What Makes Applesauce A Great Oil Substitute In Baking
Whether your panty is short on supplies or you're simply trying to be more creative in the kitchen, finding substitutes while baking can be complicated. But it doesn't have to be. In fact, it can be as easy as applesauce. Yes, applesauce, can come in clutch for many baking projects. Besides applesauce being a perfect replacement for eggs in baked goods, it can also be used as a healthy oil substitute in your baking projects.
Applesauce makes a great oil substitute because it has the moisture required to bind dry ingredients together. Additional moisture helps to keep baked goods fresh for longer too. For substituting applesauce for oil, you can use a 1:1 ratio, so if your recipe calls for one cup of oil, you can use one cup of applesauce. For the best results, you will want to use unsweetened applesauce, as applesauce is already sweet, and you won't want to artificially increase your baked good's sweetness beyond what is called for. You'll also want to consider the water content, as this could impact the texture of whatever you are baking. In general, you will want to be mindful of what recipes you use applesauce in, as some baked goods don't stand up well with applesauce in place of oil.
When to skip the sauce
For the most part, applesauce can replace oil or melted butter in baked goods as the oil in these recipes the fat added to these baked goods isn't used for creaming or adding air bubbles to the mixture, which applesauce can't do. However, as you first start to experiment with applesauce in recipes, you might want to start off by only replacing a portion of your oil for applesauce. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, you could start by using ½ cup of oil and ½ cup of applesauce, and seeing how it impacts your food's taste and texture. This can also help to maintain your food's texture, as the oil helps to create a softer baked good, as fat inhibits the formation of gluten, preventing a tough outcome.
However, there are some recipes for which you simply can't use applesauce as a replacement for fats. If your recipe calls for room-temperature butter, for example, you will want to steer clear of applesauce, as these recipes often call for butter to be creamed, or whipped in with other ingredients to create tender and high-rising baked goods. These projects may fall flat if you use applesauce.
Even though applesauce isn't a one-size-fits-all oil and butter alternative in your baking endeavors, doesn't mean that it isn't a great swap in many recipes. It's certainly a great ingredient to experiment with in many of your baked goods.