Applesauce as an Egg Substitute for Brownies
Boost the nutrition and lower the fat and cholesterol in your favorite brownie recipe by opting for applesauce instead of eggs. Applesauce can be an effective substitute for eggs in a dense baked recipe and will make the recipe lower in fat and cholesterol and free of animal products. Does this Spark an idea?
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Reasons to Substitute
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If brownies were healthy, you would not need to make substitutions to the recipe, but many people need to remove the eggs from the recipe. Health concerns about total cholesterol, fat and calories are one reason to remove the eggs. Eggs are a rich source of all of these dietary components, but many dieters and cholesterol watchers have decided to omit whole eggs from their diet when possible. Those with egg allergies experience a reaction and cannot eat them. Vegans eschew eggs because they come from chickens. All of these groups can use applesauce as a healthy, egg-free and animal-free baking replacement.
Substitution Ratio
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Use 1/4 cup of applesauce to replace each large egg in the brownie recipe. Applesauce can also replace an equal volume of added fats to the recipe such as butter, oil or shortening. If using applesauce to replace both the eggs and fats in the recipe, use 1/4 cup of water mixed with 1 tbsp. of flax seed meal and soak it for one hour before adding it to the recipe. This mixture will replace the binding action of each whole egg in the recipe and prevent the mixture from crumbling after it is baked.
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Changes in Baking
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Baking brownies using applesauce instead of eggs will require a reduction in the baking temperature. Bake the brownies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the brownies two to three minutes before the minimum baking time since the lower-fat brownies will bake faster and be more prone to burning.
Texture Changes
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In brownie recipes, the eggs act as a leavening agent and a binder. The leavening property is especially important in lighter textured cake-like brownie recipes. Applesauce has a high amount of moisture that turns to steam in the oven, providing a lift for the brownies similar to the leavening of eggs in the recipe. If you are making fudgy brownies, the replacement will be more noticeable. Applesauce can replace the eggs and fat, but if you make completely fat-free brownies, the results will be drier and more crumbly than a recipe made with butter or vegetable shortening.
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References
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