The swap: Ways to cut out the butter

We’re all about the baking and getting creative in the kitchen. As runners, we know how hard it can be when faced with a supposedly healthy recipe that calls for unhealthy ingredients. If you just can’t get behind butter, we’ve come up with some ways to swap it out.

Kidney beans: Purée the kidney beans and just throw them in instead of the butter. It might sound off-putting (who wants beans in their cake or brownies?) but when you think about it, kidney beans actually have a very bland flavour which is easily masked by strong ingredients like cocoa powder. Still unsure? Try this kidney bean brownie recipe and you’ll be a convert.

Applesauce: Get it in a jar or be extra careful by making your own and having a say over which ingredients go into the applesauce. Throw it into any muffin, bread or dessert recipe. This one makes banana muffins a top breakfast choice.

Avocado: Mash up the avocados and swap them in! Who says these should just be reserved for guacamole? The key to getting it right though is making sure that they are ripe enough. Once mashed, they the consistency is just right. This cake recipe uses avocados in the batter as well as the frosting.

Mashed bananas: Sounds like baby food but actually grownups can make great use of mashed up bananas by using them in breads and delicious muffins instead of butter. They will be wet enough to bind your dry ingredients and make a nice, smooth batter. Relax and indulge in a cookie without feeling guilty.

Ground flax seed: This is an excellent fat replacement. Mix ground flax seed with water to create a pasta of a similar texture to butter. A good ratio is three teaspoons to one teaspoon of water.