Traditional baked goods like cakes, donuts, cookies and pies are full of sugar, starchy flour and seed oils like vegetable and canola oils. They are super bad for your health. I love baking and dessert. Being gluten free to avoid getting hives made it easier to give up traditionally made desserts. Since then, I’ve discovered there are ways to still enjoy dessert only with healthier ingredients. A lot of traditional recipes can be modified to be better for you.
A few key ways I have used to adapt traditional recipes are the following:
Flour
Swap flour out for 1 to 1 gluten free baking flours like King Arthur, Walmart or Bob’s Red Mill. They all have gluten free flours that can be used as 1 to 1 substitutes. They are gluten free and won’t cause the inflammation gluten flours do. The drawback is they tend to be made with potato, rice and tapioca flours/starches which will still spike your blood sugar. Better, but not the best. A further upgrade is to use other flours made from almond, coconut, cassava, or cauliflower. These can’t be substituted 1 to 1. However there are a lot of recipes out there that only use them, so there is no need for substitution. Paleo and keto dessert recipes tend to use these types of flours.
1/4 to 1/3 cup of coconut flour can be substituted for 1 cup of regular or gluten free flour. Coconut flour absorbs liquid, so an additional egg, water or milk might be needed. 1 – 3 TBS of applesauce could also be added.
Sugar
When baking, try cutting the sugar down to 1/4 cup per every 1 – 2 cups of flour the recipe calls for. Next, try substituting honey, maple syrup and/or coconut sugar for the amount of sugar. Monk fruit is also a popular substitute these days, but I haven’t tried it. I like to use coconut sugar because it’s granulated like regular sugar, cheap and has a lower glycemic index than honey and maple syrup. I also add in at least a 1/4 tsp of cinnamon for added flavor to make up for the lower sugar content. Cinnamon also helps with lowering blood sugar.
Oil
Vegetable oils are so bad for you. They tend to be genetically modified and cause inflammation. They stay in your body for up to 7 years. I prefer melted butter, grass fed butter is even better, but it is expensive. I also sometimes use applesauce or plain greek yogurt. Mashed bananas will also work. A 1 to 1 substitution should work with any of these. If not sure, try swapping out a 1/4 cup to start and work your way up each time you make it.
A couple of ideas for healthier versions:
Ice Cream
Banana ice cream is a great substitute for regular ice cream. Blend a frozen banana with frozen fruit of your choice, a little milk, vanilla and dash of cinnamon. You can also make your own vanilla ice, reducing the sugar, and add your own mix ins.
Cheesecake
It’s pretty easy to make a healthier version of cheesecake. Use oats, flaxseed and butter as the crust and try this vanilla cheesecake recipe for the filling.
Challenge:
Take your favorite baking recipe that you know is so not good for you and make it with better for you ingredients. If it uses vegetable oil, swap out at least half of it for applesauce or butter. Reduce the sugar and use coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup or a combination of the three. Swap out the flour for 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour. The baking time can probably stay the same, but keep an eye on it towards the end to make sure.
The shape and texture will probably come out a little different than what you are used to, but try to focus on the taste and knowing they are better for you.