My favorite thing to do on the weekends is bake. I am always ready to try out a new recipe, and I love sharing my sweet treats with family and friends. The only thing that I do not enjoy about baking is the high fat content that each yummy recipe seems to have. Dessert should leave you feeling good, not make you walk away with a guilty conscious.

Over the years, I have found many baking substitutions that drastically lower the fat content of my favorite treats. They do not take away from the flavor, and no one is ever the wiser that my sinful dessert is actually somewhat healthy.

Greek Yogurt

Whenever a recipe calls for a lot of oil, I substitute an equal amount of Greek yogurt in its place. Always be certain to choose the 0% yogurt, which is completely fat free. The plain variety works well in most muffins, breads and cookies, but I prefer to use the vanilla flavor to add a little more yumminess to my cakes. Every time I use Greek yogurt, the texture of the dessert is very moist.

Egg Whites

Did you know that the white of an egg is completely fat free? All of the bad nutritional content is located in the yolk. Try substituting two egg whites for every egg that is needed. The texture may get a bit rubbery, but the flavor will not be affected. If you do not want to sacrifice the texture, leave one egg yolk in the batter. This works the best in recipes that call for lots of eggs.

Prunes

Butter is a mainstay in most dessert recipes, but when you want to watch your waist, you have to cut the butter. Puree a 3:1 mixture of prunes to water in a food processor. Simply replace the amount of butter needed with this healthy concoction. Since the prunes are a dark color, they work the best in chocolate or spice cakes. Plus, the added prunes will keep you regular!

Changing any ingredient in your recipe may affect the baking time, so keep a close eye on your sweets while they are in the oven. Serve your next cake with less fat, and see if anyone notices a difference. I have a feeling that they will be too busy stuffing their faces to care.