Q. I've heard you can substitute apple sauce in recipes, rather than using butter…is that true?

A.Yes, apple sauce may easily be substituted for butter, oil, or shortening in most recipes. It can be used as a healthier and lower-fat ingredient in a wide range of baked items. Fats and oils contain about 9 calories per gram, so a ½ cup of fat or oil contains approximately 1,000 calories, while a ½ cup of Tree Top unsweetened apple sauce contains just 80 calories.

Start by substituting apple sauce for a small portion of the oil/or fat (one third to one half) when first attempting to use apple sauce in place of the oil/or fat ingredient in a recipe. If the results are pleasing, the amount of apple sauce can be increased to substitute for up to an equal amount of the oil/or fat called for in the original recipe.

• Measure apple sauce in a standard measuring cup designed for liquid ingredients.
• Add the apple sauce with the liquid ingredients.
• It may be necessary to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe if the apple sauce is sweetened.
• Products will tend to be moist.
• In some recipes it may be necessary to reduce the amount of water.
• Don't over-bake recipes. Low fat recipes get dry when over-baked.

The texture of the new baked product won't be exactly the same with apple sauce substitutions, but the slight change in texture is usually worth the large reduction in both fat content and calories.

Pureed fruit

Butter, margarine, oil, shortening and eggs are the primary sources of fat. Replacing butter or margarine is a challenge. Applesauce, yogurt, pureed prunes and mashed bananas as well as baby food all work, but none can be substituted for all the fat in a recipe without sacrificing the taste, texture and appearance. Overall, applesauce and yogurt work the best in most recipes. They add the necessary moistness and won't alter the flavor as much as prunes and bananas will.

The flavor of prune puree is especially good with chocolate, spice and carrot cakes. Prune puree mixtures are now sold in the grocery store in the baking section; the label may state that it's a butter and oil or fat replacer (follow label directions for use). Mashed bananas work well in carrot and banana cakes and muffins.

For the best texture and flavor, it is recommend replacing about half of the fat (butter margarine, shortening, oil) in a recipe with applesauce, yogurt, pureed prunes, mashed bananas or baby food.

You can also replace a portion of the oil with buttermilk. You may have to play around a bit depending on the recipe, but if a recipe calls for milk, try replacing 1/3 of the oil called for with buttermilk. You should increase the baking powder by about 1/4 teaspoon, to replace lost volume.