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The Colorful Plate
Baking Substitutes

Peer Review Status: Internally Reviewed by Cancer Center Staff
First Published: 2000

 

Favorite Family Recipes Can be Rescued!

Creating low-fat dishes that still have great taste means learning the art of balancing flavors and textures to compensate for the contribution that fat makes to a dish. The following guidelines, not rules, have proved successful in replacing the fat in favorite recipes.

 Book Cover
              Baking:
FAT SUBSTITUTES Use: How:
Fruit puree:
Applesauce, banana, prune, pear, peach

Nonfat buttermilk, nonfat yogurt, skim milk

Fruit juice

Apple butter

In complimentary recipes, such as baked goods with no flavor changes wanted:

-- applesauce, nonfat buttermilk, nonfat yogurt, and skim milk for biscuits, muffins, chocolate
-- fruit juices and prune purees in spicy cakes, breads, and muffins
-- apple butter in delicate zucchini muffins.

  • Replace part or all solid fat in muffins, breads, biscuits, scones and cakes with half as much fat substitute.
  • Replace part or all oil with three-fourths as much fat substitute. If batter seems dry after mixing, add more fat substitute.
  • Replace each whole egg with two egg whites.
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25oF.
  • Check for doneness before end of usual baking time.
Liquid sweeteners:
Honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, chocolate syrup

Fruit:
jams, spreads, fruit juice concentrates

 -- Honey or fruit jam in muffins.
-- Maple syrup in spice cakes and muffins.
-- Fruit juice concentrate in muffins, breads.
-- Corn syrup in white cakes and other baked items for no flavor change.
-- Chocolate syrup in chocolate cake and other chocolate treats.
  • Replace part or all solid fat in muffins, breads, biscuits, scones and cakes with three fourths as much fat substitute.
  • Replace part or all oil with an equal amount of fat substitute. If batter seems dry after mixing, add more fat substitute.
  • Reduce sugar by amount of fat substitute added.
  • Replace each whole egg with two egg whites.
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25oF.
  • Check for doneness before end of usual baking time.
Prune butter:

8 ounces pitted prunes (about 1 and 1/3 cup)
6 Tablespoons water or fruit juice

Process together in food processor until forms a smooth paste. (Too thick for blender.) Use immediately or store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

 In chocolate cakes, fruit or spicy muffins, breads and cakes.
  • Replace part or all solid fat in muffins, breads, biscuits, scones and cakes with an equal amount of Prune Butter.
  • Reduce sugar by one-half to two-thirds the amount of Prune Butter added.
  • Replace each whole egg with two egg whites.
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25oF.
  • Check for doneness before end of usual baking time.
Prune puree:

3 ounces pitted prunes (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup water or fruit juice
2 teaspoons lecithin granules

Process in food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately or store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

 In all recipes. Has mild flavor.
  • Replace part or all solid fat in muffins, breads, biscuits, scones and cakes with half the amount of Prune Puree.
  • Replace part or all oil with three-fourths the amount of Prune Puree. If batter seems dry after mixing, add more fat substitute.
  • Replace each whole egg with two egg whites.
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25oF.
  • Check for doneness before end of usual baking time.
Starchy fat substitutes:

Mashed cooked or canned pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes

 In citrus and pineapple flavored biscuits, muffins, breads, and spice cakes.
  • Replace part or all solid fat in muffins, breads, biscuits, scones and cakes with three fourths as much fat substitute.
  • Replace part or all oil with an equal amount of fat substitute. If batter seems dry after mixing, add more fat substitute.
  • Replace each whole egg with two egg whites.
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25oF.
  • Check for doneness before end of usual baking time.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTES Use: How:
Cake flour In quick breads and cakes.
  • Replace one cup of regular flour with 1 cup + 1 tablespoon cake flour.
Egg whites In recipes calling for whole eggs.
  • Replace four whole eggs with two whole eggs and four egg whites. Moisture ingredient may need to be increased slightly.
Toasted nuts In recipes calling for nuts.
  • Toast to intensify flavor. As a topping mix with crunchy toasted nonfat cereal, such as Grape-Nuts.
  • Use half the recipe amount when used as an ingredient inside cakes, cookies, or crusts if recipe is not already calling for toasted nuts.
Phylo pastry In flaky or puff pastry of both savory and sweet pastries.
  • Moisten with mixture of canola oil and egg white, and layer together.
  • Place in cupcake tins for filled pastries or cut into squares, fill with sweet filling, fold crimp and bake.

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