No Butter, No Problem!

Beat the healthy baking blues with these four unlikely but delicious healthy butter substitutes for baking

A blog post by Cat Moore

When trying to be conscious about the quantity AND quality of the foods you are eating, baking can be somewhat tricky. Usually the yummiest recipes involve tons of butter, which can spike the fat content of our favorite snacks. Additionally, butter is high in saturated fat, which has negative effects on our health. However- there are several butter alternatives that can be used in baking that are just as good, and are packed with vitamins and nutrients! Here are a couple of my favorites….

Unsweetened Applesauce

Applesauce is a great way to get your daily dose of fiber. In addition it is packed with vitamin C.   **Be sure to get unsweetened applesauce to avoid added sugar**

Substitute: Sub half the amount of applesauce per the amount of butter called for.

Avocado

Yes, avocados are high in fat. However, avocados are jammed packed with so many healthy vitamins and minerals. Avocados are also rich in omega- 3 fatty acids, which crucial for heart health. In addition, avocados are also high in fiber.

            Substitute: Sub equal amounts pureed avocado per amount of butter called for.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is not only for Thanksgiving, people! Pumpkin is by far my favorite substitute to use in baking. Pumpkin is rich in fiber, Vitamin C, and potassium.

Substitute: For every cup of butter called for, substitute ¾ cup pumpkin puree. *Note: You can also use pumpkin to substitute for oil. Substitute equal parts pumpkin for the amount of oil called for.

Nonfat Greek Yogurt:

This may be one of the most common healthy baking substitutions out there. Greek yogurt is packed with protein, as well as vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, B6, and B12.

Substitute: Sub half the amount of Greek yogurt per the amount of butter called for.

There you have it! Some of my favorite healthy alternatives for baking. Now you can go out and crush that sweet tooth without crushing your diet!