Baking is such a great hobby to have, isn’t
it? It can be relaxing and calming and, most importantly, result in
some delicious baked goodies to warm our soul. However, as much as we
all love those, they are usually not the healthiest choice. After all
cakes, pies, cookies, and muffins are loaded with sweets, fats, oil,
sugar, and other processed ingredients.
Thankfully though, there are ways in which
you can continue enjoying baking as part of a balanced diet. Here, we
have offered some tips that will help reduce the fat and sugar content
in your baked goods to make them more nutritious. The great thing about
these hacks is that they won’t alter the taste of your favorite baked
items at all. Check out these easy tips for healthier baking and
incorporate them into your cooking regimen today.
1. Opt for healthier flour options like whole-grain or oat flour
Instead of going for white flour, try using
whole grain flour. It will increase the fiber content of your baking
goods substantially and will make them much more filling. Whole wheat
flour, too, is a good alternative as it packs in more fiber than
all-purpose flour.
If these aren’t viable or don’t suit your taste, you can try gluten-free
choices like almond and oat flour. Oat flour, in particular, is
terrific for adding sweetness to cookies, muffins, and crusts. However,
bear in mind that they can hamper the texture of your baked goods if
used improperly and make them a bit crumbly or chewy.
Tip: Oat flour is significantly lighter than all-purpose and whole wheat
flour. 1 1/4 cup oats will yield approximately 1 cup flour. To help
your bread rise, add some more yeast.
2. Cut down the sugar considerably
One of the best ways to reduce the calorie
content in your baked goods is to cut down on the sugar considerably.
Ideally, reducing the amount of sugar that the recipes generally require
by one-fourth would be good. You might feel that cutting down sugar by
such a drastic quantity would change the taste of the final product. It
might take some getting used to, but after a couple of times, you won't
notice much of a difference anymore. Most importantly, it will be so
much better for your health.
3. Use flax seeds as a substitute for eggs
Most of us can’t imagine baking without
eggs as they help baked goods rise and become light and fluffy. However,
if you want to cut cholesterol or fat, then substituting eggs with
options like chia seeds or flaxseeds would be a good idea. Flax-seeds
contain a good amount of fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, and
when mixed with water, they make for a great egg alternative. For best
results, just mix one tablespoon of ground flax-seed with three
tablespoons of water for each egg.
4. Use peanut butter powder
Peanut butter is a yummy addition to many
kinds of cookies, bars, cakes, and muffins. However, if you want the
deliciousness of peanut butter minus plenty of fats, then peanut butter
powder will be an excellent replacement. It’s made by pressing out most
of the natural oils from roasted peanuts and then grinding them into a
fine powder. The resulting powder contains 85% fewer calories from fat
but is just as flavorful as peanut butter. Use peanut butter powder for
1/3 of the flour for best results.
5. Try some healthful substitutes for butter and oil
If you’re looking to reduce the amount of
butter or oil in a baked recipe, then you have many healthful choices.
For starters, coconut oil is a suitable butter substitute in baking. You
can use it as a 1:1 replacement for butter: if a recipe calls for ½ cup
butter, use ½ cup coconut oil instead. It may change the flavor
slightly but works excellently for recipes that require rich chocolate
flavors. Coconut oil would also be ideal for creating a flakier crust in
pie crusts.
Applesauce is another wonderful option that can be used as a substitute
for both butter and oil in baking. It works really well for cake-like
recipes while cutting the calories and increasing the nutritional
content. Just replace half the amount of butter with applesauce and
you'll be good.
Pumpkin purée can replace butter in most recipes and will be very
healthy in baking as it's loaded with vitamin A and other nutrients.
However, pumpkin purée can be quite watery so just use 3/4 of the amount
you use for butter.
Lastly, you can use thick and creamy Greek yogurt instead of oil in your
baking recipes. It is full of proteins and has less sugar than regular
yogurt. Keep in mind, however, that nonfat yogurt may result in a
crumbly and dry product. So, try and go for full-fat yogurt to help keep
your baked goods moist.
6. Add spices without all the extra calories
Adding warm spices such as cinnamon,
nutmeg, or ginger to your baked goods can really perk up their flavor.
The best thing about these spices is that you won’t then need to rely on
added sugar or oil. In fact, with the use of spices, you can cut the
sugar your baked recipe needs by almost half. Cinnamon works perfectly
for pancakes while nutmeg is great for muffins. Cocoa powder, meanwhile,
can be added to cookie dough.
To make the best use of the spices in your baked goods, just double up
their amount that's generally used. You can even get creative by adding
allspice or almond extracts to boost the sweetness without the need of
adding any sugar.
7. Keep an eye on portion control. Try traybake options.
Controlling your portion size is also an
important step in making baking a part of a balanced diet. How many of
us can resist the temptation of having that one extra cookie or another
slice of our favorite cake? What you can do to control this is to make
‘mini’ versions of the baked items so that even if you gobble up two or
three, you won’t be taking in too much fat or calorie per portion.
Another useful tip is to go for tray-bake options as they can easily be
cut into small squares. For those who may not know, tray-bake is a type
of cake (or similar sweet food) that is baked in a tray, cut into small
squares, and served as a biscuit, bar, or cake. Some of the healthiest tray-bake cake recipes are carrot cake, gluten-free banana flapjack,
low-fat peanut butter bar, and chia seeds bar.
8. Use cacao nibs
Cacao nibs are small pieces of crushed
cacao beans that have been fermented, dried, and usually roasted. They
have a bitter, chocolatey flavor and are loaded with an impressive
amount of nutrients, antioxidants, and powerful plant compounds.
Nutritionists say that cocoa nibs pack way more nutritional benefits
than cocoa. These little delights can be used in baked goods like
muffins and pancakes as cacao nibs are a common dairy-free substitute
for chocolate chips.
What’s great is that cocoa nibs are already chipped and hence will add
that extra crunch to your baked goodies. Moreover, they will also
suppress your sugar cravings without having to add any extra sugar.