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I do, and the products I bake doing this do have a slightly different texture and taste. When I first began, I didn't care for it, but now I find I actually prefer them. Maybe the preference for this taste and texture is one that is acquired?

There are actually some really beautiful cakes that can be made using only light olive oil, and their taste is spectacular. Souther Italians have been doing this for centuries. Maybe you should try a few of those recipes, and gradually work into using purees to replace fats? But, really, once you get used to baking this way, you will prefer the lightness, both literally and figuratively.

When baking, I actually rarely use butter, no matter what the recipe calls for. I just think canola oil keeps baked goods more moist and butter can burn easily. There are some recipes where it can't be avoided, but I use oil whenever I can.

As Vegetarianka said, yogurt is also an excellent substitute. Plain yorurt works well, but sometimes I use flavored yogurts like vanilla or strawberry and it's excellent.

question - when you do the replacement of butter with oil, yogurt, or something else of the like... how do you know how much to put of the replacement? are there general proportions/ratios??

I tried the pumpkin replacement once in a brownie mix. It tasted okay, not like a brownie but more fudge-like. My family was not happy with the replacement and kept saying "it didn't taste bad" which means they were just being polite because they really meant it didn't taste good...

I've tried applesauce once or twice and no one seems to notice the difference.

thanks for the great sites therealchiffonade!!!

when i bake a cake, i don't hesitate to replace butter with oil and applesauce, BUT when making cookies, you have to be careful, because its the type of fat that usually determines the spread, and the texture. And those elements really do make or break a cookie

I've used applesauce as a partial replacement in some muffin and quick bread recipes and have enjoyed the results. I would probably avoid a complete replacement, as the moisture from the applesauce can definitely change the overall texture of the product.

Butter is good for you (there was an article in the "leftovers" column a few weeks ago) and tastes soooooooo good... I don;t know why you would try to replace it

@foodieteen - I would not go so far as to say butter is "good" for you. It's better than margarine and shortening because a) it's natural and b) margarine and shortening have trans fats ("artery glue"). It's always better to have a small amount of "the real thing" when it comes to butter, than to try and replace it with margarine or shortening.

However, some people have high cholesterol and need to keep an eye on saturated fats. This is my personal reason for subbing part of the butter content of certain recipes with mildly flavored olive oil. It's a heart healthy fat that tastes good, and won't replace one type of damage with another like margarine and shortening.

Side dish Jody uses applesauce on occasion for cooking at home. It is a much more healthy alternative.

Who is side dish Jody you ask?

dogsontheroad.blogspot.com to find out

I've used apple sauce in place of half or even all the oil in recipes for baked goods like quick breads, muffins and cakes (never tried pumpkin) and it imparts moistness and an additional, apply flavor.

I used homemade applesauce once to replace the eggs in a cake mix. The cake was incredibly moist and yummy.

i just read a recipe for granola that has you swapping out the oil for fruit puree. i think it was on david lebovitz's blog. he says it makes the granola chunky and extra crunchy. i never use oil in my granola, but i do miss the clusters you get in the commercial kind, so i think i'll try it.

I've used applesauce as a fat substitute from time to time. I can detect it in yellow/white cakes, but not in other flavors. It does keep the cake moist, but as mentioned above, the cake is much lighter in texture. I will not sub it in carrot or banana cake.

I've never heard of using pumpkin or bananas, but I'm willing to give it a go, just to see what the end product tastes and feels like. Where can I find more information on this?

Regarding the comments about Splenda: I use Splenda in place of sugar for every recipe that calls for sugar. Especially ice cream. I don't understand the comment about Splenda being greasy. I've never experienced a greasy feeling or taste using it. As a matter of fact, I can't detect any difference in flavor or texture whatsoever.

What a great thread. I think substituting butter with applesauce works really well in certain applications. I almost always use it (or yogurt) because when I make cakes, I usually make carrot or spice cakes. The flavor and texture the applesauce adds works very well. Also in oatmeal cookies. Makes them super chewy.

However, if I am making something more delicate in flavor, or something where the butter flavor is supposed to shine through I go ahead and use butter. Those things are always for special occasions anyway.

Oh and pie crusts (obviously). I was a vegan for a while. I made a pie crust once with coconut oil which was ok. But nothing can compare to a flaky all butter crust.

I've only used apple sauce once and I liked the results. I've heard that you should use A.S. in place of all liquids. I don't really bake that much so I can't really say for sure.

I have only tried replacing oil with unsweetened applesauce in home-made muffins and I think they taste terrific! That goes along with adding other low calorie/and or low fat ingredients to the muffins.

Thank you for a timely post. As part of a fast I'm doing with others from church, I'm fasting from dairy (except mayo), so trying to stay away from eggs and butter during this time. I love dessert, so looking to replace eggs and butter with tasty alternatives. Thank you all for contributions.