3 healthier ways to bake without butter

Butter is a much-loved ingredient and is a highlight in many baking recipes. But too much of it can cause a problem.

Baking has been a real pleasure for many people, making it a self-care activity to relieve stress.

But, health experts reveal that there are many reasons why you might want to replace butter with healthier ingredients.

They reveal that the fat found in butter is mostly saturated, the kind that raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, a contributing factor in heart disease.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, up to 80 percent of heart disease and stroke can be prevented by simply living a healthy lifestyle and that includes healthy eating.

That eating well and making good nutritional choices is one of the best weapons you have in the fight against heart disease, as well as many other chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.

Luckily, there are plenty of ingredients that can easily stand-in for butter in your favourite recipes.

So, when a recipe calls for butter, here are some common healthier substitutes and things to know about each that can help achieve the creamy taste and texture you enjoy shared by culinary artist Jessica Gavin.

1. Greek yoghurt
Greek yoghurt is a dairy-based nutritional powerhouse that is excellent eating as is, yet even better adding to baking recipes. There are even non-fat options so that you only get a dose of protein. However, the whole milk version will give the softest baked goods since there is still fat being added. It works well to add moisture and structure for quick bread and cakes.

2. Olive oil
Olive oil is a favourite fat to use because of its naturally rich taste and healthy unsaturated fat profile. Due to its savoury and sometimes spicy flavour, olive oil isn’t always the best option for sweeter baked goods, so it’s best used in bread, certain muffins, pot pie, or meat pie crusts and biscuits. Choose a light olive oil for a more neutral taste or extra-virgin olive oil for a more robust flavour.

3. Applesauce
Applesauce not only replaces butter in recipes, but it also adds additional natural sweetness if you’re looking to cut down the added refined sugar. The cooked and pureed apples add structure and moisture to baked goods, plus extra fiber that helps bind water, keeping it in the baked product. Choose the unsweetened version to keep the calorie load at a minimum.