Baking usually involves some combination of flour, sugar, and fat. Knowing how to make healthier substitutions for these three basic components can help you enjoy these treats (in reasonable portions) without sabotaging your health goals. When I bake at home, I want my cookies, cakes and pies to follow my guiding food principles, so I’ve played around over the years to find healthier substitutions for these basic ingredients.
Remember you may need to test and retest a few times to get the flavor and texture just right, but you may also find that these subs give your final product more flavor depth and interest.
Try This: Pick one recipe this week and try out some of these healthier baking substitutions. Allow yourself time to retest, if needed.
For a printable version of the Baking Substitutions Cheat Sheet, click on the button below
For all the subs, I recommend choosing high-quality organic products.
When testing subs, especially those for flours, you may find you need to add a bit more moisture for some recipes.
Refined White Flour Substitution Information:
When subbing flours in recipes, I usually do 1 for 1 as far as amount and typically use a blend of two or more flour substitutes rather than 1 to get the desired result.
Whole wheat pastry flour- I include this in breads and crusts. It is finer and softer than some of the other substitutes.
Oat flour- I use this when I want a fudgy texture. It’s great in brownies! I will often include this in a blend with spelt flour.
Buckwheat flour- I love this for the nutty flavor it imparts, plus it has lots of micronutrients, has lower impact on blood-sugar and it’s gluten-free. I use this in pancakes and waffles and often include it in my flour blends.
Nut meals/flours- These give so much delicious flavor and texture. They can be a bit crumbly, so I typically use them in combo with some of the others above. I use them in muffins, cookies, and waffles. They are particularly delicious in shortbread when combined with other flours.
Fat (butter/lard) Substitution Information:
I don’t usually completely eliminate butter. You don’t need much to impart delicious flavor, and I don’t believe small reasonable amounts are what is contributing to poor health. I usually sub out ¾ to ½ the butter.
Note: there hasn’t been a clear consensus yet on whether ghee or coconut oil are healthier than butter. I use them, like butter, in small reasonable amounts when they best fit the need.
Ghee – since this is just a type of clarified butter, I do sometimes replace the regular butter with ghee. Ghee can be beneficial to those who are sensitive to lactose as much of it is removed in the clarifying process. It also has a higher smoke point than butter.
Coconut oil – melts well, and a small amount helps chocolate flow smoothly. Some health experts believe that it may be healthier for you than butter or lard due to its medium-chain fatty-acids; however at this point I don’t believe the scientific evidence is there. More research on coconut oil is needed.
Extra virgin olive oil – You need less olive oil than you would butter or lard. For the amount you want to sub, reduce the amount to ¾. So, if you want to sub 1 cup butter for olive oil, you’d need ¾ Cup olive oil. Olive oil has a stronger flavor that I actually love in a lot of baked goods, particularly cakes.
Avocado oil – same as for olive oil but has a milder flavor profile
Mashed avocado– I use this 1:1 for part of the butter amount, but usually don’t sub out the total amount. Typically, I find I can sub in ½ the amount of butter for mashed avocado and get great flavor and texture. It also provides fiber. Avocado can add moisture and richness to a recipe. I often use it when making substitutions in recipes with a chocolate base.
Want dessert recipes that use the principles in this Cheat Sheet?
