We’re experiencing a major shift in our cooking experience now. My sweetheart husband just had open heart bypass surgery (July 26, to be exact). And as part of his recovery he needs to make some life-altering adjustments to his eating habits. No surprises there, but who knew this would be so hard for him?

So to make a long story short, we now need to eat NO fat (for at least 2 months) and then transition to LOW fat for life ever after. Thus my interest in finding the best and tastiest baking swaps. There’s gotta be some way we can have our delicious baked goods and still eat them, right? So below I share with you what I’ve found and have been experimenting with. After trying lots and lots of swaps over the past couple weeks, we’ve even come to prefer a few “replacements” to their original counterparts.

Now I know we’ve talked about fat substitutes in the Cook’n newsletter before, but never with such intense personal experience. See if there’s anything here you didn’t already know or haven’t already tried. And may I ask that if any of you have some good ideas for me, would you please pass them on? I could use your help! Meanwhile here’s what I’ve found and have tried so far (thanks to www.greatist.com):

Unsweetened Applesauce, a great swap for: Oil or butter. For sweeter recipes like brownies and fruity muffins, this swap is a definite winner. Applesauce offers the same consistency as butter or oil, but with zero fat, a little extra natural sweetness, and fewer calories (though it will add a touch more sugar). It even works in boxed mixes! We liked it in blueberry muffins—it added a nice twist of flavor.

Avocado Puree, a good swap for: butter. Doubting this swap? Try it whipped up some in chocolate cookies (any recipe that calls for baking cocoa). Mashed or pureed avocado has a similar texture to butter with more heart-healthy fats and a smooth, rich taste that pairs perfectly with chocolate. Next I’m trying this swap in brownies and a cake.

Mashed Bananas, another good swap for: oil or butter. This one's similar to the avocado swap but a whole lot sweeter, ripe bananas add potassium and fiber to our favorite recipes. It’s a proven star in sweet stuff, too (banana bread, right?). And when combined with other baking fat swaps, it’s easy to make an oil- and butter-free banana bread as delicious as traditional recipes. See the recipe below if you’d like to give this a try.

Prune Puree, a fine swap for: butter. Prunes don’t always get the best reputation when it comes to taste and versatility, but 1/3 cup of prune puree can easily replace a stick of butter in denser baked goods. It’s also great for dark and dense cookies, brownies, and even cakes.

Ricotta Cheese is a super and well known swap for: cream cheese. Ricotta — even the whole milk variety—is a lighter option than cream cheese when it comes to calorie count. And it bakes into an excellent cheesecake with a lighter, fluffier texture.

Ground Flax Seed swaps well for: oil or butter. Rich in omega 3 fats and with a distinct nutty flavor, ground flax seed is one of the most surprising fat swaps out there. Mix three tablespoons of ground flax with one tablespoon of water for a paste that substitutes for every tablespoon of oil or butter. Ground flax seed is perfect for recipes that already have a strong nutty flavor. And here’s a fun fact: One tablespoon of ground flax plus two to three tablespoons of warm water makes a "vegan egg" and can be used as an egg replacement, too.

Marshmallow Fluff is an excellent swap for: Butter cream frosting. Although it’s legendarily sweet, marshmallow fluff actually contains fewer calories and less sugar than conventional frosting. Bonus: use any leftover fluff for super quick s’mores.

FAT- and SUGAR-FREE BANANA BREAD

2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (well packed) mashed banana (about 2 large VERY RIPE bananas)
1/2 cup apple sauce (homemade recipe is below, OR use store-bought)
1/4 cup no-fat milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Apple Sauce

1 sweet apple (Fuji or Gala, for example)
1/4 cup water (just enough for the bottom of the pan so apples don’t burn)

Chop up apple, put into a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil, turn it down and let simmer for about 10 minutes until very soft.  Blend in a blender.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan or use parchment paper.  In large bowl, beat the eggs with a beater until fluffy. If you want to use banana slices as decoration on top, take about a half banana and set aside. (Best to use a banana that is a bit less ripe). Mush the ripe bananas (measure them out), add the apple sauce and eggs.  Add milk and vanilla and mix well.  In another bowl mix all dry ingredients. Add wet to dry ingredients. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 45 mins. 

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