Knowing how to move from a full-fat to a low-fat glass of milk is self-explanatory, but substituting lower fat dairy products in your cooking can sometimes be tricky. The good news is that fat-free dairy can be substituted for full-fat in many delicious recipes and low-fat products can nearly always be used in place of their full-fat counterparts. Here’s the skinny.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Milk
When to use it …
Low-fat milk can be used in just about everything regular milk is used for, it just won’t have quite as creamy taste. In fact, a recent test conducted by Cook’s Illustrated found that a basic yellow cake made with low-fat milk was almost identical in taste and texture as the whole milk cake. You can also use low-fat milk in pancake batters with little to no difference in taste. Skim milk can even be substituted in most puddings and custards if you add a tablespoon of non-fat dry milk to every cup of milk.
When not to use it …
Skim milk isn’t recommended for baking; use low-fat instead. Skim milk should also not be used in desserts, such as flan, that you plan to unmold. While the texture of the dessert will be fine, it just won’t hold its shape. Skim milk is also not recommended for use in scalloped potatoes/gratins or sauces that rely on the fat content of whole milk to set.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Evaporated Milk
When to use it…
Richer tasting than fat-free milk because it’s condensed, this is best used in recipes such as creamy soups that ordinarily get their richness from milk or cream. Use equal parts evaporated fat-free milk and regular fat-free milk in place of the milk or cream called for in any recipe.
When not to use it…
Since the protein content is high in evaporated milk, don’t substitute it for regular milk in baking or your cakes will be very dense and not rise very high.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Cream Cheese
When to use it…
Fat-free cream cheese can be mixed with a sugar substitute and vanilla extract to make a filling for reduced-fat wafer cookies or low-fat graham crackers. Using an electric mixer, thin out this same mixture with fat-free milk and you have an easy frosting for angel food cake. You can also use it in savory cheese spreads and cold appetizers such as fat-free cream cheese spread on whole-wheat tortillas, topped with smoked salmon and cut into pinwheels.
When not to use it…
In baking, reduced-fat cream cheese is the way to go. Low-fat cheesecakes usually require at least light cream cheese because fat-free cream cheese doesn’t have the necessary firmness. In addition, many cream cheese-based doughs especially need fat to work.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Mozzarella, Swiss and Cheddar Cheeses
When to use it…
The heat of the oven will dry out these cheeses without their melting or spreading very well. So, just tuck the cheeses under the toppings on pizza, inside the layers of a casserole, and inside a quesadilla or burrito. Here they’ll generally melt because of the moisture inherent in the dish.
When not to use it…
If you need your cheese to melt on top of the dish or in a dish without much moisture, using low-fat or a small portion of regular chesse is your best bet.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Yogurt
When to use it…
You can substitute fat-free for full fat yogurt in any baking recipe. Fat-free yogurt thinned with a little fat-free milk even makes a good substitution for buttermilk. But read the labels: Some fat-free yogurts are made with pectin or other thickeners. This is fine in cold preparations, but best avoided if you’re heating the yogurt. Fat-free or low-fat Greek yogurt has a great creamy texture that works well in many recipes, but be aware that it is much more tart than regular yogurt and plan accordingly.
When not to use it…
While fat-free yogurt is good in just about anything, when it comes to soups and sauces such as curries, low fat may be a better option if you don’t want the sauce to become too thin. Unfortunately, due to yogurt’s thicker viscosity and creaminess, it does not make a good replacement in drinks.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Sour Cream
When to use it…
Use fat-free or low-fat sour cream in any savory recipe that calls for regular sour cream; just be careful to avoid overheating. Lower fat sour cream can curdle easily, break down, and become watery. So, it’s best to stir it in at the very end of cooking.
When not to use it…
Avoid baking with low-fat or fat-free sour cream; try yogurt instead.
Fat-Free or Low-Fat Mayonnaise
When to use it…
Low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise can be substituted in most any uncooked recipe such as salad dressing.
When not to use it…
When mayonnaise is called for in baking, the chemistry just doesn’t work without the fat. Also, when used as a coating for baked fish, fat-free mayonnaise will break, crack and dry out.