Can you substitute applesauce in cookie recipes?

Applesauce can be a great substitute for oil, butter, vegetable shortening, or mashed banana in baking recipes. The general ratio is to use 1/2 cup of applesauce for every 1 cup of oil or butter called for in the recipe.

When substituting applesauce for butter, vegetable shortening, or mashed banana, it's important to keep in mind that applesauce has a higher water content. This can affect the texture of your baked goods, making them more moist and dense. To compensate, you may need to reduce the amount of other liquid ingredients in your recipe.

Also, applesauce has a natural sweetness, so you may want to reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe.

Here are some tips for using applesauce in cookie recipes:

* Start with a recipe that calls for oil or butter, not solid shortening. Applesauce is a good substitute for oil or butter, but it won't work as well in a recipe that calls for solid shortening.

* Use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened applesauce will make your cookies too sweet.

* Be sure to reduce the amount of other wet ingredients in the recipe. Applesauce is a wet ingredient, so you'll need to reduce the amount of other wet ingredients in the recipe to compensate. This might include water, milk, eggs, or oil.

* Don't overmix the batter. Overmixing the batter can make your cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.

* Bake the cookies at a slightly lower temperature. Applesauce cookies tend to brown more quickly than cookies that are made with butter or shortening, so lower the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burning.

* Check the cookies for doneness a few minutes early. Applesauce cookies can be done before the edges start to brown, so check them early to prevent overbaking.