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In the Fall 2018 issue of Sift Magazine, we look at ways to lower the fat in some of our favorite baked goods without giving up one bit of flavor. We put several household staples to work: low-fat dairy, applesauce, apple butter, and pumpkin. The results? Moist, delicious, better-for-you versions of the treats you love.
Butter and oil are a big part of the architecture that makes cakes and muffins so flavorful. They also prevent them from getting stale, keeping baked goods soft and giving them a delicate crumb. But there are other ingredients to reach for that make recipes flavorful and full-bodied, without relying so much on fat.
All of these riffs call for ingredients you probably have on hand. Once you taste them, they'll become a regular part of your rotation. These simple swaps help you reimagine how you can approach traditional baked goods: less butter, but better!
Cake for breakfast makes perfect sense when yogurt steps in as the dairy component. This lower-fat alternative takes the place of butter in our Yogurt Cranberry Coffeecake (pictured above) and balances the sweetness in the batter. With a tender crumb, spiced streusel, and tangy cranberries, this coffeecake is a delight with every bite.
Combining oats and yogurt isn't new at the breakfast table, but when you turn them into pancakes you get a light, tender, and delicious short stack. Drizzle a bit of honey on our Oat and Yogurt Pancakes and top with fruit.
The recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt, but you can swap in Greek yogurt. Just whisk together 3/4 cup Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup milk.
More interested in pancakes for dinner? Top these pancakes with a savory salad or serve them next to stew.
Most of us know the basics of brownies by heart: Cocoa, sugar, eggs, a little bit of flour, and butter. A lot of butter. Get ready for an amazing changeup. Meet our Better (for you) Brownies.
Fruit — in this case, apples — is a brilliant substitute for fat, adding both moisture and a subtle sweetness. Draining the liquid from applesauce (we use a strainer lined with a coffee filter) before adding it to this batter creates a dense, moist, VERY chocolatey brownie. You'll be amazed.
Applesauce's more-concentrated cousin, apple butter, is another key to baking with less fat. These Apple Cinnamon Bars are a lower-fat, make-more-often spin on apple cake. Apple butter is the key to their flavor and texture, which is nicely spiced and luscious.
Pumpkin purée is an unexpected star in bran muffins, a recipe that often relies on a hefty pour of vegetable oil for its signature moist crumb. Pumpkin is 85% moisture, tastes great with a hint of spice and sweetness, and replaces a lot of the fat in a typical bran muffin recipe. Pumpkin Bran Muffins have a bit of spice, are studded with dried fruit, and make for a great on-the-go snack.
Baking and cooking with less fat can be easier than you thought. Because you probably have most of these champion ingredients handy, we think you should give these recipes a try.
Do you have any other favorite ideas for cutting the fat in your recipes, while keeping great flavor? Let us know in the comments below; we'll have our forks ready!
June 5, 2022 at 12:48pm
If I use my own milled white wheat flour, should I use the sane amount? And should it be milled very fine? I have a WonderMill mill, I have the settings Pastry, Bread and Coarse… and I can set it in between two setting. Thank you so much!
June 5, 2022 at 3:38pm
In reply to If I use my own milled white… by Danielle Durand (not verified)
Hi Danielle, milling your own flour does introduce some variables into the baking process that may require minor recipe adjustments. I would aim to mill your flour as finely as possible, but you may still notice that your flour absorbs liquid a bit differently than commercially milled flour. This can be related to the protein percentage of the type of wheat you used, as well as how coarsely the flour is ground. For this reason you may need to tweak the hydration of the recipe slightly, but using freshly milled flour is worth it! Check out this blog post on milling your own flour for more information.
November 9, 2018 at 12:34pm
November 6, 2018 at 4:33pm
November 7, 2018 at 12:22pm
In reply to For the "Better (for you) Brownies" do I measure the applesauce… by Michele Potts (not verified)
October 29, 2018 at 9:14am
October 28, 2018 at 11:37pm
October 30, 2018 at 3:36pm
In reply to In case others are not seeing the mentioned photos in KAF blogs… by Pua (not verified)
October 28, 2018 at 1:03pm
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In reply to Have you got a way to make a flaky pie crust without butter (or… by Kathleen (not verified)
Pagination