Beef tallow for baking is a hidden gem beginning to come back in kitchens worldwide.

Beef fat may be the secret ingredient you’ve been missing to elevate your baking, boost flavor, and enhance texture.

In this article, I’ll explain beef tallow, why it’s such a great fat for baking, and how you can start using it in your favorite recipes.

Incorporating natural fats like beef tallow into your diet is one way to support overall health, but for daily wellness, supplements can provide essential nutrients too.

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is just rendered fat from beef and is sometimes taken from the fat around the kidneys, which is suet.

When heated and melted, butter becomes a smooth, versatile fat that can be used for everything from frying to baking.

For centuries, tallow has been used in traditional cooking, but it has been replaced by more processed fats such as margarine and vegetable oil.

It's natural sourcing, and nutrient-rich composition is what sets Tallow apart.

We strongly believe in keeping our ingredients natural and sustainably sourced, which is why beef tallow is a perfect fit for what we are working to accomplish at Wild Foods: helping people reWild their health.

So why, then, do we use beef fat for baking?

You might wonder: Why beef tallow, and why not a more familiar choice, such as butter or vegetable oil?

Its unique benefits are the answer.

Beef tallow has a higher smoke point than butter and can, therefore, handle higher temperatures before burning or breaking down. (3)

It’s suitable for recipes that need to bake longer or at higher oven temperatures.

Secondly, beef meat makes for a rich and savory baked good.

While vegetable oils are flavorless and butter has its flavor, fat is pleasant and neutral but still rich and goes with sweet and savory recipes.

Tallow also helps bake goods texture.

It’s impossible to beat when used in pastries or biscuits.

Finally, grease contains good fats.

It is high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties. (1)

When you use beef tallow for baking, you’re not only making your treats taste and feel better, but you’re also selecting a natural, nutrient-dense fat that’s better for your body.

Beef Tallow Nutritional Profile

Many people misunderstand beef tallow as an unhealthy fat, but it isn’t.

It’s a natural source of saturated and monounsaturated fats your body needs. (5)

Tallow fats are similar to olive oil fats, except that tallow contains CLA, which is known to reduce fat storage and improve heart health. (2)

It’s also free from artificial additives, preservatives, and hydrogenation, making it a cleaner option than many processed fats.

When you use beef fat in your baking, you’re opting for fat that enhances the flavor and texture of your food while giving you the nutritional power to help you live a healthy lifestyle.

How To Use Beef Tallow For Baking

Incorporating beef tallow into your baking routine is easier than you think.

Swapping it in for butter or oil in most recipes is easy.

First, if you start, replace butter with equal beef fat by weight.

This works great in cookies, cakes, and pie crusts.

When a recipe asks for oil, you can use melted beef in its place.

Melted fat, for instance, can replace oil in muffin or bread recipes, creating the moisture and richness that the oil does, but in a much better flavor and texture.

When using fat, it will solidify at room temperature.

When using tallow for recipes that require liquid fats, make sure to melt it before using it.

You can chill the fat and cut it into the dough like butter or shortening in recipes such as biscuits where you want cold fat to create flakiness.

Beef Tallow Baking Recipes that Glow

Some recipes work better with beef fat than others.

Tallow is your friend if you’re making biscuits, pie crusts, or savory pastries—it has qualities that will take your creations to the next level.

Tallow makes for an incredibly tender, flaky texture you can’t get out of butter alone. (4)

It gives pie crusts perfect crispiness and flakiness, making for a good crust.

Tallow also makes for great cookies.

Adding a touch of molasses adds a rich, slightly savory depth to the flavor that helps balance sugar's sweetness, particularly in chocolate chip cookies or shortbread.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with fat in other baked goods.

Try it in cakes, muffins, or bread to see whether it improves the final product.

Beef Tallow vs. Butter: Which is Better for Baking?

Beef tallow and butter are both excellent for baking, but the best choice depends on your baking needs.

Butter has a taste that’s hard to duplicate, which is why it’s so good in recipes where that buttery taste is essential, like sugar cookies or butter cakes.

Butter’s lower smoke point can make it less ideal for baking at higher temperatures, but it tastes great on toast.

Water is also present and can change your baked good's texture (softening or densifying).

Conversely, beef tallow is pure fat, so it doesn’t add any additional moisture to your dishes.

It's beneficial for developing flaky layers in pastries or biscuits, where too much moisture will make the dough tough.

Tallow also has a higher smoke point, making it best suited to recipes that require longer baking times or higher temperatures.

If you’re looking for a natural, nutrient-rich fat, beef tallow is healthier.

Some fats in butter are beneficial, but grease is more balanced and contains higher levels of CLA and other essential fatty acids.

If you’re interested in purchasing high-quality beef fat to bake with, here’s where you can get it.

The quality of the beef tallow you use for baking.

Not all fats are created equal, and you should search for sustainably sourced, additive-free products.

We take pride in the fact that we supply grass-fed, pasture-raised beef tallow at Wild Foods.

This guarantees that our tallow is free from harmful chemicals or preservatives and packed with the highest levels of nutrients.

Beef tallow is also available at many health food stores or online retailers. Just make sure you check the label for quality indicators such as 'grass-fed' or 'organic' so you get the best product for your baking.

Final Thoughts

Beef tallow is the fat to experiment with if you’re ready to take your baking to the next level.

It has a rich, natural flavor, improves texture, and contributes health benefits that processed oils can’t match.

When you bake with beef fat, you use a more sustainable, wholesome ingredient that supports Wild Foods’ commitment to real food and natural health.

Next time you bake, swap out butter or oil for fat and experience the difference it can make in your favorite recipes.

Use Wild Beef Tallow to fuel your body with clean, wholesome ingredients in every meal

FAQs

Can you bake it with beef fat?

Beef tallow is excellent for baking and can make some recipes come to life.

What is better for baking, lard or tallow?

Tallow is also very good for baking, but you will get a flakier texture on pastries and biscuits.

Can you use fat instead of butter when baking?

Absolutely! You can replace butter with fat in most recipes for a richer flavor and better texture.

Can you use beef rather than biscuits?

Sure, something about tallow makes for incredibly tender and flaky biscuits that beat butter biscuits.

Is beef tallow good for baking?

Beef tallow is a natural fat with many health benefits (CLA, essential fatty acids).

You may have a new favorite baking ingredient in beef fat.

Related Studies

Title: Serum Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Risk of Incident Heart Failure in Older Men

This study found that higher serum levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are associated with a significantly reduced risk of heart failure, suggesting potential cardiovascular benefits of CLA.

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5778956/

Title: Effect of fat types on the structural and textural properties of dough and biscuits

This research highlights how different types of fats, including beef tallow, influence the texture and structural properties of baked goods, showing that natural fats can provide superior results compared to processed oils.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4152542/

Title: The Effect of Partial Substitution of Beef Tallow on Selected Properties of Burgers

This study analyzes how substituting beef tallow with various oils affects the fatty acid profile and physical properties of beef burgers, indicating that natural fats like tallow maintain better quality compared to processed oils.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9266241/

Title: Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Its Beneficial Effects in Obesity

This comprehensive review discusses the health benefits of CLA, including its role in reducing body fat and inflammation and its potential protective effects against obesity-related conditions.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7401241/

Title: Nutritional Composition and Health Benefits of Beef Tallow Compared to Vegetable Oils

This research emphasizes the nutritional advantages of beef tallow over industrially processed vegetable oils, highlighting its higher nutrient density and lower levels of harmful additives.

Link: https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/006580