If you are on a diet or just eating healthy, it should not restrict you from indulging in the guilty pleasures of life like the oh-so-yummy ice cream, cakes, or cupcakes. They are so good to look at that you just want to eat them up. However, because of the health freaks that some people are, they always have to struggle with taking that sweet bite. If you are one of them, fret not, because there are healthy baking substitutes easily available. Below are a list items and its substitutes which can be used in baking and so you can finally put the fear of “adding extra pounds to your waist” to rest.

Healthy Baking Substitutes

Healthy Baking Substitutes for Eggs

If you didn’t know, the yolks are packed with cholesterol which are harmful for people with heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. What you also didn’t know is that egg whites have almost all the proteins available in the yolks. Skip the yolks and use only the whites instead to your batter for the much needed moisture and structure of the product. Better yet, there are egg substitutes also available in the market which one can easily purchase.

Healthy Baking Substitutes for Sugar

Sugar is probably one of the biggest evils for people who are die hard foodie. Since baking requires a good amount of sugar, it is always better to opt for healthier substitutes. You can reduce the sugar content up to half by adding ingredients like applesauce, vanilla, powdered milk, rice syrup, etc. However, it is very important to know how much you need to add to the sugar. For example, if you are using powdered milk, substitute ¼ of the granulated sugar as per the instruction in the recipe.

Healthy Baking Substitutes for Flour

The type of flour is classified by the way it’s processed and each of them has varying protein content. Eggs and flour are the main contributors for structure, so they’re always needed. However, it’s important to know which type of flour is to be used for particular baking products. For example, whole-wheat pastry flour is the preferred substitute for making cakes and muffins as it’s less dense and works well in softer products.

Healthy Baking Substitutes for Butter

As much as it melts quickly on a hot pan, the rich and savory taste of butter melts quicker in your mouth. Some people cannot imagine life without cheese, some without butter. Whatever it is, butter is very much needed in baking products so it cannot be ignored. As we all know, butter is very high in cholesterol and saturated fat, and the least you use it the healthier. Therefore, mashed bananas are the best alternative for butter. The best part is that you can completely replace butter with mashed bananas for baking, but make sure that your product does not overcook because bananas reduces cooking time to 25%.

Healthy Baking Substitutes for Cream

Cakes with frosting not only look more pleasing to your eyes, but your stomach as well. Unfortunately again, they are high in fat and calories. Therefore, the best alternative is to use evaporated milk, which is also perfect for making whipped cream.

With all these healthier substitutes for baking, do not refrain from bringing out those baking pots and pans to bake yourself some scrumptious cakes or cookies.

For ice cream, you can always substitute milk or cream for almond milk like in this recipe for Vegan Banana Ice Cream.

This post has been contributed by James Peters, who is an employee at Smiley Cakes, which specializes in birthday cupcakes. He enjoys his job and likes coming up with ideas for the design of the cupcakes.