Healthier Baking 101
By MPozzobon
1 Picture
Ingredients
- Substitutions Reference Guide
- Brownies:
- 1 cup pureed black beans for 1 cup flour
- Cookies and quickbreads:
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce for 1 cup sugar (for every cup of applesauce used you can reduce liquids in recipe by 1/4 cup)
- Cookies/cakes/quickbreads/brownies:
- 1/2 tsp vanilla for 2 tbsp sugar
- Quickbreads:
- 1/2 cup applesauce + 1/2 cup fat for 1 cup fat (butter/oil)
- Brownies and chocolate cookies:
- 1 cup pureed avocado for 1 cup butter
- Dark chocolate goods:
- 3/4 cup prunes + 1/4 boiling water for 1 cup butter
- Brownies and cookies:
- 1 cup mashed banana for 1 cup fat (butter/oil)
- Cookies and quickbreads:
- 3 tbsp flax meal + 1 tbsp water for 1 tbsp butter
- Frosting:
- 1 cup meringue for 1 cup frosting
- Cream/cake/biscuits:
- 1 cup evaporated skim milk for 1 cup heavy cream
- Cookies/cakes/quickbreads:
- 1 cup cocoa nibs for 1 cup chocolate chips
- Anywhere:
- 1 cup natural peanut butter for 1 cup peanut butter
Details
Servings 1
Level of difficulty Average
Cost Average budget
Preparation
Step 1
Muffins and quickbreads: In baked goods with a cakey texture it's easy to swap oil for butter, especially in recipes in which the wet and dry ingredients are prepared separately then combined. I like canola, which is local, low in saturated fat and contains omega-3 fatty acids. Applesauce has become a common fat replacement in baked goods; it works just fine in recipes that call for a liquid fat (such as oil) rather than a solid fat (such as butter), but it doesn't work as well in crisp rolled cookies or chewy brownies. Try using it in muffins, cakes and quick breads, but do leave some fat in your recipe (at least 1/4 cup), and make it oil instead of butter. You can also try more nutrient-dense fruit purees such as canned pumpkin or mashed banana instead of applesauce.
Step 2
Cakes and cupcakes: See above, the same advice applies to cakes as to muffins and quick breads. Cake recipes typically (but not always) have a higher sugar content; you can usually cut it by at least a third and not notice a difference, especially in recipes that contain as much or more sugar than flour.
Step 3
Biscuits and scones: Cream scones sound heavy, but generally contain no butter, making them actually lighter than those made with butter and milk or half-and-half. In recipes that call for butter, try replacing half of it with canola or olive oil—you can generally trim the quantity by a third to half. Use buttermilk, which is thicker and richer but has the same fat content as regular milk. To boost fibre, replace half or more of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour. Remember to use a gentle hand for light biscuits.
Step 4
Pastry: Pie crusts are tricky to make lighter while retaining a flaky texture. Try using phyllo instead—you control the fat (melted butter or oil, or a combination of the two) that's brushed between the layers, and you can get away with using very little. For tails, layer four sheets of phyllo, brushed sparingly with melted butter or oil; cut lengthwise in four, crosswise in five, making 20 squares. Press two at right angles into an ungreased muffin tin, fill with filling and bake, or bake them (5-7 minutes at 350°F until golden) then fill them with anything that has already been or doesn't need to be cooked. Try full-sized pies the same way, scrunching up the edges.
Step 5
Cookies and squares: Most recipes contain more fat and sugar than they need to. You can usually get away with trimming both without necessarily replacing them with anything. Cut back on one or the other a bit at a time, but remember: fats and sugar act as tenderizers; trim them too much and your cookies will wind up like Melba toast. To boost fibre, replace flour with whole-wheat or oat flour, which adds a nuttiness to cookies and squares.
Adapt your favourite recipes to trim sugar and calories and enjoy a guilt-free dessert.
Review this recipe