Sensory and Physical Properties of Heart Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies Prepared by

Replacing Butter with Avocado Purée

Richal Shrestha, richal.shrestha96@gmail.com

Department of Family, Nutrition and Exercise Science, Queens College
65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY, 11368-11597

Abstract
Chocolate chip cookies are extremely popular, easy to prepare American dessert. The downside
is these cookies are high in calories, fat, and cholesterol and low in fiber. Today, the rates of
obesity and obesity-related diseases like cardiovascular disease has seen an upward trend in the
United States. In fact, 20% of adults all around the country are obese and at least 1 person loses
their life every 36 seconds due to cardiovascular disease. The aim of our research is to modify
the chocolate chip cookies to be lower in calories, fat and cholesterol while increasing the fiber
to allow Americans to continue enjoying the dessert while receiving nutritional benefits. As an
objective test, the diameter of the samples was measured in triplicate. When testing chocolate
chip cookies formulated with different amounts of avocado purée which replaced the butter in
this recipe, sensory and overall acceptability were analyzed. Untrained panelists (n=10)
evaluated three formulations of the cookies (n=3). The control recipe was compared to the
samples made with 50% butter, 50% avocado purée and 100% avocado purée. Nutrient analysis
was performed for all three samples and the statistical analysis was performed using one-way
analysis of variance (ANOVA). When avocado purée substituted butter in rising proportions,
there were differences in calorie, fat, and dietary fiber content. Brownness differences were
considered to be significant as compared to the control recipe. When compared to the control
formula, significant differences in the modifications for crumbliness, sweetness and overall
acceptability were discovered. But for aftertaste, the chocolate chip cookie made from 100%
avocado purée had the highest score of 7.90 The 50% avocado purée, 50% butter had the highest
score in overall acceptability with decreased brownness, sweetness, and crumbliness. The results
found the diameter of the cookies made with 50% butter, 50% avocado purée and 100% avocado
purée were significantly lower with the score of 4.60 and 4.40 respectively as compared to the
control, 6.40. Thus, it can be concluded that avocado purée can partially substitute for butter in
chocolate chip cookies to improve the nutritional content without affecting their overall
acceptability.

Keywords: Avocado, low-fat, sensory test, cookies, acceptability

Introduction

The prevalence of global obesity has almost tripled since 1975 (WHO, 2020). Obesity Medicine
Association describes obesity as a chronic, relapsing, multi-factorial, neurobehavioral disorder in
which a rise in body fat facilitates adipose tissue impairment and abnormal fat mass, resulting in
detrimental physiological, biomechanical, and psychosocial health effects. (ACC, 2018) One of
the several impacts is cardiovascular disease which is the number 1 cause of death claiming lives
of 17.9 million globally each year (WHO, 2017). The main cause of obesity is due to metabolic
imbalance between calorie consumption and expenditure. Furthermore, significant intake of
energy dense foods, high in fats and sugars has been seen globally putting us at greater risk for
cardiovascular diseases. (WHO, 2020) In United States alone, one person dies every 36 seconds
from cardiovascular disease. (CDC, 2020)

Dietary guidelines 2020 – 2025 suggests limiting the amount of saturated fats to less than 10% of
the total calories or to replace it with unsaturated fats. (USDA; USDHHHS, 2020) Opting for
healthy fat options like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and limiting unhealthy fats
like saturated and trans fats are important to lower blood cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular
diseases. One of the examples of such healthy fats is avocado which is rich in monounsaturated
fats. With the increased public interest in health and nutrition today, avocados, specifically has
grown its popularity. Avocado consumption in the United States has observed a fluctuating but
typically growing pattern since 1970s, rising drastically from 2.23 pounds per capita in 2000 to a
record 7.1 pounds per capita in 2016 (Shahbandeh, 2018). Avocados are often referred to as
“superfoods” due to its distinctive nutritional and phytochemical composition (Bhuyan, et al.,
2019). They can contribute vastly to a balanced diet as they are outstanding source of dietary fats
with abundance of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, zinc, beta-carotene, tocopherol,
retinol, ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, and folic acid. Due to its high
potassium content, it helps to maintain cardiovascular health by regulating the blood pressure
and modulating fluid retention in the body. Additionally, the American Heart Association
recommends consumption of 2-3 g of sterols and stanols to improve heart health. A 68g serving
of avocado contains approximately 57 mg of phytosterols with beta-sitosterol which has
cholesterol lowering property being the most abundant phytosterol present (Bhuyan, et al., 2019).
The key antioxidants found in avocado are phenolic compound, carotenoids, α, β, γ, and δ-
tocopherols, acerogenins, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the presence of
phenolic compounds have shown to suppress oxidation, inflammation, and platelet aggregation.
Avocado consumption also correlates in large differences in dietary consistency and nutrient
intakes, higher HDL-C levels, lower body weight, BMI, waist circumference and risk of
metabolic syndrome (Fulgoni, Dreher, & Davenport, 2013) which could contribute significantly
for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases as they are often associated with higher BMI and
waist circumference.

