Yes, I do! It is about the only thing I use eggbeaters for but I found a recipe in the American Heart Association cookbook for zucchini bread with eggbeaters and a grated apple (rather than applesauce). It has only a tablespoon or two of oil. I really like the bread and think it's very comparable to normal.

I am not at home right now so don't have the recipe but can find it later if you would like.

MostlyLurkerAnn (to distinguish from all the other Ann's and Annie's)

My mother-in-law made an assortment of HORRIBLE quick breads that had so much vegetable oil in them you could SEE it seeping out of the crumb of the breads - YUCK!!!

I've cut fat in most quick breads to no more than 3 T. and have gotten good results. It depends on the other ingredients as to how well this reduction works....

I also substitute (low-glycemic) agave nectar for sugar (use 1/2 to 3/4 cup per 1-cup of sugar), so the liquid agave nectar will add to the moisture level lost by using less fat. Agave nectar naturally hold more moisture in the crumb, so it contributes to the keeping quality past the first day when you reduce fat.

There's a lot of science involved when you start substituting ingredients. For everything you take away, you will need to adjust something else because most baked goods are a ratio of ingredients, one to another. Tenderizers (fat and sugar) and those that are structure builders (flour and eggs). Alter one without altering the other and you may find things aren't what you'd like them to be.

When you reduce fat and sugar, you're making a compromise - fewer calories, yes, but be prepared to sacrifice some tenderness.

Along with alternative ingredients for fat (applesauce, apple butter, fruit juice, or pureed fruit), I found adding small amounts of butter (maybe only 1-3 T.) gave quick breads more moisture and a better crumb than fat-free versions. They didn't dry out as quickly (a common problem when you remove all the fat), and were more satisfying to eat than fat-free.

A little bit of fat will increase the satiety in foods. So eat one slice with a little fat, or as they found out doing tests with Snack Well Cookies (which were fat-free), people would consume the entire box because the satiety level was very low because of NO fat.

Egg whites are very drying in baked goods (think of hard baked meringues), as are egg-white based Egg Beaters. If a quick bread calls for 2-3 eggs, try using at least one whole egg and the rest Egg Beaters. If it only calls for one egg, then I'd suggest using a whole egg. The naturally-occuring lecithin and fat in the egg yolk does great things to the texture you can't duplicate with egg whites or Egg Beaters. Egg protein, with its ideal mix of essential amino acids (when you use a WHOLE egg), has increasingly proven to be a tool for formulating functional foods that promote satiety.

To help retain moistness, bake fat-free or fat-reduced quick breads at a slightly lower-than-standard temperature. Bake quick breads at 325F., and be VERY careful NOT to over-bake them.

It's generally easier to find a low-fat or fat-free recipe and try it than it is to experiment adjusting an old full-fat favorite recipe. When I alter recipes, I keep careful records of the outcome and generally only alter one major ingredient at a time. I have a (paper) form I've used over the years for altering recipes. It includes a copy of the original recipe, changes I make and why, results, and suggestions for the next time I make it....

-Grainlady

I was typing and didn't see Prairie Love's suggested recipe, so I've located for you...

-Grainlady

ZUCCHINI BREAD

(source: American Heart Association LOW-FAT, LOW-CHOLESTEROL COOKBOOK - second edition)

Serves 16, 1 slice per serving.

Vegetable oil spray
1-1/2-c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1 c. shredded zucchini (about 4-ounces)
1/4 c. raisins (optional)
1 T. finely chopped walnuts, preferable dry-roasted
1/2 c. pineapple juice
Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg, OR 1 egg
1 T. acceptable vegetable oil
1 T. corn syrup
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in zucchini, raisins, and nuts. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, beat together remaining ingredients. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture and stir until JUST moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1-hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10-minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To store, wrap loaf in plastic WRAP and refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Nutrient Analysis
Calories - 91
Protein - 2g
Carbohydrate - 18 g
Total fat - 1g
Saturated Fat - 0g
Polyunsaturated fat - 1g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 63 mg

grainlady, that's interesting - although similar, that is not the recipe I had in mind. The one I've used does not have pineapple juice and it does have a shredded apple. I must have a different version of the AHA cookbook. I'll look for mine this evening.

That's very interesting information you provided above. I do like to try to make some of my foods lower in calories and fat, so you've given some great guidelines for how to do so without sacrificing too much, thank you.

I routinely sub two egg whites for a whole egg in quick breads. I don't buy egg beaters. I haven't found a taste difference, but they do dry out quicker, for the reasons described. I also refuse to make a quick bread recipe with more than 3/4 cup fat. Less is better. Most of mine are around 2/3. I sub applesauce or plain non-fat yogurt for some of the fat, depending on the recipe. With zuchinni bread I would use applesauce.

I also never go above 2/3 cup sugar, and with some recipes I can go as low as 1/2. Subbing 2/3 cup sugar for a whole cup is as low as you can go. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar, I will often use 1/3. 3/4 cup in a recipe is a little trickier. With that I usually just go to 2/3 cup. I make a lot of quick breads and I have my recipes pared to what I consider the optimal ratios, with all the good parts still intact but with the excesses shaved away. I don't make much zuchinni bread though, as I rarely get a zuchinni that I wouldn't rather eat in ratatouille. I don't have friends with big vegetable gardens to give me those big ol' ones for the bread.

Cool idea about using some butter. I'm going to try that in some of my reduced calorie quick breads.

LR