Holiday Substitutions: How to make your Holiday favorites a little less bad

The holidays are filled with friends, family, and good food. But sometimes that “good food” leaves us feeling not so good. What if there was a way to make your holiday favorites a little less bad for you so that your can enjoy them without the guilt? Here are some substitutions that can help!

Butter: Do you really need all that butter?

Butter cream frosting, cookies, pies, brownies, biscuits, and even more. While butter may be considered a staple around the holidays, it is high in saturated fat which is what helps it to stay solid at room temperature. In general, your daily limit for saturated fat should be 20 grams or less, with under 13 grams being ideal for heart health. But, if you love your Holiday cookies with the original recipe: try Frugalexpats technique and bring them over to family, enjoy them, and leave the rest there.

Ways to reduce the saturated fat

If your looking to make your baked goods lean towards the healthy side, try some one of these substitutions for butter. Below we compare the nutritional content between two sticks of butter (the amount in a traditional recipe) and 1 cup of pumpkin puree. This simple swap in your baking can cut out up to 114 g of saturated fat in the entire batch of cookies!

Applesauce: If you want extra moist and fluffy cookies, substitute the butter for applesauce 1:1 ratio. We do this for our 100% plant-based chocolate chip cookies and chewy brownies. For stiffer cookies, you use half the amount (ex: instead of 1/2 cup butter, use 1/4 cup applesauce). They also tend to bake faster so drop the baking temperature by 25°C and you may need to shorten the bake time too.

Note: Make sure to get the unsweetened kind, or adjust your sugar in the recipe to match.

Nutrition facts per 1/2 cup: Calories: 51, Total fat: 0.12 g, Saturated fat: 0.01 g, Fiber: 1.34 g, Sugar: 11.45 g.

Avocado: This is also a 1:1 substitution and works really well for brownies. The chocolate flavor nicely covers up the avocado taste, but you are left with the creaminess of the healthy fats.

Nutrition facts per 1/2 cup: Calories: 192, Total fat: 17.7 g, Saturated fat: 2.45 g, Monounsaturated fat (Healthy fats): 11.25 g, Polyunsaturated fats (Healthy fats): 2.1g, Fiber: 7.8 g, Sugar: 0.34 g.

Pumpkin puree: Add 3/4 of what the recipe asks for. Most of the pumpkin flavor is usually from the warming spices that you add, so you shouldn’t have to worry about your dish tasting like pumpkin pie. We haven’t tried this one yet so let us know how it turns out!

Nutrition facts per 1/2 cup: Calories: 41.5, Total fat: 0.35 g, Saturated fat: 0, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugar: 4 g.

Dairy-free substitutions

If you want fluffy, buttery biscuits, but are lactose intolerant, there is a solution. Meet plant based dairy-free options. These are great for when you need the saturated fat in order for your recipe to set up.

Coconut oil: While not a health food, coconut oil does have the saturated fat from a plant-based source that is great for baking (and even oiling pans). This is a 1:1 substitution for butter, when it is solid you can measure it out the same as butter. During the warmer months it is best to store this in the fridge so that you can measure properly. The flavor of the coconut is subtle, but may be noticeable in savory dishes. We have used this to make biscuits and if you crumble the chunks of coconut oil you can get a pretty good texture.

Plant-based butters: Try Miyoko’s Vegan Cultured Butter, we have tested this one first hand and it does function just like butter. This is a 1:1 substitution for regular butter, and if you are looking to make pie crusts than this is a great option. It also is good for cookies if you want them closer to your traditional recipe.

For more butter substitutes check out: Delishably

Sugar: Can we cut the sugar?

As you start eating less processed foods, you will notice that you need less and less sugar to satisfy your taste buds. Rather than just making Grandma’s cookie recipe as is, try cutting the sugar in half to start with. Especially if you are making something like chocolate chip cookies, where the chocolate itself brings an extra sweetness.

The only place that we don’t quite recommend cutting would be in a meringue or frosting. Reducing the sugar content may cause the flavor profile to change and lean towards the fat. Instead, cut it from the cookies and brownies when possible and you may not even notice the difference.

Liquid sugar options: There is more than one way to sweeten your baked goods. Date syrup, honey and maple syrup are less processed options that can be substituted 1:1 for sugar. They have a lower glycemic index and come with the additional benefit of antioxidants. Check this out for more about these and other sweeteners: JustDateSyrup.

Eggs: What about lowering that cholesterol?

Egg yolks have cholesterol, but the egg whites do not. The general recommendation for dietary cholesterol is 300mg and 200mg or less a day to reduce your risk of heart disease. Although, just one egg can have around 190mg cholesterol! Rather than hitting your cholesterol quota on a few baked goods, try substituting it out where you won’t even miss it. You can either swap your whole eggs for just the whites, or check out these other plant based options. Below we compare eggs to flax seed, flax are not only cholesterol free but also contain omgea-3’s.

Zero cholesterol options

Justeggs: It is found in the refrigerated aisle near the plant based butters. It is great for anything from cookie baking, to casseroles, to your Holiday omelette needs. Three tbsp of justeggs equals one regular egg. They are made of mung beans and use turmeric for the coloring, so you can use these if your recipe calls for egg yolk. Jess from theFioneers used this substitute for her Holiday bread!

Powdered Egg Replacer: These are a shelf stable version of egg replacer that you just need to add water. These are perfect for baking especially in recipes that call for egg whites. One tbsp of powder plus 2 tbsp of water equals on egg. These are typically not colored so if you are making a meringue than this is what you would want to use.

Flaxseed: Our go to for brownies and cookie baking. Flax seeds are a great source of omega-3’s which can help to reduce inflammation. They have a slightly nutty taste, but the Golden flax seeds are lighter in color and in flavor. Mix one tbsp of ground flaxseed and 2.5 tbsp water and let sit in the fridge for 10 mins to firm up. They should be thick once you stir them, similar to the consistency of an egg since you are using this as the binder.

Milk and Flour substitutions

Milk: If your baking recipe requires milk this is an easy 1:1 substitution. Since we have family members who are lactose intolerant and some that are plant-based we go for a non-dairy alternative. Oat milk is one of the creamier options that we will be baking with this year. Although there are a multitude of options including: Almond milk, cashew milk, flaxseed, and soy milk. Each has a slightly different flavor so test them out and see what you like.

Flour: White flour can also be substituted in a 1:1. In previous years we did a half oat flour and half whole wheat chocolate chip cookie batter. Take 1 cup dry quick or whole oats and grind it in a food processor until it’s a powder. You can also opt for chickpea flour as a 1:1 for your gluten-free (or wheat-free friends). For more flour substitutes check out: Healthline.

Enjoy the Holidays

I hope that this post inspires you to experiment with different ways to make your Holiday favorites a little more healthy! Feel free to use these substitutions when you can, and you may not even notice the difference. Although, remember that it is not the special occasions, but your everyday life choices that have a larger impact on your health. So enjoy the time with your family and don’t worry about being 100% on when it comes to foods. There is always time to get back into the groove once they are over and our Eat for Health tracker can help you with that come January.

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