Can I sub yogurt for oil in boxed brownies?

[Samm]

And have them turn out yummy??

Thanks!
Samm

[carnelian]

I've seen lots of recipes for baked goods that sub applesauce for oil.

[Carley]

Yep! You sure can! There's even a brownie mix that marketed "No Pudge" in which the oil/eggs are replaced by yogurt.

e.g. http://www.recipezaar.com/No-Pudge-Brownie-Clone-116219

^I haven't tried that recipe, but I've replaced yogurt for oil/eggs & it works great... as long as you like a fudgy brownie! They're so delicious... definitely not the "cakey" brownies though!

The batter is going to be super thick with the yogurt. You'll be tempted to add more liquid, but don't.

Good luck!

[Samm]

Thanks for the responses!!

I ended up making them before your posts and I did 1/2 oil and 1/2 yogurt (it happened to be lowfat) and they taste fine but didn't come out fudgy - they were actually more cakey than normal. I'm thinking it was because the yogurt was lowfat. Next time I will use whole milk yogurt and no oil.

S

[Carley]

No, it definitely wasn't the low fat yogurt. Did you use eggs? Eggs yeild cakey brownies. Or baking powder?

The "diet" brownies ("No Pudge" or homemade) are made with nonfat yogurt, no eggs & no oil & they come out really fudgy. It's a basic brownie recipe for the dry ingredients with nonfat yogurt sub for oil and eggs.

[Pookietooth]

I've heard of applesauce or mashed bananas in place of oil, never yogurt.

[RunnerDuck]

Yogurt for fat was one of many lovely tips to come out of the oh-so-fattening low-fat 90s. I never tried it myself but remember seeing it in a Dannon ad.

I have actually never made brownies! Not that I won't eat them, I just don't like them enough to make them. If I were to make them and wanted to cut the fat - I would try to cut it, not eliminate it - I would try prune. I have read prune is a good fat fill in for heavy, dark baked goods. I have used part applesauce, part oil in banana bread with excellent results, I would think prune would be good in brownies.

I have seen the no-pudge brownie mix and had them once, at a friend's house... a very weird IMO low-fat Christmas dinner. Just wrong. BUT the brownies were good IIRC... so yogurt may work but I would try prune, myself.

I understand why fruit puree works, but I don't understand why yogurt works, just that it's supposed to.