Cut Calories And Fat by Baking With Applesauce

“Dieting” can feel like a dirty word, especially when you have a sweet tooth. Instead of cutting out the good stuff completely, try taking a DIY approach to enjoying your favorite snacks. Instead of buying cookies and sweets at the store, make them at home and use applesauce as a baking substitute to cut down on calories and fat.

Did you know that you can use applesauce in place of eggs, butter, and oil? Oils and fats help dough stick together and keep it moist and tender during baking. Applesauce is high in pectin, which has a similar effect, but at a fraction of the calories and fat. For example, 1/4 cup of oil contains 480 calories and 56 grams of fat. The same amount of applesauce only has 25 calories and 0 grams of fat.

To substitute for oil:  Use a 1:1 ratio. If a recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup of applesauce instead.

To substitute for butter: Since applesauce can change the consistency of baked goods, only substitute half of the butter a recipe calls for with applesauce.

To substitute for eggs: If a recipe only calls for one egg, it’s safe to substitute it with 1/4 cup of applesauce. For recipes that use more than one egg, stick with only substituting one of the eggs for starters until you get an idea of how it affects the consistency of the final product.

Depending on the recipe, try experimenting with different flavors of applesauce to add a tasty twist on an old favorite. You can also roll up your sleeves and make your own!