt, which contains one-third of the daily recommended calcium intake, is high in protein, so including it in your baked goods is a good nutritional option. Yogurt also has less fat and calories than shortening, making it a wise choice for weight-conscious bakers.

You can substitute half of the shortening in a recipe with 3/4 the amount of yogurt. For example, if your brownie recipe calls for 2 cups of shortening, use one cup shortening plus 3/4-cup yogurt. When a recipe calls for shortening or oil, replace half of the oil with 3/4 the amount of yogurt. For instance, instead of 1 cup oil, use 1/2-cup oil and 1/4-cup plus 2 tablespoons yogurt. If your recipe calls for 1 cup of shortening, use 1/2-cup shortening and 1/4 plus 2 tablespoons of yogurt.