Substituting pumpkin for butter

[rybread]

Recently, someone in another thread mentioned substituting pumpkin for butter in a recipe, which was a lightbulb moment for me. As I get closer to goal, I have to really watch my calories to keep losing, and being able to save a few calories by using pumpkin instead of butter in something like these raspberry flaxmeal muffins would be great!

So my question is - how much pumpkin to butter? For example, in that muffin recipe, I usually only use 1 stick (.5cup) butter, so how much pumpkin could I use instead?

[not2late]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

Why would you want to substitute the butter when eating fat is okay on Atkins?????

Anyhow, substituting applesauce for butter in some recipes is a trick to lower the fat content of a food. It seems this is a variation on the applesauce trick. With applesauce and I'm assuming with pumpkin, the results are best in the oil-based recipes and the substitution is a 1 to 1 ratio.

Also if you substitute pumpkin for the butter in that recipe, you'll have to increase the carb count. 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin = 19 net carbs (29.7 total carbs, 10.7 fiber grams).

Frankly, that recipe works best if you decrease the butter to a 1/2 stick and get rid of one egg.

[rybread]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

As I mentioned at the beginning of my post - in order to bring down the calories.

I am fully aware by this point that eating fat is ok on Atkins.

[not2late]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

As I mentioned at the beginning of my post - in order to bring down the calories.

I am fully aware by this point that eating fat is ok on Atkins.

When I eat something really high in calories, I modify the food I eat the rest of the day. That way I don't fall into the "Snack Well phenomenon" trap.

Anyhow, if you do subsitute pumpkin puree, just be aware that you'll have to adjust the carbs of the food. And be aware that you will have a decidely pumpkin flavor to the food. The low fat people subbed applesauce because apples have a relatively neutral taste so it is easily masked by other stronger flavors.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

megs I'm with you about cutting that recipe down to begin with. I only use 1/4th cup which is 1/2 stick of fat in my muffins and I just add 1 cup of pumpkin to the recipe when i make pumpkin muffins

But with 1.5 sticks of butter 3 eggs and a cup of flax seeds for 12 muffins is very high fat 81% so it can stand to lose some fat espically since she wants them for getting closer to goal when our fats go down to about 50% of our total cals. Enjoy your pumpkin flax muffins.

[not2late]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

Rybread is on Rung 7. She could easily sub applesauce or if she wants to use an Induction veggie, zucchini (the frozen kind whirled in a blender) would be good.

Anyhow, as I wrote the recipe works best if the butter is cut to 1/2 stick (which is the same as a 1/4 cup) and an egg is removed. I've found that even cutting the flax to 3/4 cup helps it out as well. Otherwise it's a greasy, overly eggy tasting, heavy blob. Decreasing the egg to 2 made the muffins lighter in texture.

2Big, how does the pumpkin affect the texture of those muffins? I mean, they're pretty heavy and dense without any additions, I would think the pumpkin makes them like doorstops especially if the eggs are kept at the same amount.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

I use my recipe not that one and it can afford to hold a lot of moisture with 3 cups meal 1 cup PP, 2t baking powder, 1/4 c oil 1 egg and 1.5 c water. i just lower the water to 3/4th c and add the pumpkin.

[rybread]

Re: Substituting pumpkin for butter

Thank you both for your input. I will certainly be experimenting with that recipe, it seems! Pumpkin flax muffins sound great, 2big.

not2late, while I can assure you I will never be falling into the Snackwell phenomenon trap as I am 100% committed to this WOE, if I can modify the recipe in a way that is still healthy and lowers the overall calorie count, I'll be happy. At this stage, I can spare carbs (within my net carb allowance, obviously) far more than I can calories. (My BMR is currently about 1450 calories, & I try to keep my calories between 1400 and 1700 calories a day). Its great to hear that 1/2 a stick and 2 eggs works just as well. And that pumpkin and butter can be substituted 1:1. Thanks for the great info, as per usual!