Using Apple Sauce Instead of Fat in Baked Goods

[Shel_B]

A friend told me that she's making brownies for an event tomorrow, and instead of fat (oil or butter) she's going to add apple sauce.

 

I've heard of doing this, but I've never tried it.  How well does it work?  Is there a noticeable difference in taste or texture.

 

It seems to me that the amount of fat supplied by oil or butter is pretty small in a batch of brownies.  Is it really worth it to make such a substitution (except, perhaps, there's a health reason to do so)?  Would it be a measure for measure substitution?

[liuzhou]

This has been discussed several times before. See here, here and here, for example..

[Lisa Shock]

Back in the day, vegans were using applesauce to replace eggs in baking because the pectin, when exposed to sugar acts like a binder. The brownies were not good, but vegans got used to them. Then, in the 90s fat-free craze, people started trying to sub applesauce for fat, too. It doesn't work well as a fat substitute, at least not in something like a brownie where people have expectations of what the word 'brownie' is supposed to mean. (a real brownie at room temperature gets much of its texture from cocoa butter and butter -oil doesn't help them either) You can't just substitute, you need a recipe formulated to work. HERE is such a recipe, it will make a brown colored baked-good, but read the comments carefully, it won't be a real brownie. " The taste and texture was off, and I wasn't inclined to want a second one" "disgusting" "rubbery"

 

I prefer brownie recipes that use real chocolate, where most of the fat is cocoa butter. They have a better, more chocolate-y flavor, and the texture people expect. Plus any added health benefits from the chocolate.

 

IMO, people should just eat the real thing rather than an imitation. If a totally healthy snack is called for, then make some decent granola bars or delicious bran muffins.

 

And, for many seniors, getting enough calories can be a challenge, making a real brownie a perfect occasional snack.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I enjoyed applesauce for dinner tonight with mace.  Organic apple sauce.  I like apple sauce.  The thought of substituting apple sauce for oil or fat makes me cringe.

 

Your mileage may vary.  But probably will not.

 

 

[JohnT]

3 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

IMO, people should just eat the real thing rather than an imitation. If a totally healthy snack is called for, then make some decent granola bars or delicious bran muffins.

I agree 100%. Brownies made by subbing fat with apple sauce are not worth the experimentation. IMO they are really, really, really bad! 

[ElainaA]

The only recipe I have done this with is for zucchini bread where, following a suggestion I found on line with the recipe (at GardenWeb's Harvest board) I replace half the oil with applesauce. In that case I think it improves the end result. But in brownies? No. I lived through the 70's in northern Vermont - it was the era of everything 'natural', 'back to the land' - and therefore 'healthy'. Some of the food was good but the baked goods were generally awful.