Chocolate Chip cookies are extremely popular in the United States because they are easy to
prepare and can be made chewy or crunchy to accommodate one’s taste. According to a Nestlé
Toll house poll (May, 2017), chocolate chips were found to be favored by most. We chose
chocolate chip cookies in our study because of its popularity and the need to develop a heart-
healthy treat. Previous studies have been conducted using avocado in pureed form to create
various baked goods. One of studies used avocado purée to create low-fat muffins and observed
acceptance of muffin made with 50% avocado which had 38.2% reduction in fat and 2.5% lower
in calorie content as compared to the original muffin recipe (Othman & et al, 2018). Another
study also used avocado purée to test the effect on physical, textural, and sensory properties of
oatmeal cookies and acceptance of 50% butter replaced with avocado purée was observed and
provided 35% less fat and 13% less calories than the original recipe (Wekwete; Navder, 2008).
In this study, avocado puree was used to replace butter when preparing chocolate chip cookies in
order to create a heart healthy treat by raising unsaturated fat content and lowering unsaturated
fat content. The objective of this study was to use avocado puree in this experiment to determine
whether baked goods prepared with butter can be replace by avocado puree and to what extent
the replacement is acceptable. To achieve this objective, the sensory test for physical appearance,
texture, taste, and overall acceptability of the cookies was conducted 5 subjects using a 9-point
scale. The nutrients were also analyzed using chronometer.com.

Materials and Methods

Ingredients and Equipment
The ingredients used in this study are Pillsbury unbleached all-purpose flour, (J.M. Smucker
Company, Orville, OH), Domino Pure cane (white) sugar, (Domino food Inc. Yonkers, NY),
Domino dark brown sugar, (Domino Foods Inc. Yonkers, NY), McCormick vanilla extract,
(McCormick & Company, Inc., Hunt Valley, MD), Eggland’s Best eggs, (Eggland’s Best Inc.,
Jeffersonville, PA), Arm & Hammer Pure baking soda, (Church & Dwight CO. INC Princeton,
NJ), Clabber Girl Double Acting Baking Powder, (Clabber Girl Corporation, Terre Haute, IN),
Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, (Diamond Crystal Brands, Savannah, GA), Hershey’s semi-sweet
chocolate chip, (The Hershey Company, Lancaster, PA), American Choice premium unsalted
butter (Onpoint Inc., Montvale, NJ) and Organic Hass Avocado, (Fresh Direct, New York, NY).
The equipment used are conventional oven, (Model: NX58K3310SS, Samsung Group, Seoul,
South Korea) and food processor, (Hamilton Beach Brands, Glen Allen, VA).

Sample Formulation
Table 1. Formulations of chocolate chip cookies samples prepared by replacing butter with
avocado purée (UNIT: grams)
50% Butter, 50%
Ingredients Control Avocado Purée 100% Avocado Purée
(50/50) (0/100)
Flour 408g 408g 408g
Baking Soda 4.2g 4.2g 4.2g
Baking Powder 2.1g 2.1g 2.1g
Salt 4.2g 4.2g 4.2g
Butter 226g 113g N/A
Avocado Purée N/A 115g 230g
White sugar 201g 201g 201g
Dark Brown Sugar 201g 201g 201g
Eggs 114g 114g 114g
Vanilla extract 8.4g 8.4g 8.4g
Chocolate chip 256g 256g 256g

Sample Preparation
Two modified chocolate chip cookie recipes were compared to a control recipe. The control
recipe was from the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever (Laura, 2018). The sample
formulations are presented in Table 1. First, the oven was preheated to 375°F. To prepare the
cookie dough, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt were whisked together with a stainless-
steel whisk in a bowl. Avocado purée was prepared with food processor (Hamilton Beach
Brands, Glen Allen, VA). Sugar was then creamed in a separate bowls with different levels of
butter and avocado purée (0%, 50%, 100%) by hand. Eggs and vanilla extract were beaten until
fluffy. The wet ingredients were added to the dry ingredients and mixed together until well
combined. Then, the chocolate chips were stirred into the dough. The cookie dough was scooped
using a tablespoon onto aluminum baking sheets lined with parchment paper and baked in a
conventional oven that was preheated to 375°F until golden brown (approximately for 8-10
minutes). After baking, the sheets were cooled down at room temperature for 2 minutes, then
transferred to a cooling rack and cooled for another 30 minutes.

