Healthy Recipe Substitutions: Baking

Healthy Recipe Substitutions: BAKING From breakfast to dessert, it's no secret we're fans of making our food healthier. Here are our favorite baking substitutions to help cut back on some of that unnecessary sugar and fat to make healthy, hearty, and delicious baked goods. FLOUR & STARCH Flour Flour BLACK BEANS NUT FLOUR for for 1 CUP (puréed) 1 CUP 1/4 CUP + 3/4 cup of wheat flour 1 CUP 1 CUP + 1/2 tsp of rising agent WHERE IT WORKS: Brownies GF P O WHERE IT WORKS: Cookies, sweet breads, cakes WHOLE- WHEAT FLOUR for Flour Nut flours are much heavier than other baking flours, so when subbing, go 1/4 cup at a time, or add extra rising agent (baking powder or soda) to account for the extra weight. 1 CUP 7/8 CUP WHERE IT WORKS: COCONUT for Any type of baking! Cookies, brownies, breads FLOUR Flour That extra fiber can help aid digestion and may even lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. 1/3 CUP + 1 CUP 1 extra egg per ounce of coconut flour a dash extra water BROWN RICE CEREAL RICE KRISPIES for FLAX MEAL WHERE IT WORKS: Pancakes, cookies, cakes BAKER BEWARE: Using more than % cup at a time could allow the flour's bitterness to take over. You may also need to reduce baking time, so keep an eye on the oven! 1 CUP 1 CUP brown rice cereal + 2 tbsp flax meal WHERE IT WORKS: Rice Krispies treats, as a coating on baked chicken Brown puffed rice has the same texture as conven- tional puffed white rice, but with half the calories. SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR VANILLA EXTRACT for for UNSWEETENED APPLE SAUCE 1 CUP 1 CUP 1/2 TSP 2 TBSP (For every cup of applesauce you use, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup.) WHERE IT WORKS: Cookies, cakes, sweet breads, brownies WHERE IT WORKS: Assuming the recipe originally calls for one cup of sugar, this swap cuts almost 400 calories cut out! Lots of things! Especially oatmeal cookies. While a cup of unsweetened applesauce contains only about 100 calories, a cup of sugar can pack in more than 770 calories! stevia SUGAR for 1 TSP liquid stevia or 2 TBSP stevia powder 1 CUP WHERE IT WORKS: Cookies, cakes, sweet breads Watch the grocery bill - this natural sweetener may be 300x sweeter than sugar, but can also cost up to 5 times more. FAT PRUNES for OIL for UNSWEETENED APPLE SAUCE BUTTER BUTTER 3/4 CUP + 1/4 boiling water (blended) 1/2 CUP + 1/2 cup fat 1 CUP 1 CUP If you can't tell the difference replacing half the oil, try swapping more the next time around. WHERE IT WORKS: Dark baked goods (brownies, chocolate cookies and cakes) WHERE IT WORKS: Any sweet bread (think banana or zucchini) or muffins. Even with with pre-boxed mixes! for BUTTER 1 CUP (puréed) 1 CUP FLAX MEAL for BUTTER WHERE IT WORKS: Brownies and chocolate cookies 3 TBSP + 1 tbsp water (left to sit for 5-10 min) 1 TBSP They're both fats and have nearly the same consistency at room temperature. Avocado's creaminess and subtle flavor are a great sub for heavy butter. WHERE IT WORKS: Muffins, cakes, cookies, anything with a strong nutty flavor .Chia Seeds for BUTTER for OIL 1 CUP BUTTER 2-3 TBSP + 1 cup water (left to sit for - 15 min) 1 CUP (mashed) 1 CUP WHERE IT WORKS: Muffins, cakes, and breads WHERE IT WORKS: Brownies, Cookies WHY: They're packed with potassium and a good dose of protein (4g/2 tablespoons). (Note: it's best to only sub about hall of the butter in a recipe with chia. So start there!) The consistency is ideal, and the bananas add nutrients like potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6. EGGS Chia Seeds aw for FLAX MEAL for 1 TBSP + 1 cup water (left to sit for - 15 min) 1 EGG 1 TBSP + 3 tbsp water (left to sit for 5-10 min) 1 EGG WHERE IT WORKS: Muffins, cakes, and cookies - pretty much anything. WHERE IT WORKS: Muffins, cakes, cookies We don't suggest subbing chia for butter and eggs in the same recipe! FILLINGS N' TOPPINGS Meringue FROSTING fluff for for FROSTING 1 CUP 1 CUP 1 CUP 1 CUP WHERE IT WORKS: WHERE IT WORKS: On cakes, cupcakes, and cookies On cakes, cupcakes, and cookies While two tablespoons of marshmallow has just 40 calories and 6 grams of sugar (and no fat!), the same amount of conventional frosting can pack up to 100 calories, 14 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of fat. Made from just egg whites and sugar, meringue can be a great fat-free substitution for traditional frosting. Lightly charring the edges of the meringue can add a nice caramelized flavor. Graham COOKIES NATURAL REDUCED Cracker FAT PEANUT BUTTER for for PEANUT BUTTER 1 CUP 1 CUP 1 CUP crushed 1 CUP crushed LF LS WHERE IT WORKS: WHERE IT WORKS: Anything! Sandwiches, cookies, PB brownies Any type of pie WHY: While they may appear better than traditional Skippy or Jiff, reduced-fat versions of , peanut butter can actually have more sugar – and an extra-long list of artificial additives - than the classics. WHY: Who doesn't love a fresh baked cookie-crust pie? Next time, refrain from the traditional sugar or Oreo cookie crust and grab the graham crackers. Reduced-fat graham crackers offer the same consistency and flavor with about half the calories of the conventional options. COCO NIBS CHOCOLATE CHIPS EVAPORATED SKIM HEAVY CREAM for for MILK 1 CUP 1 CUP 1 CUP 1 CUP WHERE IT WORKS: WHERE IT WORKS: Whipped cream, cakes, scones, and biscuits Cookies, cakes, breads WHY: It's the same consistency with a fraction of the fat. Evaporated milk tends to have a bit more sugar (only about 2 grams). But the major drop in fat content is well worth the switch! WHY: These less-processed morsels cut the additives and added sugar in chocolate while also delving out a healthy does of antioxidants. A ANTIOXIDANTS O CUTS CALORIES O OMEGA-35 GF GLUTEN FREE LC LOW CARB LF LOW FAT LS LOW SUGAR FIBER P PROTEIN V VEGAN Greatst http://www.greatist.com/health/fuss-over-flaxseed http://www.greatist.com/health/superfood-chia http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033 http://www.greatist.com/health/sugar-alternatives/ http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5592/2 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flaxseed/AN01258 http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/gluten-freeblack-bean-brownies/ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033 http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/applesauce-cookies-recipes-sugar-free http://www.elanaspantry.com/butter-cookies/ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262 http://www.thesimplelens.com/2011/05/byeeee-byeeee-brownie/ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flaxseed/AN01258 http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5592/2 http://www.elanaspantry.com/ingredients/blanched-almond-flour/