Substitutes For Applesauce – What can I use instead?

Applesauce is a staple ingredient in the kitchens of those who know all the secrets of delicious and healthy baking. It is also often paired with meat and poultry and is a favorite sauce of people who like out-of-the-box combinations. But what if you are not a big fan of applesauce and the recipe calls for it?

What can you use instead of applesauce? The easiest applesauce substitute is apple puree. If you don’t have apples, you can try using mashed bananas and mashed sweet potatoes instead of applesauce. Other fruit purees will also work in certain baking recipes and savory dishes. You can also substitute applesauce with butter, oil, yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, as well as sugar.

Read on to find out more about applesauce substitutes and which options will work best for you.

What Is Applesauce and How It’s Used

As the name suggests, applesauce is a sauce made of apples. Apples are, in fact, the only ingredient in this sauce.

Applesauce is made by cooking apples with water or apple cider until the apples turn into a puree. It is a matter of preference whether you will make the puree smooth or leave it somewhat chunky. You may or may not add sugar to the sauce. Spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc., are also added to taste.

The flavor of the applesauce largely depends on the variety of apples used to make it. Thus, the flavor of the sauce may range from sweet to tart.

Commercially manufactured applesauce is widely available in stores.

Applesauce is used in a number of ways. It goes well with pork, chicken, goose, and blood sausage. You can also serve it as a side for some potato dishes, including potato pancakes and French fries.

Applesauce finds its uses in baking. Interestingly enough, the cooked apple puree is used as a substitute for fat or eggs. So, if you are aiming at cutting down calories and fat from your diet or making it vegan, having applesauce at home is almost a must.

Can You Use Apples Instead of Applesauce?

Apples are an easy substitute for applesauce. And you most likely have at least one or two apples sitting in your pantry, fridge, or your fruit bowl.

Simply remove the core of the apples. Peeling them is not necessary. Turn the apples into a puree using a blender or a food processor.

This fresh apple puree will work as an applesauce substitute in a range of recipes. And the good thing is, it is quick and easy to make.

8 Applesauce Substitutes

If you are allergic to apples or don’t have any at home to use instead of applesauce, there are a few other substitutes to choose from.

Bananas are one of those fruits we almost always have at home. If the recipe calls for applesauce and you don’t have any, puree a banana or two and use it instead.

Mashed bananas will add a hint of banana flavor to your baked goods. However, it certainly won’t make them taste bad.

Fruit purees can work as applesauce substitutes in not only baking but also in savory dishes where applesauce is used to accompany meat and poultry.

You can go with apricot puree, plum puree, and pineapple puree. Pureed prunes also work well in many dishes.

Choose a fruit depending on whether you are looking for tangy or sweet flavor notes.

Mashed sweet potatoes are also an option if you don’t have applesauce at hand.

When using mashed sweet potatoes, make sure the puree is smooth. If needed, you can add some water to the batter or dough to reach your desired consistency.

If you truly don’t mind the calories, then you should certainly replace applesauce with butter in baking recipes.

Butter has been a popular ingredient in baking since the beginning of time. But as people started looking for healthier options, butter started to lose its popularity among many of them.

To substitute applesauce with butter, you may need to use a lot of it until you reach the needed consistency of the dough or batter.

As you can probably guess, not all types of cheese can substitute applesauce. Only the ones that you can use in baking.

You can use cream cheese or cottage cheese instead of applesauce in a range of baking recipes.

When using cream cheese, we recommend thinning it out with a small amount of milk. Otherwise, your baked goods may turn out rather dense.

As for cottage cheese, it is recommended to blend it until the cheese acquires a smooth texture. Overdoing cottage cheese may make your baked goods rubbery. But when used in the right amount, it provides very good results, especially for muffins and cupcakes.

Yogurt is perhaps the one of best substitutes for applesauce among all the dairy substitutes we have mentioned. The fat content in plain Greek yogurt is not very high. It makes yogurt an amazing ingredient to bake with as far as the calorie content and the texture of baked goods are concerned.

Some people start using applesauce in baking in order to eliminate oil from their diet. If this is not the case for you, then you can substitute applesauce with oil in baking.

You can use regular vegetable oil instead of applesauce. If the recipe already calls for oil, then you will simply need to increase the amount used. We also recommend adding a small amount of sugar for better results. Taste the batter while making it to make sure you are not overdoing the sugar.

For a healthier option, you can try baking with coconut oil. Other cooking oils, including regular olive oil and canola oil, can also be used instead of applesauce.

     8. Sugar

Sugar is one of the most unhealthy applesauce substitutes. However, we all know that sugar is crucial when it comes to the right texture of baked goods.

You can add as much sugar to the mixture as the recipe calls for applesauce. However, bakers also suggest reducing the amount of liquid used. If the recipe calls for water, start with the smallest amount and add more water gradually until you reach the needed consistency.

How to Choose the Best Applesauce Substitute?

When choosing an applesauce substitute you have to take into account a few things.

First off, what do you need the substitute for? Baking or as a condiment to go with meat or potatoes. If the latter is the case, then you should choose between fruit purees.Plum, peach, and pineapple purees, for example, pair nicely with meat.

Secondly, are you looking for a vegan option? If so, vegetable oil and other cooking oils are your best bet when it comes to baking. Both vegetable and fruit purees may also work depending on the purpose of the applesauce in the recipe.

Lastly, are you looking for an option that is as healthy as applesauce? If so, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and butter may not be the best options for you. Greek yogurt, on the other hand, is a slightly healthier option.

Luckily, there are numerous alternatives to applesauce, including vegan, non-dairy, low-fat, and low-carb options. You will certainly find one that works for you.

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