For anyone that loves baking, but is also passionate about nutritious foods- you may be constantly searching for the best healthy baking substitutes. It doesn’t have to be vegan, or gluten-free. Often, the gluten-free options contain just as much sugar, and are just as high in calories as traditional baking. The same can be said for vegan.
When you’re looking at healthy baking substitutes, there are four major ingredients that you need to consider:
White Flour
The first ingredient is white flour, which is particularly important for those with gluten allergies, or trying to control their glycemic load. Here are some excellent substitution tips!
Black Beans
When you’re making brownies, you can easily swap out a cup of flour for a cup of pureed black beans. You won’t taste the beans at all, and it adds an amazing fudge texture.
Almond Meal
The perfect ingredient for tart shells, berry cakes, and any recipe involving pastry. You get a rustic taste, packed with protein and naturally gluten-free. It’s an all-around win.
Whole Wheat Flour
Eat Right suggests that you can drop the white flour and use whole wheat flour instead. You should be aware that it will slightly change the density, flavor, and texture of pastry. When making muffins or cakes, though, it’s the perfect healthy substitute.
Gluten Free Flour
If you want to create your favorite recipes for your gluten free diet then use gluten free flour. You can make your own gluten free flour by mixing various gluten free options together; there are many recipes available online.
Dairy Alternatives
Dairy may be your next substitute- in most cases it’s probably butter. If you’re baking vegan, then the butter has to be substituted for a plant-based alternative.
Avocado
Avocado is an excellent butter replacement when you’re working with chocolate. The chocolate covers up the green coloring, and the avocado packs your baked goods with healthy nutrients. You’ll also find that your finished product is extra soft and moist.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil might just be the most versatile food product to ever grace our shelves- it’s a straight swap for butter and adds a delightful crunch to your baked goods, too.
Banana
Bananas can be used the same as avocado, however, they have a strong flavor. If you want to use banana as a butter substitute, then it should be in recipes where you want a banana flavor, such as muffins, or loaf cakes.
Sugar Alternatives
This is probably the big one- the one we’d all love to substitute, yet it’s the trickiest one. Sugar sweetens cookies and cakes, but it also works with starch to provide structure, and absorbs water to tenderize the baked goods.
Stevia
It’s much sweeter than cane sugar so it’s ideal to use in all your baking recipes and it measures equal to sugar. Alternatively, you can use substitute half of the sugar for stevia. Alternatively, you can combine stevia with maple syrup or honey.
Coconut Palm Sugar
This is the perfect alternative for brown sugar, it adds the caramel color and flavor to the finished baked product. It also has a hint of coconut flavor, so keep that in mind if you choose this to bake with.
Raw Honey
Natural honey is a great way to sweeten your baking. You can use just a bit less honey than you would sugar, and because it’s liquid, it adds lots of much moisture to your baked goods.
Egg Alternatives
The final substitute is eggs. This may be due to allergies, or a vegan lifestyle. Eggs have a definite purpose in the baking world. Eggs act to bind ingredients together, and add moisture. It’s important to understand what purpose eggs serve in the recipe. They’re necessary in cheesecakes and soufflés, but it’s easy to use vegan alternatives in cakes and cookies.
Chia Seeds
Chia is gelatinous, so it’s great at binding. Just add a tablespoon to 2-3 tablespoons of water for each egg you want to replace.
Flax Seeds
Flax seeds can be done just as chia seeds, once it’s mixed- add it to your mixture.
Egg Replacer
If your recipe has an emphasis on the egg, try a proper egg replacer. These mixes often use tapioca flour and potato starch and are usually gluten free.
