Yes, You Can Eat Cookies And Still Be Healthy!

This holiday season, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be eating all of the good things. Yes, that includes cookies, muffins, pies, cakes, and any other sweet treat you can think of. Rather than focus on the bad, my resolution for this time of year is to keep it positive! Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to baking. See how I transform my favorite sweets to make them healthy-ish!

You want to change the sugar...
Recipe calls for 1 cup granulated sugar
Substitute with...

• Unsweetened Apple sauce = 1 cup
• Honey = ¾ cup
• Real Maple Syrup = ¾ cup
• Date syrup = 2/3 cup
• Mashed banana = 1 cup 

You want to change the fat...
Recipe calls for 1 cup vegetable oil
Substitute with...

• Coconut oil = ½ cup
•  Greek yogurt = 1 cup
•  Pureed beans = one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed first
•  Unsweetened apple sauce = 1 cup
•  Avocado = 1 cup
•  Mashed banana = 1 cup

You want to make it gluten free...
Recipe calls for 1 cup all purpose flour
Substitute with...

• Almond meal/flour = 1 cup
•  Oat flour = 1 cup
•  Brown rice flower = 1 cup
•  Coconut flower = 1 cup (may need to add a little more liquid)

*Bonus points for these changes as they boost the fiber content!

You want to make it vegan...
The recipe calls for 1 egg
Substitute with...

• Flax seeds = 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoon water
• Chia Seeds = 1 tablespoon chia + 3 tablespoon water

The recipe calls for 1 cup milk
Substitute with... 

• Almond milk, unsweetened = 1 cup
•  Cashew cream, unsweetened = 1 cup
•  Silken Tofu = 1 cup  (for heavy cream)

 
*Make your own date syrup, cashew cream, or almond milk. Soak overnight in cool water. Discard the water. Add to food processor with equal parts water. Blend until smooth. For the almonds and cashews, use a cheesecloth to separate the liquid from the pulp for a smoother product. You can add in vanilla extract to flavor your nut milk.
 
**In my experience, a little change is all you need. I do not recommend trying to make ALL of these substitutions in one product. My favorite swaps are applesauce for sugar in cakes, beans for oil in brownies, and silken tofu for cream in custardy pie

For a few other great substitution ideas, check out this post from Whitney E RD, an LA based blogger I just stumbled upon and am loving right now!