Home baked goods are something to enjoy, and if you are having them often or baking for the kids then adding extra nutrition is the best way to balance it out. Sometimes healthier alternatives will change the flavour/texture but it’s important to experiment to find what works in some of your favourites!
Butter
- Start with swapping for half the amount with half apple puree in most baked goods.
- For cakes or breads, greek yoghurt or olive oil are great swaps.
- 1 cup mashed banana or avocado – brownies, cakes, cookies
- or try 3/4 cup prunes soaked in 1/4 cup boiling water then pureed
Flour
- replace 1 cup plain flour for 1 cup wholemeal flour in any recipe – or just start with replacing half!
- Use a blend of high fibre flours like rolled oats/oat flour, almond meal or other nut flours
- Pureed black beans to replace flour in brownies and breads
Sugar
- you can easily reduce sugar by 25-50% without adjusting anything else in the recipe
- replace equal amounts with unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana (1 banana usually gives you 1/2 cup)
- use 3/4 cup honey or maple syrup instead of 1 cup sugar – but reduce the liquid by 2-3 TBS
Eggs
- in cakes and brownies – replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup mashed banana, pumpkin or apple puree
- in cookies and brownies – replace with 1/4 cup yoghurt or buttermilk
- use 2 egg whites to make it slightly lighter
- make a flax, chia or psyllium egg – best for binding!
