Fruit Butter Substitutes for Dairy-Free Baking

It’s not a new concept. People have been using pureed prunes, applesauce, and other fruit as a butter substitute for decades. And I first posted about these particular options way back in 2007. But it’s time for an update! This post includes both a recipe for a fruit butter substitute, and several other fruit-based ideas for substituting butter in recipes. All of them are dairy-free butter substitutes and relatively low fat!

Easy Fruit Butter Substitutes for Low Fat & Dairy-Free Baking

I’m going to start with some overall tips, followed by some simple fruit-based butter substitutes in sweet baking. But scroll down for a fruit butter substitute recipe that’s formulated for even better results.

What You Must Know

1. Fruit alone is rarely a great substitute for dairy butter. Skipping all fat can result in a denser, chewier consistency, and not in a good way. It can also negatively affect the moisture levels of your recipe. That’s why I typically recommend reducing the quantity of fruit that you use and adding a little oil.
2. Each recipe is different, so a little know how, and sometimes trial and error is important. If your batter or dough looks too dry, you’ll want to add a little more fruit or oil. If it’s too wet, and you’re baking cookies, then you will want to add a little more flour to get thicker dough. With muffins and cakes, a slightly thinner batter can be okay, but in most cases it shouldn’t be runny. Pay attention to the recipe and any cues about what the batter or dough should look like.
3. The quick and easy options below are best when using a recipe that contains eggs. With vegan recipes, the results can vary a bit more. The eggs helped to both bind and emulsify the ingredients. In some vegan recipes the simple fruit butter substitutes will work fine. But the fruit butter substitute recipe below in the box below is better for vegan recipes since it contains an emulsifier.
4. Avocado isn’t the best option. It is technically a fruit, and a very fatty one at that. But it is finicky in baking. I have successfully used it in a couple chocolate desserts, but the ratio seems to change with each recipe. It isn’t a great 1:1 swap for butter. But it can work in things like chocolate cake if you use half avocado and half oil or shortening, depending on the recipe. But this isn’t really a great option if you are looking for less fat. I don’t recommend trying it at all in delicate tasting recipes, or in recipes where the green hue might be off putting.
5. These substitutes can work in place of any type of “butter” in baking. This means margarine, buttery spread, plant butter sticks, non hydrogenated vegetable shortening, or other plant-based butter substitutes. They will not work in unbaked applications like frosting, or in low moisture baked goods like pie crust.

What to Expect when Baking …

If done properly, you can expect good results with a fruit butter substitute. But the results won’t be identical to using dairy butter. Aside from the slight difference in taste, here are some differences that you might expect.

• Cookies: Fruit has more water than butter, even when cooked down. So your cookies will more likely be a little fluffier and cakier. Also, you will most likely need to reduce the sugar a little bit for proper results.
• Muffins, Quick Bread, Cupcakes, and Cakes: as long as you still use some oil, the texture should be soft. But I would expect a little more moisture, and a slightly squatter height.

Fresh Fruit Butter Substitute (best for muffins, breads, cakes, and cupcakes) 

For 1 cup butter, substitute ½ cup pureed fruit + 2 tablespoons oil or non-hydrogenated shortening to begin with. Add more pureed fruit or oil as needed if your batter is too dry. You’re adding a touch of sweetness and reducing ingredient volume in your recipe. Consequently, it might be best to reduce the sugar slightly. In a full size recipe, I might reduce the sugar by a couple tablespoons. Fruits that work well as a puree include banana, mango (with minimal with low to no fibers), and pumpkin. Consider the flavor of your recipe when deciding what puree to use.

Prune Butter Substitute (best for brownies and chocolate or spiced desserts)

Puree 1/2 cup prunes, 1/4 cup water, and two tablespoons oil in your blender until smooth. use this as a substitute for 1 cup butter. Many recipes skip the oil but I do think it helps the overall texture.

Applesauce Butter Substitute (best for muffins, breads, cakes, and cupcakes) 

Or 1 cup butter, substitute ½ cup drained unsweetened applesauce and ½ cup oil. For lower fat, you can start with just 2 tablespoons of oil and add more applesauce as needed if the batter is too dry. You can alternatively use strained all-fruit baby food in place of the applesauce. You might need to lower the sugar in your recipe a touch, especially if you have reduced the oil.

“Fruit Butter” Butter Substitute (best for cookies, muffins, breads, cakes, and cupcakes) 

Fruit butter is basically fruit puree or applesauce cooked down to remove quite a bit of the water. Apple butter is easy to make without added sugar, but it’s still sweeter than applesauce. You can also make pumpkin butter, but most recipes are sweetened quite a bit. As a butter substitute, fruit butter has a better consistency than fruit puree or applesauce. It doesn’t add as much liquid, which makes it suitable for cookies, too. However, since it is sweeter, you will most likely need to reduce the sugar in your recipe. For 1 cup butter, I would start with 1/2 cup fruit butter plus 1/4 cup oil. If your dough or batter is too dry, you can add more fruit butter as needed.

Special Diet Notes: Fruit Butter Substitute

Buy ingredients, this recipe is dairy free / non dairy, egg free, gluten free, grain free, nut free, peanut free, optionally soy free, optionally vegan, plant based, and vegetarian.

adapted from Cooking Live Show

Fruit Butter Substitute

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This recipe was created as a 1 to 1 substitute for dairy butter in baking. But I do prefer to use a little bit of oil with it for the best results. I've included notes on this in the instructions. You can core and peel the fruit, if desired, but it isn't necessary. When you strain the fruit, the peel and seeds will be strained out. But be sure to wash the fruit well if not peeling it.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 1 3/4 cup

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Calories: 13

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 medium apples cut into sections
• 2 medium pears ripe but firm, cut into sections
• ⅔ cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lecithin granules or powder see Lecithin Note below

Method

 

1. Place the fruit in a medium-sized, heavy bottom saucepan. Add the water, lemon juice, and lecithin.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes,
3. stirring and mashing the fruit occasionally.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes.
5. Press through a fine sieve, or a food mill fitted with a fine grate, into a bowl. It will have an applesauce-like texture. Let it cool completely.
6. Store this fruit butter substitute in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To Use in Recipes

1. Preferred Method: Substitute 1/3 cup fruit butter substitute + 2 tablespoons oil for every 1/2 cup butter.
2. Ultra Low Fat Method: you can substitute use this fruit butter substitute as a 1 to 1 substitute for butter. But this can more negatively affect your recipe in terms of texture and consistency.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 13kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 0mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 2g

Notes

Flavor Note: Keep the overall flavor of your recipe in mind when considering this fruit butter substitute. It tastes lightly fruity, gently sweet, and isn't salty. Make sure this will complement your recipe, since it does taste different than dairy butter. You also might need to lower the sugar in your recipe slightly, and/or add a pinch of salt for the best results.

Lecithin Note: Lecithin is an emulsifier that helps to create a butter substitute that doesn't separate as it sits and when baking. You can purchase lecithin at some natural food stores, supplement stores, or online. Sunflower lecithin and soy lecithin are the primary options.

Lecithin Alternative: In theory, you could substitute 1 egg yolk for the lecithin if you don't have issues with eggs. But you would need to cook the fruit mixture separately, let it cool, and then blend it with the egg yolk until smooth and emulsified.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Also try my Dairy-Free Light Buttery Spread Recipe!