Baking alternatives....

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randa_behnam
randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
in Food and Nutrition
can anyone give me some tips when it comes to substituting the bad ingredients for better versions when it comes to baking...

like if i want to bake muffins, i know i can swap flour for oats but can i swap sugar for honey? will it still taste nice?

Also is there a butter substitute that i can use? im just trying to mix my breakfast up a bit as im getting a bit bored of having oatmeal made into porridge every single day and wanted to bake with it instead.

Thanks :o)

Replies

  • neimanmarxist
    neimanmarxist Posts: 1 Member
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    I know that you can use applesauce in place of oil in a lot of baking recipes. I know that splenda is an obvious replacement for sugar, but it makes whatever I'm baking taste a little "off", so I usually do a mix of splenda and sugar.
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
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    skinnytaste.com has GREAT recipes! :)
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
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    I've used honey instead of sugar before and i like it...as well as the above poster I always use applesauce in place of oil
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Honey is just as loaded in sugars as sugar so don't bother.

    I used to be a "sub" baker. Subbing applesauce for oil, splenda for sugar, egg replacers for eggs, etc. Believe me, it's not worth it! Bake the real thing and eat less of it, much more satisfying! Try to go for recipes that are already healthier by themselves but use real baking ingredients: pancakes, muffins, clafoutis...
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    can anyone give me some tips when it comes to substituting the bad ingredients for better versions when it comes to baking...

    like if i want to bake muffins, i know i can swap flour for oats but can i swap sugar for honey? will it still taste nice?

    Also is there a butter substitute that i can use? im just trying to mix my breakfast up a bit as im getting a bit bored of having oatmeal made into porridge every single day and wanted to bake with it instead.

    Thanks :o)

    You can replace half of the fat (butter, shortening, oil etc) with apple sauce. Apple sauce also adds some sweetness so you can lower the sugar by a couple of tablespoons as well.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    There are no BAD ingredients in baking, but yes there are some alternatives. Use half-sugar/half-splenda to cut down sugar, some sponges can be baked without fat, but usually don't taste as nice. Honey is can be substituted for syrup, but probably mimimal calorie gain. You can also grate carrots and have a carrot-cake rather than a flour-based cake.

    If you like muffins, just bake mini-muffins and have one mini-muffin instead of a large one. That's a heck of a lot easier and you still get to enjoy the muffin you like rather than trying to figure out how to bake it with GOOD ingredients.
  • scircle
    scircle Posts: 16 Member
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    Try these oatmeal cookies. If you make a batch of 24 they are 99 cals each.

    2 Tbs. flaxseed meal
    1 cup oat flour
    1 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. baking soda
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
    2 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened
    1/2 cup light brown sugar
    1/4 cup sugar
    1/4 cup applesauce or prune purée
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

    1. Stir together flaxseed meal and 3 Tbs. water in small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside.

    2. Beat margarine, brown sugar, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add flaxseed mixture, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in oat flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon. Add oats and raisins, and stir to combine. Cover, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

    3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Roll cookie dough into golf ball–sized rounds, and place dough balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies look dry on top and are just beginning to brown.
  • nickinackynoo
    nickinackynoo Posts: 23
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    i found a lush website the other day - full of loads of lush ideas & low cal options:

    www.bakingmad.com
  • cj411
    cj411 Posts: 6
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    You can use Logicol, which has about 1/4 of the calories of normal margarine or butter, and tastes ok. Applesauce is good but doesn't work for everything (e.g. cookies). I find that honey has a better taste than sugar, but is just about as calorie dense, so mixing splenda or equal with honey is a good alternative too.

    Be careful with oats, as they are pretty energy dense. Try putting a bit of chia or psyllium husk in for fibre (not too much!) which can really fill you up.
  • inprogress8191
    inprogress8191 Posts: 2
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    With most recipes you can replace sugar with honey but you have to watch out on some things. Honey is partly made of water so you might have to cut back on a water type liquid in the recipe to get it right (like water or milk.) I wouldn't try to do this with lets say angel food cake but I think most times you just have to bake it a little longer and it should be fine.
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
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    Thanks for the tips guys. i went and had a look on the splenda sight just now and they have recipies including this one for muffins which seem quite good at 129cals each

    http://www.splenda.co.uk/recipes/care-for-a-cuppa/blueberry-muffins
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
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    i found a lush website the other day - full of loads of lush ideas & low cal options:

    www.bakingmad.com

    What a great site!! thanks x
  • msallymae
    msallymae Posts: 112 Member
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    new favorite - almond meal in place of flour
  • luv2run
    luv2run Posts: 54 Member
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    Applesauce or yogurt can replace butter, and honey is better than sugar because its not refined and you can use less, you could also try agave nectar as you would use less and its a better sugar, I use organic evaporated cane juice instead of refined sugar, I also use whole wheat pastry flour in my baked goods with great results, It takes a little bit of work and adjusting of recipes to get the right results when replacing ingredients, Some recipes I have given up on trying to make them completely healthy like chocolate chip cookies, lets face it junk is junk, but, I still use the non- refined sugar and whole wheat pastry flour makes me feel better about it even if it is junk food, :smile:

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