How to Use Applesauce to Bake

Baked goods are often high in saturated fats and sugar. If you love to bake, you may have struggled to find healthy recipes that retain moisture and taste. A way to replace the fat in cookies and cakes is to substitute some or all of the fat with applesauce. Apple sauces are made with heart-healthy apples and they can also be low in sugar and high in fiber. Applesauce acts like the fat because it keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery texture. There are some guidelines to follow to ensure that the applesauce is incorporated properly, resulting in healthy and delicious baked goods. This article will tell you how to use applesauce to bake.

Ingredients

Unsweetened applesauce
Sugar or honey
Nutmeg or cinnamon

Steps

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1
Make your own applesauce, if possible. Making the applesauce will allow you to control the amount of sugar and preservatives, resulting in even healthier baking.^{[1]XResearch source}
- To make your applesauce, wash, core, and quarter 2 lb. (908 g) of apples. Put them in a large pot filled with water that is at least an inch (2.5 cm) deeper than the apples. Boil until the apples are soft. With a bit of cooking water or unsweetened apple juice, put them through a blender or food mill. Add 1 tsp. (2 g) of spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.
- For baking purposes, use unsweetened applesauce. Add up to 1/2 cup (96 g) of sugar or 1/3 cup (113 g) of honey to homemade applesauce, if you plan to eat it on its own.
- Reduce the amount of sugar you use in a recipe if you are using sweetened applesauce.
2
Review your recipe to see if it calls for oil or melted butter. Applesauce should be substituted for these ingredients, but not softened butter. The substitution works best for cakes, muffins and quick breads.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Substituting applesauce for oil or butter in cookies is not recommended. It can result in mushy cookies that do not hold their shape.
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For example, 1/2 cup (118 ml) of oil is equal to 1/2 cup (56.5 g) of applesauce.
4
Start substituting applesauce for a portion of the fat to get familiar with the effect of the oil. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup (118 ml) of oil, substitute 1/4 cup (28.3 g) of applesauce and also add 1/4 cup (59 ml) of oil. Taste the result and move toward replacing more oil with applesauce next time if it compliments the recipe.
- You do not need to substitute all of the oil to get a healthy effect. If your recipe turns out better with a little oil and a little applesauce, you can consider it a healthy substitution.
Measure applesauce the same way as oil, in a liquid measuring cup. This will provide a more accurate measurement than using a dry measuring cup.
This will ensure the applesauce is well mixed. The recipe will also turn out to be more moist, if the dry ingredients are mixed with the wet ingredients right before baking.
Low-fat recipes should not be over-baked as they can be extra dry.

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Question
Can I use regular applesauce instead of unsweetened?
Community Answer
Most likely, but it depends on the recipe. You might consider reducing the sugar in the recipe if you are using sweetened applesauce, however.
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How do I add applesauce to add moisture to a cake I usually make that always comes out a little dry?
Community Answer
Use the same amount of applesauce to substitute for oil in your recipe. You could also use half oil and half applesauce (for example, if recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup applesauce combined well). You should also check your cake 5 minutes before the end of baking time to make sure it doesn't overcook. If your cakes are always dry, your oven temp may be inaccurate. Check your oven temp with an oven thermometer for accuracy.
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Can I use applesauce as a substitute for Crisco?
Community Answer
You can substitute 1 cup of shortening with ½ cup of applesauce or prune puree. Keep in mind that this will ultimately alter the end texture and appearance of your product.
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Tips

If you are using an apple puree rather than applesauce, only use half of the amount of oil that the recipe calls for. For instance, if it calls for 1 cup (237 ml) of oil, use 1/2 cup (56.5 g) of apple puree.
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Warnings

Replacing oil with applesauce can cause a change in texture and taste. Do not expect the result to be exactly the same as the original recipe.
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