I really enjoy baking and find the weekends are a great time to make sweet things with my sweet things. My girls love baking too. When making sweet treats, I do try to substitute with healthy ingredients when I think I will not be sacrificing the texture and flavor too much.
I found this list of substitutions at the American Heart Association, and I think they are great. Definitely worth giving a try if you are trying to reduce your intake of fat, particularly the saturated kind which can increase your LDL cholesterol.
To see the healthy substitution, just read more.
| Ingredient | Healthy Substitution |
| Whole milk (1 cup) | 1 cup fat-free or nonfat milk plus one tablespoon of unsaturated oil like safflower or canola |
| Heavy cream (1 cup) | 1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup plain low-fat cottage cheese |
| Sour cream | Low-fat cottage cheese plus low-fat or nonfat yogurt (fat-free sour cream is also available) |
| Cream cheese | 4 tablespoons margarine blended with 1 cup dry low-fat cottage cheese; add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed |
| Butter (1 tablespoon) | 1 tablespoon polyunsaturated margarine or 3/4 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil like safflower oil |
| Shortening (1 cup) | 2 sticks polyunsaturated margarine like Earth Balance or Smart Balance |
| 1 Egg | 1 egg white plus 2 teaspoons of unsaturated oil (canola or safflower) or commercially made, cholesterol-free egg substitute |
| Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil (like safflower or corn oil) or margarine. Carob is sweeter than cocoa, so reduce sugar in recipe by 1/4 |
If you have any tried and true substitutions that you regularly use, share them in the comments section below.
S'Oliver
Jil Sander
Lola Cruz
Occasionally I used stewed reduced plums (aka pureed prunes) in place of sugar and sometimes oil.
Also, I've used unsweetened applesauce in place of oil or butter.
And reduced unsweetened apple or grape juice (reduce until it's a thick syrup) in place of refined sugar.
1You can use apple sauce (plain unsweetened) as a substitute to oil or butter in nearly any cake or bread recipe, sometimes in cookie one's too if you're going for a fluffy cake texture
2You can use plain nonfat yoghurt if you don't want to use applesauce as a substitute for the oil, also. It depends on the recipe. I don't use shortening much, but if I do, I use unrefined coconut oil instead. It makes wonderful oatmeal cookies!
3My very favorite is the diet soda trick... you buy a dry cake mix, and add one can of diet gingerale for yellow or diet coke/pepsi for chocolate... no eggs, water, or oil. I usually make cupcakes but you can use it as cake batter too. They come out so light and fluffy for no additional calories.
4I use applesauce in place of oil sometimes, but I don't usually substitute other things for butter. Most of the time when you're baking, butter is necessary for the proper texture and flavor.
I like the trick of using skim milk with a tablespoon of oil instead of whole milk...that's a great way to get the richness without the saturated fat.
5I always sub applesauce for oil/butter and wholemeal flour for white flour. I make really yummy cookies and fruit breads using applesauce, cinnamon, dried fruit and frozen berries for sweetness, with occasionally a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or agave nectar mixed in. You can also use mashed banana or diced pineapple to add sweetness. Honestly, if you've got a loaf made with applesauce, diced and baked apple, berries, and spices, it already tastes sweet enough that you shouldn't miss the sugar.
Having said that, I think there's an adjustment period if you're trying to wean yourself off refined sugars and saturated fats!
Five years ago, healthified biscuits and breads wouldn't have appealed to me that much, but
it only takes a couple of months going cold turkey and I honestly think that your tastes change.
6i'm a nutrition/dietetics major, so i took a food prep class and for our final assignment, we had to take a recipe and make it healthier. i chose muffins, and i replaced the oil for applesauce, used low-fat milk. the recipe called for peanut butter, so i used better'n peanut butter, because the taste isn't distinguishable when cooking.
7Wild I've used apple sauce too and it tastes just as great.
8Instead of oil, I use applesauce. I cup of oil or 1 cup of apple sauce. Its easier if you buy apple sauce that's already in a cup.
9Wow, these are great! I hadn't heard of any of these (but haven't really made an effort I guess).
Here's a question: What do I sub in for mayo? I have a recipe for a casserole that uses a ton of mayo (my mom says it "holds it together"). Any suggestions on a substitute? I usually just leave it out.
10plus_2_kid....plain yogurt can work really well for a mayo sub. i hate mayo so i use the yogurt for things like artichoke dip, etc...you can also mix in some fat free sour cream to richen up the yogurt and it's not as tangy. when i make tuna i use plain yogurt and mustard....it all takes a little fiddling but it usually comes out great! hope this helps...
11Milk - Soy Milk
Eggs - 1/2 banana for every egg
Oil - Applesauce
I also second the box of cake mix and can of soda trick. I found out about that a few months ago and now that's the only way I make cupcakes and cakes. It's so incredibly simple.
Another trick I discovered is using only a can of black beans and a box of brownie mix to make brownies. It sounds gross, but you can't taste the beans at all and they come out moist and delicious.
Just take a can of beans (water and all) and mash (or blend) them. Then add them to the brownie mix in a bowl and stir. Cook according to the directions on the box.
I made these for some friends but didn't tell them how they were made and they said that they were some of the best brownies they've tasted.
12Thanks for the article. I use agave in all sorts of dishes, cakes and even drinks. I started with small bottles and now buy gallons at a time.
13The last few times I ordered it online at Whole And Natural.com. They have all sizes at very reasonable prices and ship fast.
Debby
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