Healthy Baking Tips and Low-Fat Substitutions

Low Fat Tips

• Cutting servings into smaller portions is sometimes all that’s necessary to lower fat consumption. (Check the Nutrition Guidelines included with each recipe for the fat amount in each serving.)
• Search BettyCrocker.com for “lighter recipe” and “low fat”—you’ll find an archive of recipes lightened for conscientious bakers and cooks.
• Use nuts in reduced amounts. When baking a cake, sprinkle nuts on top of the batter instead of stirring them in. The nuts toast as they bake, releasing more flavor—and there's no need for frosting!
• Try Betty Crocker® 1-Step White Angel Food Cake mix—angel food cake is fat-free. Add fresh sliced strawberries for the finish.

Low Fat Substitutes

• Applesauce and plain yogurt are good fat substitutes in most recipes. For maximum texture and flavor, replace no more than half the amount of the fat listed in the recipe. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce, saving 44 grams of fat and 400 calories (the fat and calories in 1/4 cup margarine)
• Mashed ripe bananas work well as fat substitutes in carrot or banana cake or muffins.
• Purchased fruit puree mixtures, usually prune—based, also are good and work especially well in chocolate, spice and carrot cakes. Follow the label directions.
• Baby food in similar fruit flavors can be good as fat substitutes, too.
• Replace 1 whole egg in a recipe with ¼ cup fat-free, cholesterol-free egg product substitutes (such as ConAgra’s Egg Beaters®) or 2 egg whites—you'll save more than 10 grams of fat and 100 calories.