Carob flour as a sugar and fat replacer in cookies: Physical, chemical, textural, and sensory properties

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of incorporating carob flour (CF) at levels of 10, 20, and 30% as a replacement for sugar and fat on the composition, physical properties, and techno-functional characteristics of cookies prepared with soft wheat flour (SWF) or whole soft wheat flour (WSWF). As the CF level increased, the dietary fibre content in cookies prepared with SWF and WSWF increased from 3.08% to 13.44% and from 9.90% to 17.44%, respectively. Total phenolic content ranged from 559.91 mg GAE/kg to 3130.24 mg GAE/kg in SWF cookies and from 776.39 mg GAE/kg to 3436.36 mg GAE/kg in WSWF cookies. Antioxidant activity, measured using DPPH assay, also significantly increased from 43.68 μmol TE/100 g to 442.87 μmol TE/100 g in SWF cookies and from 95.36 μmol TE/100 g to 579.12 μmol TE/100 g in WSWF cookies. The phytic acid content of the cookies decreased by 12% in SWF and by 69% in WSWF as the CF level increased. The incorporation of CF increased cookie thickness while reducing both diameter and spread ratio. Higher CF levels resulted in increased hardness and a darker colour. Notably, cookies with 10% CF showed an 8% reduction in added sugar and an 11.5% reduction in added fat, and they were the most preferred in sensory evaluations.

Keywords

• Carob flour
• Sugar and fat replacers
• Functional cookies
• Techno-functional properties
• Sensory evaluation

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