Use fresh flour, nuts and seeds   
Whole flours, nuts and seeds should be fresh for the best flavour and nutrition. The oils in these foods can go off after being exposed to oxygen for a while. Buy from a reliable store, and smell and taste before using. If keeping them for a while, store in the freezer. See our Tips on buying and storing fresh whole foods page.

Use whole grain flour
If the recipe calls for white flour, try substituting half of it for wholewheat. Soft spelt flour can be used in place of white pastry flour. For flavour try adding some buckwheat or corn meal.

Reduce the sugar and use natural sweeteners
Most dessert recipes are very sweet. Try using less sugar. Also experiment with using natural sweetners such as maple syrup, rice syrup, or powered cane juice. Reduce the recipe's wet ingredients if using a wet sweetener in place of the sugar. (For a review of the different types of sweeteners and the controversy surrounding most of them, see From Sugar to Agave – How Sweet It Is?)

For chocolate recipes, try unsweetened cocoa or carob in place of sweet cocoa. Try semi-sweet dark chocolate chips or carob chips instead of the sweet ones.

Don't let the baking powder get wet too soon  
Once combined with wet ingredients, baking powder starts its magic of making bubbles resulting in light and fluffy pancakes, muffins and cakes. But there is a limit to how long it works. After you combine the wet ingredients with the dry, form your baked goods and get them in the oven without delay.

Make sure your baking powder is fresh
To test: place a teaspoon in some warm water. It should foam and bubble quite actively if it is fresh. It is best stored in the freezer.

One less mixing bowl
Many recipes call for two bowls to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. To save having to clean an extra bowl, mix the dry ingredients on one side of the bowl and then mix the wet ingredients on the other side.

Use oil instead of butter or margarine
If a recipe calls for melting butter or margarine, it will save you time and trouble to use a light cooking oil instead. It is also healthier.

Reduce the fat content
Experiment with using less oil than the recipe calls for. Substitute something wet for the missing oil such as water, soy milk or applesauce. Instead of using an oil-based icing, try a low-fat frosting recipe, or use a glaze or nuts (see next tip).

Use a glaze or nuts in place of a rich icing
When baking a cake, try making a simple glaze out of a few spoons of sugar and the juice and rind from a lemon, lime or orange. Or sprinkle nuts and fruit on top of the batter instead of stirring them in. The nuts toast as they bake, releasing a nice flavour.

Substitute eggs with ground flax
Use 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds and 3 Tbsp water in place of an egg in baking recipes. See our egg page for more healthy substitution ideas.