There is nothing better than a warm brownie or cookie on a cold winter day, but people don’t always think of the damage it can cause to health. From flour to butter, there are so many healthy alternatives to make desserts a healthy treat.

Sugar is the easiest thing to substitute in a recipe. There are so many sweeteners but some of them may be hazardous to health. A healthier substitute for sugar is applesauce or vanilla extract. Though not completely calorie free, they are a more natural and healthier alternative than sugar in baked goods. When using applesauce as a substitute, it would be more beneficial to purchase a no sugar added applesauce which would almost completely cut sugar out of the recipe.

Butter is the fat of a recipe, and in a low-fat diet, using this ingredient could become an issue. Thankfully, there are a few things that can be substituted for butter. The obvious choice would be something like I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter or other healthy butter spreads, but some more natural alternatives that can substitute as butter would include applesauce, yogurt, or mashed avocados. Though these ingredients seem strange, they lower the fat content of the recipe by replacing with natural fats.

Flour is the structure of the recipe yet there are still healthier alternatives to consider when baking. The common substitute would is normally whole grain or whole wheat flour, but black bean puree and coconut flour are even healthier. These are easy fixes in a recipes especially when using healthier flours it is an effortless way to reduce the amount of carbs in a recipe.

Substituting for cream is a bit more difficult because it’s loaded with fat, so when baking, something with less fat content such as evaporated milk would be better. Although it has a little bit higher sugar content, there is a significantly less amount of fat and it is worth the switch. Another substitute that is a lot more natural would be coconut milk. Coconut milk is a lot healthier and doesn’t have a coconut taste, so it won’t overwhelm the recipe with coconut flavor.

Eggs are high in cholesterol so substituting them in a recipe would be smart, but they are also harder to substitute for. Egg substitutes are sold at the grocery store in cartons that are lower fat and cholesterol content, but there are always more natural ways to substitute eggs. Chia Seeds can be combined with water to make the perfect egg substitute. Flax meal can also be mixed with water to substitute as an egg, this method is very popular among vegans.

Substituting in baked goods can be an extremely healthy and beneficial choice. Think about all the healthier choices there is for any treat. Instead of indulging now and regretting calorie intake later, use these healthier alternatives instead to enjoy the best of both worlds.