Feeling Saucy? 
Applesauce is The New Butter
We're smack dab in the middle of the holidays, or as we like to call it, DESSERT-A-PALOOZA. Double chocolate frosted cake, macadamia nut cookies and gingerbread men are just a few of the naughty treats making their way around the dinner table this season. While this avalanche of dessert tastes great on the tongue, they tend to be loaded with fatty butter, oils and cream that's not so great for the heart or the figure.

Lucky for us, we can shed some calories and reduce the fat in our holiday dessert recipes with a healthier substitute for butter, oil or eggs - APPLESAUCE! A 1 cup serving of unsweetened applesauce contains about 100 calories and 2.7 grams of fiber, which can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels and make your desserts even tastier.

Easy to Make Applesauce Recipe: Keeps Fresh for About 10 Days
  • Gather up your remaining apples from Harvest Home's Farmer's Markets.
  • Peel, core and slice them into a pan.
  • Add about ¼  to ½ cup water - just enough so they don't stick.
  • Cook until soft enough to mash with a fork.
  • Mash them!
Use Your Applesauce to Cut The Calories . . . 
  • One egg = ¼ cup of applesauce
  • Oil or butter: Use the same amount of applesauce instead of the oil or butter (IE: 1/4 cup of applesauce = 1/4 cup of oil or butter).
. . . AND Up the Taste: Replace Either the Eggs OR The Butter and Oil
  • Cookies:
    • Crispy Cookies: Use applesauce in place of eggs or use applesauce to replace ½ the butter or oil.
    • Soft, Chewy Cookies: Use applesauce to replace the eggs or all the butter or oil.
  • Cakes and Muffins: Use applesauce to replace the eggs or the butter and oil. If replacing eggs add ¼ more baking powder to the recipe and bake a few more minutes. 
Now bake your way through the holidays. Your friends and family are sure to be impressed!

Applesauce Sugar Cookies
Recipe 

Cookie Ingredients: 
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
Frosting Ingredients:
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon low fat butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cookie Preparation:
  • Mix applesauce and sugar. 
  • Add egg white & vanilla.  
  • Mix well.  
  • Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
  • Gradually add to applesauce mixture. 
  • Spoon Tbsps of the mix onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 10 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Frosting Preparation:
  • Mix ingredients.
  • Use a spoon or knife to add desired amount to each cookie.

How to Substitute
Tips
  • You may add cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla extract to your applesauce for more flavor.
     
  • When substituting applesauce for eggs in baking, ¼ cup applesauce = 1 egg.
     
  • When substituting applesauce for oil or butter in baking, it's a 1:1 ratio. IE: 1 Tbsp applesauce = 1 Tbsp of oil/butter.
          
  • NOTE: Substituting applesauce for butter may change the consistency of your baked goods.
WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH?
Join our mailing list for healthy recipes and tips on how to prepare your meals!