Advent hour, baking biscuits, relaxing - it's hard to avoid snacking during the Christmas season! A domino here, a gingerbread there - in no time at all the biscuit plate is empty and your conscience is calling. This doesn't have to be the case, because with a few simple tricks you can save a few calories when baking and even unhealthy ingredients can easily be replaced by healthier varieties. But do the biscuits still taste good? We don't think there's any compromise on taste. Just try it out for yourself. 🙂
Instead of sugar...
A look at the list of ingredients shows that many Christmas baking recipes require large amounts of sugar. In most cases, this amount can be reduced. In most cases, you can omit up to a quarter of the ingredients without this being very noticeable in terms of taste. However, it is even healthier to replace cane sugar with natural alternatives. Coconut blossom sugar and date sugar have the advantage that they can replace conventional household sugar in a one-to-one ratio. Fruit pulp can also bring a natural sweetness to the recipe. Although it contains a lot of fructose, it also contains nutrients and fibre. However, the liquid added to the dough may have to be reduced. This is also the case with honey. Besides sugar, honey contains healthy nutrients, anti-inflammatory enzymes and antioxidants. Agave syrup and maple syrup can also replace table sugar, but they have a stronger sweetening power. Want to learn more about sugar? Then read our article Sweet addictor? Interesting facts about sugar by.
Instead of butter...
Besides sugar, most recipes include a good portion of butter. If you go for the half-fat variety, you have already saved quite a bit of fat. But there are also good alternatives that provide healthy fats. Fruit pulp, for example, not only saves you sugar, but also some of the butter. Nut puree, avocado, coconut oil, vegetable oil or even quark and yoghurt can be used as alternatives.
Instead of flour...
Wheat flour brings empty carbohydrates. Buckwheat flour or spelt flour are a better option, even better in sprouted form. Sprouted flour has a higher nutrient content and is easier to digest. Otherwise, ground oat flakes or nuts can also replace some of the flour needed.
Great tips, but can I also get gingerbread, speculoos baked this way?
If you are not sure what proportions you actually need and whether you will succeed in your favourite recipes with our tips, you can follow our recipes. We have baked once before and convinced ourselves of the taste.
Need more baking inspiration? In our Baking package you'll find all the ingredients you need for healthier baking, plus five delicious baking recipes.
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