Some people look forward to holiday treats all year, but we know that baked goods tend to have a lot of sugar and fat. However, there are ingredients you can use to decrease the amount of empty calories and replace them with healthy, natural alternatives that pack a nutritional punch. Here are a few inventive alternatives for white flour, refined sugar, butter and oil. Be sure to check if cooking times need to be altered due to substitutions.
Substitute white flour with a can of black beans in your chocolaty brownies. Use one 15-ounce can (drained, rinsed and pureed) for every one cup of flour. It’s an excellent way to add protein. If you are making pie or cake in which you can’t use black beans because of the noticeable appearance, you can always use flour alternatives such as cashew nut, hazelnut and coconut flours.
Instead of using refined sugar in your recipe, you can substitute it with unsweetened applesauce. This smart switch adds sweetness to delectable baked goods without the extra calories. Use a one-to-one ratio of applesauce for sugar, but reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by one quarter of a cup for every cup of applesauce.
Avocados have a similar consistency to butter at room temperature, making them a great substitute for butter in your chocolate cake recipe. Use one cup of puréed avocado for every cup of butter. Bananas can also act as a substitute for oil and butter, and are low in fat with the added benefit of fiber. If you want to use bananas in your recipe, use one cup of mashed banana for every cup of oil or butter.
