Healthy Fall Baking Swaps

Fall Baking Swap Guide – Healthy Alternatives!

 

Do you love to bake or have a major sweet tooth? Here are some ways you can keep the baking addiction without breaking your healthy lifestyle habits. There are tons of swaps you can make in recipes to reduce the fat and sugar content or to make the recipe fit a specific lifestyle like veganism or refined sugar-free!

 

Let’s get started. If you’re looking for a particular ingredient, find what you’re trying to replace, and I’ll give you a list of options for what you can use instead! While these might not keep the exact integrity of your baked good, it’ll be pretty darn close.

 

FLOUR

 

There are tons of different flours you can use instead of regular all-purpose flour. 

• Nut flours like coconut, almond, peanut, and walnut flours can all be used interchangeably. Nut flours can be great swaps to lower the number of carbs in baked goods. These are great gluten-free options if you are celiac or have a gluten sensitivity. When using a nut flour, swap with a 1-to-1 ratio. 
• The same goes for oat flour – 1-to-1 ratio! 
• For whole wheat flour, swap 1 cup of all-purpose flour for ⅞ cup of whole wheat (just a bit under because whole wheat flour is more substantial than all-purpose!)
• Another fun swap is black beans! You heard me correctly. Pureed black beans can be used as flour in an exact 1-to-1 ratio swap.

 

SUGAR

 

• A lot of recipes can get by with a reduction in granulated sugar. Simply use less sugar than on the recipe, scant about 25%.
• Other substitutes, like honey, agave, and maple syrup are still sugar…so while they can be an alternative, just remember that they act like sugar in your body!

 

OIL OR BUTTER

 

• Applesauce is a great way to replace butter or vegetable oil in a baked good. Use these two in a 1-to-1 ratio, use the same volume amount of applesauce as you would melted butter!

• Pureed sweet potato, pumpkin, or squash are other alternatives for butter and oil. If you are using these to swap for oil, use ¾ cup puree for 1 cup of oil. For butter, use ½ cup puree for 1 cup of butter. 
• You can even use avocado to replace butter – the same ratio as the other purees!

 

EGGS

 

If you’re vegan or have an egg allergy or sensitivity, there are a few ways you can replace eggs in baked goods. 

• Ground flaxseed and water can make a “flax egg” – 1 tablespoon of ground flax and 2.5 tablespoons of water. This mixture will be equivalent to 1 egg. 
• You can also use chia seeds to make a “chia egg.” Mix one tablespoon of chia seeds with three tablespoons of water and let it sit for 15 minutes to thicken. 

 

SOUR CREAM

 

Unsweetened plain Greek yogurt is the perfect swap for sour cream in any dish – even on nachos or baked potatoes! Greek yogurt is high in protein and is lower in fat than sour cream. 

• It’s not a 1-to-1 ratio, so trying mixing half and half and play with the ratio until you are satisfied. 
• In baked goods, using it as a direct 1-to-1 is usually fine because the unsweetened taste is covered by the other ingredients!

 

PEANUT BUTTER

Have you ever heard of powdered peanut butter? The most common brand is PB2 (which you can find at any big grocery store). The powder itself is great to add to smoothies or in baked goods for more flavor!

• Powdered peanut butter is a great way to get the same peanutty taste without the usual amount of fat and calories. To make peanut butter, mix it with a bit of water to achieve your desired consistency. 

 

MILK 

 

• Instead of using whole-fat milk, try to use reduced-fat or skim milk. While using a higher fat percentage will help you feel more satiated, it’s hardly noticeable in baked goods. 
• Using dairy-free milk can be great alternatives too! We prefer nut or seed milks since they have least effect on your blood sugar! Use these in a 1-to-1 swap. We recommend to limit oat, rice, quinoa milk. 

 

We hope this was a handy guide! Happy Baking : ) 

 

For some of our recipes, click here!