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No more butter, make way for fruits and vegetables!

No more butter, make way for fruits and vegetables!

Butter is that little gourmet touch in our dishes that we love. However, it is not always very light in terms of calories. So take advantage of the next shortage of butter in the fridge to replace it with…vegetables or fruit! The greatest French chefs do not hesitate to adopt this trend, so why not you?

Why replace butter with vegetables or fruit?

An original and tasty alternative to butter, the use of vegetables in pastries is becoming more and more widespread. It thus makes it easy to make vegan recipes or simply lighter and more digestible. It's also a great way to introduce the kids to vegetables.

The result is stunning. The cakes are original, but above all delicious and delight gourmets. They are also much higher in fiber and nutrients than traditional buttery pastries. What more could you ask for?

Applesauce

Thanks to its creamy texture, applesauce is the perfect substitute for butter in sweet recipes such as cakes and fruit cakes. It guarantees the binder and softness, usually provided by butter. But it also helps reduce refined sugar. You can make it at home or use a jar of applesauce without added sugar.

Vegetable purées

Using vegetable purees is surprising. Yet it is the ideal way to avoid the use of butter. Besides, no one ever guesses that he has been replaced here. Some vegetable purées are a very good substitute for fat. This is, for example, the case of sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin or potimarron. These vegetables can replace the fat in cakes such as chocolate cakes.

Zucchini sublimates chocolate cakes

Zucchini goes very well with chocolate. To use it, there is no need to puree it, it is used rather grated.

Banana

As with applesauce, bananas are a regular in vegan recipes. You just have to reduce it to a puree to use it as a binder and guarantee the softness of the cake, a cake, for example. It also allows you to reduce the amount of sugar to be used.

The Lawyer

Although it is often used in combination with savory dishes, avocado is a great ally to replace butter in sweet recipes. Mixed or pureed, it is a perfect binder and brings smoothness to your preparations. Loaded with "good" fats, it's also a real healthy alternative to butter. It should, however, be consumed in moderation for environmental reasons related to its production and transport.

Eggplant flesh

Thanks to the neutrality of its flesh, eggplant can replace butter both in desserts and in savory recipes. It must, however, be cooked before being incorporated as a mash. And its qualities are numerous:it makes it possible to lighten the preparations and ensure their flexibility.

Carrot

By bringing moisture to the preparation, the grated carrot ensures the fondant. It is an alternative of choice to replace butter in cakes and desserts, in general.

Vegetables instead of butter:our recipe ideas

Chocolate zucchini cake

Particularly simple to make, this recipe requires only a few ingredients:

  • One zucchini (200g),
  • 20g unsweetened cocoa powder,
  • 30g flour,
  • 200g baking chocolate,
  • 80g sugar,
  • And 4 eggs.
  • Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it.
  • Then peel the zucchini and grate it.
  • Separate the whites from the yolks and whisk the yolks with the sugar.
  • Add the cocoa to the mixture of sugar and egg yolks, and mix before adding a little courgette.
  • Mix again and add the flour and melted chocolate.
  • Then add the rest of the zucchini.
  • Whip the egg whites and gently fold them in.
  • Spread into a mold and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C.

Sweet Tomato Carrot Cake

Ideal for sharing vegetables with the whole family, this recipe is also easy to make.

  • 100g grated carrots,
  • 100g applesauce,
  • 1 pinch of salt,
  • 400g tomatoes,
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon,
  • 250g wholemeal flour,
  • 200g brown sugar,
  • ½ sachet of yeast.
  • Preheat your oven to 180°C and combine all the ingredients except the carrots. Then mix in a robot, then add the carrots.
  • Pour into the greased pan and bake for 40 minutes.

Applications to make your life easier

Looking for how to use the ingredients in your fridge to make delicious recipes? Applications, such as Frigo Magic, Vegg'up or Youmiam, deal with the means at hand and give you their advice.

The absence of butter should not silence your desire to cook. Your vegetables can take over and even enhance your recipes. In addition to being light, these will delight your children and develop their palate.