How to substitute butter in cookie recipes
Yes, while it’s not quite identical, it can be done. In fact, I made a delicious carrot cake using fruit puree instead of butter.
For example, prune baby food puree is the secret ingredients to my favourite chocolate fudge squares (I add it in 1:1 instead of margarine to keep the squares moist), or applesauce in gingerbread or carrot cake. For a more noticeable flavour, I have tasted pineapple in muffins and carrot cake as well.
The substitute is ½ cup of pureed fruit in place of one cup of butter, but you may need to add 1 Tablespoons of vegetable shortening or oil back into the recipe for it not to be noticeable and reduce the sugar in the recipe.
Straight from the store, buy unsweetened applesauce, strained baby food fruit, or make your own puree from any dried fruit (apples, apricots, peaches, etc.). This is a personal favourite in chocolate desserts but you can still substitute other dried fruit such as apples, peaches, and apricots for half of the prunes to soften or sweeten the flavour:
- ½ cup pitted prunes
- ¼ cup hot water
Directions: Puree the prunes and water in a blender until smooth. Use ½ cup puree to substitute for 1 cup of oil or butter in baking recipes.
