Baked treats and goodies have always been irresistible, especially during this season. Just the thought of the smell of freshly-baked goodies permeating your home already makes one feel giddy and warm.

However, no matter how good these baked treats are, a lot of them still pose a threat to one’s health. You need to watch out for the calories from overconsumption of sweets.

It also has adverse effects on your oral health. If you eat too many sweets, you might have a difficult time booking a dental appointment when a tooth hurts as most practices aren’t fully operational yet. A lot of businesses related to dental practices, such as healthcare lighting companies and dental equipment suppliers, are also having a hard time navigating this season because of the pandemic. And while they’re still fully operational, they take a lot of measures to make sure that the products they deliver follow the standards put to avoid the virus.

Now would be a challenging time to get dental problems. For this reason, we have decided to make your holidays sweeter without the health problems by giving you a few baking hacks that will healthify your goodies.

8 Hacks to Healthify Your Baking

Hack #1: Use avocado.

An avocado’s smooth texture makes it a suitable substitute for butter to add consistency to your baked treats that your taste buds will absolutely love. It can also be used as pudding or frosting.

Hack #2: Swap oil with applesauce.

Add unsweetened applesauce to your ingredients instead of the usual fatty oil for guilt-free enjoyment. You can easily make one at home by combining an apple with lemon juice. Use ¾ cup of applesauce for every cup of oil indicated in any recipe.

Hack #3: Greek yogurt for the win.

Another good substitute for fat and oil is Greek yogurt. It’s a healthier alternative given that it’s packed with protein, calcium, and probiotics. Using it won’t take away from the flavor and consistency making it an ideal ingredient for baking.

Hack #4: Try banana as a substitute sweetener.

If you’re looking for something sweet, ditch the sugar and use a ripe banana for baking instead. It is high in glucose but not unhealthy like other artificial sweeteners. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is.

Hack #5: Take out sugar and use spice instead.

When checking out recipes, keep an eye out for any need for sugar. Instead of using sugar as your sweetener, add spices instead. Spices like nutmeg or cinnamon are great for enhancing the flavor without compromising your health.

Hack #6: Go with natural sweeteners.

Natural sweeteners are healthier sweetening alternatives for white table sugar. Maple syrup, honey, dates, agave, or coconut sugar are some that you can easily use for baking. But be careful with how much you put into your mix. Just because they’re natural doesn’t mean they won’t cause your blood sugar level to spike.

Hack #7: Make your own alternatives to flour.

One of the best ways to know what’s going inside your body is if you make them from scratch. Store-bought flour is still processed and contains ingredients that may not be healthy for you. Instead, make your own flour with flax, oat, and nut. Throw them into a food processor until it becomes a very fine powder and you’re good to go.

Hack #8: Dark chocolate is life.

If you’re like us and you love the chunk that chocolate chips bring in cookies and brownies, then this one’s for you. You don’t need to skip the chunky chocolatey taste just because you’re health-conscious. Dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) is the answer to your dilemma. It’s a lot healthier than milk chocolate, can help you lose weight, and relieve you of stress.

You don’t need to compromise your health just to enjoy some holiday treats. Try the hacks we listed above and see for yourself.