Effects of Partial Butter Replacement With Avocado Puree in Chocolate Muffins

OBJECTIVES: Baked goods contain high amounts of saturated fat from butter. High saturated fat intake has been shown to lead to negative health outcomes. Decreasing the saturated fat content of baked goods may be nutritionally beneficial. However, it may also lead to adverse outcomes since it retains moisture, tenderizes, and creates a rich aroma and taste. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of replacing 50% of the butter with avocado puree in chocolate muffins to improve the fat profile. METHODS: The control recipe contained 100% butter (65 g) and the variation contained 50% avocado puree (32.5 g) and 50% butter (32.5 g). Un-trained panelists (n = 4) rated the external and internal appearance, aroma, flavor, and texture for both the control and variation. An overall product score was calculated based on the average of the five different characteristics rated. The key characteristics to be compared were external appearance, flavor, and texture. A t-test was performed to assess the differences between the control and variation. Personal preference questions were used to determine which muffin the panelist would eat again. Total fat and saturated fat were calculated using Cronometer. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the control muffin and the variation in any of the key characteristics. The mean scores for flavor were 4.0 ± 0.0 (control) and 4.5 ± 0.6 (variation), P = 0.13. The mean scores for texture were 4.0 ± 0.8 (control) and 4.3 ± 0.5 (variation), P = 0.62. There were also no significant differences in overall product score: 4.4 ± 0.3 (control) and 4.4 ± 0.5 (variation), P = 0.89. The mean ratings for the external appearance were 4.8 ± 0.5 (control) and 4.3 ± 0.5 (variation), P = 0.270. All four of the panelists indicated that they would eat the avocado puree variation again and preferred it over the control. Total fat decreased from 9.7g in the control to 7.9 g in the variation and saturated fat decreased from 5.5 g in the control to 4.2 g in the variation. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this experiment demonstrated that a 50% partial substitution of avocado puree was acceptable in chocolate muffins, which may be due to the chocolate masking the flavor, color, appearance, and aroma of the avocado puree. Other baked goods with a robust flavor would be candidates for partial substitutions with avocado puree. FUNDING SOURCES: Framingham State University.