Apple Sauce is a concentrated type of sauce extracted from the apples itself. It’s famous in America and most parts of Europe where it’s widely abundant. It’s decadent, delicious, and cheap. No wonder, it can’t be missing in every home kitchen.
But if ever you do run out, which normally happens at times, no need to worry! Apple sauce is not the only sauce that you can use for your favorite savory dishes and pastries. There’s a lot of good substitutes that you can replace for apple jelly such as bananas. Other substitutes that you can also use are avocado, peanut butter, yogurt, and sweet potato.
Best Apple Sauce Substitutes
Let’s talk more about these substitutes on how it effectively substitutes apple sauce and what dishes we can make out of it. Let’s go!
1. Bananas
Bananas are one of the healthiest superfoods in the world. It is packed with essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. On top of that, it is very sweet and decadent once it ripens. Bananas come in different colors, but whatever type or color it may be, nothing will change how much goodness it brings to every dish.
It’s no question why we picked bananas as the top choice for substituting apple sauce in the kitchen. Just like apples, bananas are sweet and nutritious. The advantage with bananas over apples is that bananas are softer and creamier when mashed compared to apples. This is the very reason why bananas are perfect to make as a sauce.
So to replace apple sauce with banana, a cup of apple sauce should be substituted over one mashed banana. The bananas should be smooth and creamy when mashed to achieve sauce-like consistency.
2. Avocados
We all love our avocados for our daily breakfast grind favorite “avo toast”. It just never gets old and it’s a healthy pairing for a cup of morning coffee. It’s also a staple for Mexican cuisine which calls for a good guacamole.
But little did we know, avocados can also substitute apple sauces’ uses in cooking. It’s also very simple. You would only need 1 tbsp of mashed avocados to replace a tablespoon of applesauce. Just remember the ratio 1:1. With this as a substitute, you’re not compromising the health benefits as well.
According to popular myths, fats are not good for you. The bad fats are not, but there are good fats sources just like avocados. Our bodies need good fats to keep our body system balanced and healthy. So next time, don’t shy away from avocados and welcome it in your grocery basket.
Since avocados are lighter than apple sauce, expect that the results will be different. The temperature and cooking time can be changed since both fruits have different characteristics. But it’s not something big to worry about and the change is worth it!
3. Peanut Butter
In most vegan dishes or low-fat dishes, cooks substitute their cooking oil with apple sauce. It’s healthier and calorie friendly compared to regular oil. Just like apple sauce, peanut butter is a good option when substituting oils in a dish.
We would normally use peanut butter as a sandwich spread over toast and jam. It’s always a perfect combination! We also used it with protein shakes to add some more protein boost to it. But other than being a common addition to dishes, peanut butter contains oils that can be used for some dishes.
It’s also a healthier alternative for apple sauce. It doesn’t only have protein, but it has fiber, iron, and calcium. Another superfood we found here, right? Again, no compromising of health benefits on the substitution here.
Just take note to not put too much peanut butter in lieu of apple sauce. Follow the 1:1 ratio so the results won’t go too different or undesirable. Also, be careful when serving this to any of your guests, there might be some of them who are allergic to peanuts. The substitution might also need some practice to get this one right, but it won’t hurt to give it a try.
4. Yogurt
Yogurt is common to aid weight loss because of its ability to clear up all harmful toxins from your gut. It has the good bacteria present in it which are probiotics. These microorganisms help your stomach digest your food properly and prevent you from suffering from indigestion.
Most fitness buffs would mix yogurt with fruits, oats, chia seeds, or flax seeds and honey to make the best super bowl. But aside from being an effective superfood, yogurt is best to substitute for apple sauce especially when making baked goods.
Yogurt is a perfect substitute since it’s not dense compared to apple sauce. The pastry will be fluffier and softer in texture that you can’t control yourself to have another bite. Most cooks substitute oils in their pastries using yogurt, so you should try it, too!
5. Sweet Potato
Last but definitely not least on our list is the good old sweet potato. The magic root crop that is packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. A good source of carbohydrate but a calorie friendly treat. It gets you to fill up fast without packing on too many calories.
No wonder most health-conscious prefer these over regular photos. They taste sweeter, lesser starch, and carbs!
It’s such good news that this superfood completes our list. Mashed sweet potatoes are also a perfect substitute for apple sauce in some dishes. Just add a little bit of water when mashing it so it would copy the same consistency just like the apple sauce. Do not put too much or it will become too watery.
Key Takeaway
Substituting the apple sauce will always depend on what type of recipe you’re making and the ingredients you’ll be mixing with it.
If you’re focusing on a vegan or low-calorie diet, apple sauce is commonly used for most dishes to substitute butter or oil when making savory dishes. If apple sauce is not available, then your best bet is yogurt, avocado, or peanut butter.
For baked goods, you can substitute the butter and oil with banana, avocado, or sweet potato. The taste might show some difference from apple sauce, but hey, as long as it tastes good, who cares?