Substitutes for butter in bread

Substitutes for butter in bread

Healthy alternatives to butter in baking can be easily incorporated into recipes . It may be surprising to see beans, avocado, and apple juice as alternatives, but they work ! This guide presents 8 alternative butter options and how to use them .

Although Thanksgiving is behind us, the holiday season is still a long way from us, which means there’s still plenty of time to think about baking. These days, baking creativity is spreading for many reasons: health concerns, religious reasons, not having enough butter on hand, allergies and taste variations, to name a few.

Many home bakers may think that without butter, all is lost, but this is far from the truth. Depending on the type of recipe and your dietary restrictions, there are many healthy vegan and dairy alternatives that can be used in your favorite baking recipes.

Butter substitutes

When a recipe calls for butter, here are some popular healthy alternatives and things to know about each that can help achieve the creamy taste and texture you enjoy.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a dairy-based food powerhouse that’s excellent for eating as is, but adding even better to baking recipes. In 8 ounces of full-fat Greek yogurt, there are 20 grams of protein, 190 calories, and 9 grams of fat (6 grams saturated). There are even non-fat options so you only get a dose of protein. However, the whole milk version will provide the softest baked goods as there is still added fat. Works well for adding moisture and structure to quick breads and cakes.

When substituting :  For every 8 ounces (1 cup) of butter,  substitute  1/2 cup Greek yogurt.

nut butter

Nuts are small but powerful in that they naturally contain protein and fat. In 1 tablespoon (16 g) it contains 5 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat and 96 calories. Skip the hydrogenated fats loaded with sugar, look at the label for just peanuts and salt as ingredients. It works well in thicker products like cookies and bars. Nut butters typically have 50% fat compared to butters that have 80% fat, so they need to incorporate some extra fat. Nuts like peanuts, almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts will add their distinct flavor which is best for cookies, bars, brownies, brownies, and quick breads.

When substituting : A  1:1 substitute for butter   can be used  . Mix equal amounts of nut butter with the oil before adding it to the recipe. For example: 1/2 cup of nut butter with 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil blended together until smooth.

olive oil

Olive oil is a preferred fat to use due to its rich natural taste and healthy profile of unsaturated fats. Because of its delicious and sometimes spicy flavour, olive oil isn’t always the best choice for sweeter baked goods, so it’s best used in bread, some cakes and pot pie, or pie crusts and crackers. Choose a light olive oil for a more neutral taste or extra virgin olive oil for a stronger flavor.

When substituting :  For each cup of butter, ½ cup of the oil should be used.

black beans

Who would have thought that legumes can be used for baking, but it’s true! Adding bean puree to reduce fat in baked goods also provides fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. Any grain can be used, such as cannellini beans for yellow cake and black beans are great for chocolate brownies and brownies, but cannellini beans can be used for lighter-colored products such as yellow cakes. The beans must be blended first to make a smooth puree. If necessary, some water can be added, a tablespoon at a time to facilitate the curing process. You can also add some oil (1 to 4 tablespoons) such as melted coconut oil or vegetable oil to a 15.5-ounce can of beans and process them for a creamier fat alternative.

When substituting :  100% bean mash can be substituted for butter and will give a cake-like texture, which is good for cakes, muffins, and quick breads.

avocado

Avocado oil or avocado oil works well as a butter substitute, but I prefer using actual avocado oil. Use the same ratio you would with butter – mash it up first and find it provides a higher vitamin and fiber alternative to butter, with heart-healthy benefits as well. One avocado tends to yield half a cup. With avocado oil packed full of omega-3 acids and vitamin E, you need to be extra careful of your liquid-to-solid ratio. In general, half a cup to one cup of butter seems to work well. The neutral flavor and creamy texture of avocado works well with darker-colored cakes, quick bread, brownies, and cookies.

When substituting :  I use the same amount of avocado compared to the amount of butter called for in the recipe. With avocado oil, I use 14 cups to equal 1 cup of butter.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a popular choice, mainly because it cools as a solid and turns into a liquid when warm, as does butter and will help maintain the thickness and viscosity of the recipe. Something to note with coconut oil is the taste. In small amounts, there isn’t much difference (if any), but in recipes that call for a lot of butter, large amounts of coconut oil may alter the taste. Choosing refined coconut oil will result in a product with a more neutral taste compared to unrefined products.

When substituting :  In general, I use the same amount of oil compared to the amount of butter called for in any recipe.

Apple juice

Not only does apple juice replace butter in recipes, but it also adds extra natural sweetness if you’re looking to cut back on added refined sugar. Cooked and mashed apples add structure and moisture to baked goods, as well as extra fiber that helps trap and keep water in the baked product. Choose the unsweetened version to keep your calorie load to a minimum.

When substituting :   You can substitute 100% of the butter for applesauce, but using some of the fat from the yogurt, nut butter, or substitute oil can help muffins, muffins, and quick breads taste too dry.

pumpkin puree

It couldn’t be a more perfect match than using pumpkin puree to replace butter, especially for seasonal fall and winter baking recipes. Each serving will have more fiber and nutrients like beta-carotene, potassium and vitamin K in every slice of muffin, quick bread or coffee cake.

When substituting :  Pumpkin puree can replace 100 percent butter, as well as any oil, adding its orange color, sweet, earthy, and creamy flavor to the baked good.

The role of butter in baking

Of course I love cooking with butter. Its high fat content (about 80%, the rest is mainly water and milk solids) makes it an almost unparalleled darling of baked goods – for thick, flaky and spongy cookies, cakes, pastries, and more. In general, some things are really best with butter, such as pie crusts, shortbread cookies, and pastries, where butter is the main ingredients, which means the fat content can be critical to the success of a recipe.

In general, butter is a leavening agent. When the sugar combines with the butter (and its fat), the granules permeate and aerate the fat, giving baked goods texture and flavor. However, as an animal fat, it is also high in calories, cholesterol, saturated fat (7 grams per tablespoon) and is a dairy product, so it may need to be avoided for people with certain diets or health concerns such as lactose intolerance or Milk allergy. .