Recipes

[Nightowlz]

So muffins are suppose to turn out better using oil vs butter. Oil leaves them moist where they say butter leaves them dry with more crumb.

Do you use oil or butter when you bake muffins?

If you use oil which one do you use?

I don't want to use vegetable oil, soybean oil or other oil with polyunsaturated fat since it causes inflammation. I used to used Canola oil before but not since it's been genetically modified. I started using Safflower oil but it also have pufa's. Now I can't find the brand I was buying anyway.

I'm going to try with butter to see how they turn out. Maybe try some applesauce with a little oil or some yogurt.

What have you tried & what has turned out?

I know eating none of the oils is best but that's not the question I'm asking. I also know they are not healthy but I'm not talking about that either. TIA

[1Professor]

@Nightowlz :

As a scientist who is now on a heart-healthy plant diet, I have found wonderful substitutes for oil and egg. No oil is good for our hearts, it turns out.

I bake oat bran muffins every week (with fruit added and strawberry applesauce, so delicious), and instead of oil, use this formula:

You can use flaxseed meal to replace up to 1/4 cup of oil in recipes. You use it in a 3 to 1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of oil, you use 3 tablespoons of flaxseed meal. If your recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil you use 3/4 cup flax meal.

VERY moist!

[Nightowlz]

@1Professor 

Thanks for your reply. I was online last night reading about different substitutes. Flaxseed was one of them. Banana was another but don't want blueberry muffins to taste like banana muffins.

There are things we still want to eat just want to make them a little more on the healthy side.

I would love your oat bran muffin with fruit recipe if you want to share. Thank you.

[butterfly123]

@Nightowlz 

Whether it's to cut calories, explore new flavors, or just make due with available ingredients, recipe substitutions are an inevitable—and fun!—part of the cooking experience. And after trying dozens and dozens of swaps over the past year or so, we've even come to prefer a few "replacements" to their original counterparts. When it's time to satisfy that sweet tooth, consider these healthier substitutions for baking fats.

Unsweetened applesauce
Swap for: Oil or butter

Fruit for fat? Yeah. 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! 

Avocado puree
Swap for: Butter

Doubting this swap? 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. We're looking forward to trying this swap in many batches of brownies and cakes to come!

Mashed bananas
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, amiright?). 

Prune puree
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.

Ground Flax seed
Swap 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 subs in for every tablespoon of oil or butter. Ground flax 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.

[ahoymate]

Butter, always!

[godi]

@1Professor  how interesting your post. Is this ground up flax meal?  Can’t you use apple sauce for oil also? 

[1Professor]

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@godi wrote:

@1Professor  how interesting your post. Is this ground up flax meal?  Can’t you use apple sauce for oil also? 

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@Nightowlz  @godi 

(For heart healthy high soluble fiber daily muffins) I use applesauce to substitute for 2Ts oil and 1Tablespoon flax + 3T water for each egg required.

Love the small containers of applesauce; been getting the strawberry unsweetened applesause containers when they show up at Safeway.

[godi]

@1Professor  Thank you 

[m0rgan]

I love to use coconut oil.

[sunshine45]

i always use butter and have never found mine to be crumbly or dry.