Comparing Various Fats:

Butter, Applesauce, Prune Puree, & Black Beans in Brownie Recipe

Livija Wells
Lab Report #3
Advanced Food Science
November11, 2016

Introduction
Fats are used in numerous ways in food products as shortening, meat tenderizers,
emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, energy and cooking oils (Walter & Beathard, 2015). Fat is
significant in providing flavor and satiety with meals. Unfortunately with fat usages come
significant increases in caloric intake. Fat provides 9 calories per gram, which is more than
protein and carbohydrate combined. Fats have many functions in baking. Fats tenderize, provide
moisture, enhance flavor, and add lightness to foods by trapping in air within baked goods.
Patients who are trying to limit their caloric intake use fat substitutes in cooking and baking. In
baking, fruit purees are often used to replace fat. Pureed or mashed fruits provide moisture and
contain pectin, which helps to tenderize the final baked food.
The purpose of this lab was to observe the appearance, flavor and texture of brownies
made with various fat substitutes. These substitutes included applesauce, prune puree and black
beans in place of traditional butter. In addition to studying the effects of different fat substitutes,
this experiment also explored the Gluten free options in baking. All baked good with various
ingredient substitutions were then compared against one another to determine what ingredient
combination resulted in the highest quality baked goods.

Methods
This experiment was conducted from the lab manual Understanding Food Principles and
Preparations (5th ed.) written by Walters and Beathard (2015). In the first section of this lab, four
different types of brownies were made using variations of the Basic Recipe for Brownies
(recipe in Appendix 1). Each recipe used a different fat substitute: butter (as the control used in
the standard recipe), applesauce, prune puree, and black beans. Butter and prune puree are used

in this experiment in place of margarine and fresh prunes. The Dark Chocolate and Black Bean
Brownies recipe (recipe in Appendix 2) was an addition to the lab, in which black beans were
used as an additional fat substitute for observational purposes. Each variation of the brownie
recipe was assigned to a group. In addition, each group was assigned the Gluten-Free Fudgy
Pecan Brownies recipe (recipe in Appendix 3), which was to be used in the second portion of
the lab. The brownies were baked in a convection oven following the directions for temperature
and time as dictated in the recipe. After the brownies had finished baking/cooling they were left
out on the countertop for observation. Observations of appearance, flavor and texture were
recorded in Table 1 - Comparing Fat and Fat Substitutes.
For the second portion of the lab, a gluten-free version of brownies was produced. The
recipe for Gluten-Free Fudgy Pecan Brownies required cornstarch as the replacement for
gluten. Pecans were omitted from the recipe created in class. The brownies were baked in a
convection oven for the amount of time as directed. After the brownies had finished
baking/cooling, they too were left out for observation. Similar to the first portion of the lab,
observations of appearance, flavor and texture were recorded in Table 2 Observations of
Gluten-Free Brownie Recipe.
Results
The results of this experiment illustrated the many differences between each brownie
recipe. Based on the results shown in Table 1, the standard brownie recipe using butter provided
the most chocolate flavor, and a smooth mouth feel. The brownies made with applesauce and
prune puree both resulted in little chocolate flavor but differed from one another in appearance
and texture. The brownies made with applesauce appeared dark brown and cake-like while the
brownies made with prune puree were light brown, flat, and chewy. The black bean brownies

were the most different in comparison to the brownies made with butter. The black bean
brownies appeared to have a hint of green (earthy brown) and the texture of the brownies was
grainy. The overall flavor of the black bean brownies had a bitter aftertaste different than the
sweet, fruit flavors contributed by the applesauce and the prune puree.
The second portion of this lab included the observations of the gluten-free brownie
recipe. As seen in Table 2, the gluten-free brownies appeared flat compared to the standard
brownie recipe and provided a lighter mouth feel.

Table 1 - Comparing Fat and Fat Substitutes

Fat or fat substitute

Appearance

Flavor

Texture

Butter

Smooth, Thick,
Chocolate Brown

Rich chocolate,
Full fat flavor (Butter)

Applesauce

Dark Brown, Smooth,

Fluffy (cake-like)
Light Brown, Flat,
Hard
Fudgy, smooth, Earthy
brown color

Lack of Chocolate
flavor, bland
Lack of Chocolate
flavor, bland
Chocolate flavor with
bitter aftertaste

Smooth, balance of
cake/fudgy
consistency
Cake-like, Smooth

Prune Puree
Black Beans

Dry and Chewy

Grainy, Crumbly

Table 2 - Observations of Gluten-free Brownie Recipe

Gluten Substitute
Gluten-Free Brownie
Recipe

Appearance
Spongy, semi-flat

Flavor
Cinnamon (due to
cinnamon added)
Chocolate Flavor

Texture
Soft, light, crumbly

Discussion
The results of this experiment can be explained through understanding the role of fats in a
recipe; as shortening, meat tenderizers, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, energy and cooking oils. In
this lab specifically, fat served as flavor, texture and color. The standard brownie recipe, which
contained butter, provided the best appearance, flavor and texture. This is because butter contains

beta-carotene, a carotenoid responsible for the desired yellow color in butter (Brown, 2008). Not
only does butter provide a pleasing color, but also the components, butyric acid, lactones,
aldehydes and ketones contribute to the flavor of butter (Brown, 2008).
The applesauce in the brownies provided a cake-like texture. This is due to the protein
structure weakened by sugar, which increases volume (Brown, 2008). The prune puree is less
sweet than applesauce, which explains the more flat appearance and bland flavor. The black
beans were added to this experiment and can also be used as a fat replacement. Black beans were
chosen as opposed to kidney or cannellini beans due to their dark color, which wont affect the
color of the brownies (Brown, 2008). Along with applesauce and pureed prunes, using black
beans as fat replacers in baked goods reduces caloric intake and fat content creating a more
nutritional product. This lab is important for counseling purposes. When a patient/client wants to
reduce their fat intake, they can do so by simply substituting fats when baking. Exploring low
calorie options for baked products are justified by todays obesity epidemic.
Along with low calorie options, gluten-free options in baking are becoming more
common. In this experiment, the Gluten-Free Fudgy Pecan Brownies used cornstarch in place
of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in most grains that serves as a binding agent in baking.
Gluten formation is responsible for the volume, texture and appearance of a product (Brown,
2008). As seen in the experiment, without gluten, baked goods tend to be more crumbly. This is
due to the lack of binding agents in the dough. Although gluten-free options dont represent the
preferred texture, as seen in the lab, the flavor is similar to the flavor of the standard brownie
recipe. This portion of the lab is useful for clients trying to eliminate wheat from their diet
without sacrificing baked goods.

The expectations of the lab were met, as the standard brownie recipe using butter was the
most flavorful. To determine the effects of fat substitutes multiple variations of the Basic Recipe
for Brownies were tested. One way to improve or strengthen the results of this experiment
would be to have each group do all five brownie recipes and then compare observations. Since
each brownie recipe was created once, sources of error include human error such as a mistake in
the recipe, cooking temperature, time.

References
Brown, A. C. (2008). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation (5th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Cengage Learning.

Walter, J. M., & Beathard, K. (2015). Understanding Food Principles and Preparation Lab
Manual (5th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.