How To Replace Fats With Applesauce For Coffee Cake

Fruit purees add moisture, flavor and nutrients to your baked goods while reducing the need for butter or oil. Match the flavor of your cake to the pureed fruit that best complements it. Applesauce is a popular match for many coffee cakes -- especially those with cinnamon. It is readily available and inexpensive, making it a more convenient choice than fruits you'd have to puree at home. The amount of fat you can substitute with applesauce depends on the type of fat your recipe needs. Because unsweetened applesauce contains only 100 calories and 0 g of fat compared to the 1,980 calories and 224 g of fat per cup of vegetable oil, you stand to save a significant amount of calories and fat by using applesauce as a substitute.

Step 1

Read your coffee cake recipe to determine the amount and type of fat it calls for, whether a solid, such as butter, or liquid, such as vegetable oil.

Step 2

Measure the amount of applesauce you plan to substitute for fat. You can substitute applesauce for part or all of a liquid fat, such as vegetable oil, and up to half the amount of solid fat, such as butter or vegetable shortening, without sacrificing flavor or texture.

Step 3

Add your applesauce or applesauce and fat mixture to the coffee cake batter when the recipe calls for the fat to be added.

Tips and Warnings

Bake your coffee cake until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time likely will be a little longer than indicated in your recipe, and additional baking time is variable based on how much fat you replaced with applesauce.