A Substituting Butter with Pumpkin Puree in Muffin Formulation: A Low-Fat Alternative for Improved Nutritional Profile

Substituting Butter with Pumpkin Puree in Muffin Formulation:

Abstract

People who consume high-fat foods have more chance of cardiovascular disease. Muffins, widely consumed baked foods, are geared towards gelatinous sensory experience with high-fat and cholesterol content from excessive butter. This study aims to create a low-fat muffin formula based on replacing butter with pumpkin puree that can be much more suitable for fat-cutting. This study aimed to make low-calorie muffins by using pumpkin puree as a substitute for butter, the percentage of which varied from 25% to 100%, to determine the applicability and acceptability of the method in muffin baking. The formulation was prepared using pumpkin puree instead of butter in 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% concentrations, plus a control formulation with butter alone. The sensory attributes, including colour, smell, texture, taste, and overall likeability, were evaluated in each formulation to find out the best one. Formulation C with 75% pumpkin puree (alternative to butter) was demonstrated to be the best-liked sensory product that duplicated the attributes of the control cupcakes, indicating its viability as a muffin butter substitute. The study concludes that pumpkin puree could be a better choice to substitute butter when producing muffins, as it is a healthier option with fewer calories and fats in comparison, but without compromising on sensory quality. A formulation with 75.7% puree displayed encouraging sensory profiles.