If you want a low-fat alternative for butter in your bakes that can also be easily prepared at home, consider swapping in some prune butter for a fruity upgrade.

It's the steam produced by the water in the butter that helps baked goods rise. Prune butter, though fat-free, creates the same effect, as it contains water that produces steam.

Both prune butter and butter add a rich flavor to baked goods, but prune butter is fruitier and sweeter than butter.

In the 1990s, the California Prune Board started tinkering with prune butter as a replacement in baking, providing The Baltimore Sun with samples of some prune butter brownies.

The testers called the texture “spongy rather than chewy,” but said they were flavorful and worth a try if you wanted something chocolatey and low-fat.

To make prune butter, put dried prunes in a pot with enough water to cover them. Once they soften, use a food processor and puree them along with some sugar before refrigerating.