Low calorie baking that actually tastes good?

I agree with Francl27

There's just no substituting some things.

Yeah, no. You can't substitute the creaminess, fluffiness or buttery flavor of the real things.

Yeah, baking with Splenda or Truvia doesn't work, and I've tried lots. I have had some success with replacing 1/2 the oil in muffin and quickbread recipes with applesauce, though. But that doesn't really work with stuff like brownies...

I bake using butter and sugar and refuse to try lower calorie options. I make my biscuits a bit smaller, which reduces the calories a little, but mostly I'm just trying to teach myself moderation. Most of my biscuits work out at around 80 calories each, which I usually have room for a few nights a week. Quality over quantity!

BFDeal wrote: »

What kind of lunatic makes cookies from mashed bananas??!!??

I found the recipe when I was looking for ways to use up old bananas. I only really like bananas when they're almost unripe- green around the edges. I also found that the recipe was good for people who have celiac, IBS, or are on FODMAP for other medical reasons.

Francl27 wrote: »

I've tried the oatmeal and banana cookies... NOPE. lol.

I made them a few weeks ago. The BF and kids said they liked them but i wasn't thrilled. Now i question how much they really liked them because no one has asked me to make them again. Also, they didn't keep very long before they looked like a science experiment.

I am considering making an oatmeal banana leather in the dehydrator, like a fruit roll up. No "cookie" expectations might make it go over better.

I'm a baker and I've yet to find anything that significantly cuts calories and that tastes good. Some of the recipes that sub in mashed bananas or canned pumpkin aren't too bad, but I don't think the calories are all that much lower. Might as well have the real thing.

I have made muffins with applesauce and bananas and they were great and only 100 calories. I also did the smaller cookie thing for Christmas and that definitely helped me not over eat this year on christmas.

there used to be a website called "eat healthy america" i think it's been renamed though…I've found some good receipes on there.

Also - when ever I bake (which is a lot with 3 growing boys in the house!) I always half my flour with "Hamiltons" barley flour. It pumps up the fibre and makes the baking so moist and doesn't have the same dry whole wheat flavour.

I make many different "healthy" cookies. While they're not low in calorie, they are very nutritious and tasty. If you are interested in anything like that, I will be happy to share some recipes.

I haven't had much luck substituting stuff in baking. I love to bake, and for the most part when you try to healthi-fy it up TOO much, you just end up with something that really doesn't taste very good and is ultimately unsatisfying, not to mention not worth the time/ingredients you spent on it (or the calories that you're still consuming). I strongly agree that just decreasing your portion is the best way to go.

Just about the only slightly healthier recipe that's ever worked for me is that whole mix a can of fruit with a box of cake mix and make cupcakes deal. You're not saving too horribly much over traditional cupcakes, but it's a bit, and I actually really do enjoy the taste of some of the combos - favorites are a can of pumpkin with spice cake or yellow cake (I highly recommend a bit of pumpkin pie spice if you do plain yellow), or a can of crushed pineapple with a box of angel food cake mix.

I also love baking, but really the substitutions are not that great. I find that biscotti is one of the best things. there are recipes that do no add butter or oil. The only fat comes from eggs. They are best VERY crunchy, that way they are most satisfying. they also last a long time.

The only thing I've found that works out ok is one can of pumpkin and one brownie mix. Just mix the two and bake at the same temp and time as the mix calls for. Let them cool completely, and they turn out pretty good.

I have LOADS. I bake for my uni pals all the time and not one person has ever been able to tell it's 'not the real thing'. Nobody. Ever.

Low-cal banana bread:
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/flourless-banana-bread-muffins/

(recipe does it as muffins, but I make it in a loaf tin and slice up as you would regular banana bread. THE densest, moistest, and tastiest banana bread I've ever eaten)

Healthier carrot cake:
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/low-fat-moist-carrot-cake.html

<100 cal christmas cake:
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/recipes/low_fat/christmas/christmas_cake.htm

70ish cal mince pies (my boyfriend ate a dozen of these in one sitting because they were 'totally amazing'):
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/531462/slimming-world-s-mince-pies

100 cal muffins (I tend to make it into smaller 70cal cakes)
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/28862/100-calorie-basic-muffins.aspx

85cal oatcake
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/20708/easy-oat-cake.aspx

85cal banana-pb cookies
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/19121/peanut-butter-and-banana-cookies.aspx

45cal shortbread
http://www.bakingmad.com/calorie-concious-shortbread-biscuits-recipe/

<200 pumpkin spice loaf (dense - serving could easily be halved)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/view/67903059545469

Flourless choc chip muffins <200
http://www.runningwithspoons.com/2014/01/21/flourless-chocolate-chip-almond-butter-muffins/

200ish strawberry cheesecake
http://www.runningwithspoons.com/2014/06/17/no-bake-strawberry-cheesecake/

200ish lemon drizzle cake
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1973654/lighter-lemon-drizzle-cake


AND FINALLY

My own recipe for 120-150 (yes, really!) calorie triple-choc-fudge brownies

100g granulated sugar
50g granulated sweetener
110g cocoa powder
2 large eggs (whole)
75g light sunflower spread
60ml semi-skimmed milk
Approx 60ml water
125g plain flour
1tsp vanilla extract
10g each white, milk, and dark chocolate chips
20g fudge pieces (ASDA sell these in a little bag, but you can easily buy some fudge and crumble it yourself)

Extra chips/fudge pieces for sprinkling on top, if desired

Method
Pre-heat your oven to 175C (350F, Gas Mark 4)

Spray a square baking pan with light cooking spray, or line with baking paper

Mix together flour and cocoa powder in a bowl

In a separate bowl, cream the sugars and spread. Then add in the milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined

Add water in small amounts until mixture is of the right consistency

Stir through the chocolate chips and fudge.

Pour mixture into the pan (sprinkle more choc chips and fudge on top if desired), and bake for 20 mins. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Allow to cool slightly in the pan, before dividing into 16 squares and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Cals per +Brownie*: 120

*Without extra chips and fudge on top.