No sugar added/low fat baking

[NateStraus]

I lately have been craving some "healthier" desserts. I don't have any problem with using honey or artificial sweeteners, but I would much prefer to have my deserts include banana and unsweetened applesauce instead of sugars and oils. Sadly I can only find a few recipes like this online, and ideas/tips?

p.s. I love pumpkin and chocolate.

[taxlady]

This isn't baked, but it can be a low fat, no "sugar" dessert: yoghurt paradiso. It's an old "hippie" recipe. Yoghurt (can be low fat or no fat) add fresh or canned fruit and then top with granola. If you make your own granola, you can make it with honey instead of sugar.

[Aunt Bea]

I think you should focus on the method and not the recipe. Once you understand the substitution for fats and sugars you can adapt most recipes. Also it has been my experience that you can reduce sugar by half in most recipes with no problems. Good luck!

[MostlyWater]

Check out Sparkpeople.com. Or google allergy sites.

[Josie1945]

Originally Posted by NateStraus

I lately have been craving some "healthier" desserts. I don't have any problem with using honey or artificial sweeteners, but I would much prefer to have my deserts include banana and unsweetened applesauce instead of sugars and oils. Sadly I can only find a few recipes like this online, and ideas/tips?

p.s. I love pumpkin and chocolate.

Welcome to DC,

Josie

[AnnieDrews]

I have (almost....I'm still trying, without much success) decided that it is impossible to have our cake and eat it, too, on the "healthy" front. Recently I have just decided to make the full-fat and/or sugar versions and try to limit the amount I eat of these treats. I've had several flops involving canned pumpkin (ugh), whole wheat flour (which I do successfully use in other things), etc.

I have had a very few successes, but most of the time have not been able to cut the calories/fat as much as I had hoped.

[NateStraus]

I completely agree with eating the importance of eating in moderation, but I can honestly say that I would much rather have a large portion of a dessert with little fat and sugar than a small portion of a high sugar/fat desert. Plus the idea of "healthy baking" has always interested me, and I hoped some people on here might have a little insight into the subject

[Stubbs]

Well well my son has been put on a no sugar diet. Im the type of parent that only did it moderation. Did more cheese, veggies & fruits for snacks. But since im a stay at home mom I've explored baking with splenda. It's seems to be helping for my son isn't getting hyper like he would of he was eating store bought bake goods!

[bakechef]

Originally Posted by AnnieDrews

I have (almost....I'm still trying, without much success) decided that it is impossible to have our cake and eat it, too, on the "healthy" front. Recently I have just decided to make the full-fat and/or sugar versions and try to limit the amount I eat of these treats. I've had several flops involving canned pumpkin (ugh), whole wheat flour (which I do successfully use in other things), etc.

I have had a very few successes, but most of the time have not been able to cut the calories/fat as much as I had hoped.

I'm with you, most of my low sugar, low fat baking came out very disappointing.

Now I would rather have dessert once in a while and have it fabulous, then more often and mediocre. And even with cutting the fat and sugar, most baked goods were still high calorie, so you still could only eat a little.

[Selkie]

For many (not all, but most) baking I use stevia in place of sugar. (Pure Stevia Extract - by KAL. NOT any of that Green Leaf cr*p!) As long as the original recipe isn't using sugar as part of the volume, such as creaming it with butter but only as a flavoring agent, stevia works great! (0 fat, 0 calories, 0 carbs and doesn't effect your blood sugar even the slightest bit.)