Baking alternatives....

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.

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

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 )

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.

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.

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.

new favorite - almond meal in place of flour