Sensory Evaluation
Five adult volunteers (n=5) from New York, NY were selected to participate in this research
experiment. This panel consisted of 3 females and 2 males; ages 21-35 years old, Mean ± SD =
28.5 ± 4.95 years old. The sensory properties evaluated were surface brownness, sweetness,
crumbliness, and overall acceptability. Each panelist was provided simple instruction as shown
in Table 2 to evaluate each sample twice using a 9-point scale for surface brownness (1=light
brown and 9=dark brown), sweetness and crumbliness (1=weak and 9=strong) and a 9-point
hedonic scale for overall acceptability (1=dislike extremely and 9=like extremely). Two cookies
of each treatment were served to panelists on a 8.5” diameter white paper plate after the cookies
were cooled down (totaling six samples to each panelist). Random numbers 561, 982 and 643 for
control, 50/50 and 100% respectively were assigned to the cookies to reduce any bias. The
cookies were served at room temperature at about 50°F. Napkins and water at room temperature
were provided to cleanse their palate in between tasting samples. Quiet surrounding, proper
lighting and distance between the panelists were maintained.

Table 2. Definitions for the sensory attributes evaluated in this study

Sensory Property Attribute Definition
Appearance Surface Brownness Intensity of browning at the surface of the
sample.
Flavor Sweetness Taste of sample produced by addition of sugar.
Texture Crumbliness The quality or state of being crumbly after first
bite.
Overall Acceptability Overall likability Self-explanatory rating of like or dislike.

Objective Evaluation
To calculate the mean and standard evaluation value for each treatment, the diameter of three
cookies for each treatment were measured using the same cm ruler, in the same temperature.
(50°F). Digital photos of the final cookie products along with a cm ruler were also taken.

Nutrient Analysis
To compare the nutritional properties of each sample, a nutrient analysis was conducted on all
three samples. 1 serving size of chocolate chip cookie that was used for nutrient analysis is a 2”
diameter cookie. For this calculation, the number of cookies that were made from one batch of
each treatment were also counted. Nutrient facts were analyzed using chronometer.com.
Differences in macronutrients, total calories, dietary fiber, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat,
vitamin E, magnesium and potassium were then observed.

Statistical Analysis
For statistical testing, all raw data and measurements were collected and entered to SPSS for
Windows (version 25.0, 2017, IBM Inc, Armonk, NY). A one -way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) along with Tukey HSD were performed as a post-hoc test. The means and standard
deviations were calculated for each treatment and compared among the other treatments. p<0.05
was used to reject the null hypothesis.

Results & Discussion

Sensory Evaluation
Table 3 and Figure 1 show sensory evaluation results. Analysis of the data indicated that there
are significant differences between brownness, sweetness, aftertaste, crumbliness, and overall
acceptability (p< 0.05 from the ANOVA result). However, in aftertaste (p=0.000), the 100%
avocado purée had significantly higher values than the control and 50% butter, 50% avocado
purée. For brownness (p=0.000), sweetness (p=0.000) and crumbliness (p=0.000), the control
and 50% butter, 50% avocado purée had significantly higher values than 100% avocado purée.
For overall acceptability (p=0.000), there was no significant difference between the control and
50% butter, 50% avocado purée but the value for 100% avocado purée was significantly lower
than the control and other modification.

Table 3. Sensory attributes (Mean* ± SD) of chocolate chip cookies prepared by replacing butter
with avocado purée
Control Modification 1 Modification 2
100% Butter 50% Butter - 50% 100% Avocado
(Code: 561) Avocado Purée Purée
(Code: 982) (Code: 643)
Brownness 5.90*c ± 0.74 4.80b ± 1.03 1.90a ± 0.88
c b
Sweetness 7.20 ± 0.91 5.00 ± 0.94 2.90a ± 1.10
Aftertaste 3.70a ± 1.05 5.90b ± 0.74 7.90c ± 0.99
Crumbliness 6.60c ± 0.97 4.80b ± 1.03 1.90a ± 0.88
b b
Overall Acceptability 6.70 ± 1.33 7.10 ± 1.10 3.20a ± 1.62
Mean ± Standard Deviation of 10 panelists using a 9-point scale (1: weak, 9: strong; Liking- 1: dislike extremely, 9: like extremely; Brownness-
1: light brown, 9: dark brown)
*Means with the same superscripts in rows indicate no significance in difference (Tukey test, p<0.05)
Sample formulations found in Table 1.

Figure 1. Sensory attributes for chocolate chip cookies prepared by replacing butter with
avocado purée (Mean* ± SD)

Sensory Evaluation
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Brownness Sweetness Aftertaste Crumbliness Liking

Control 50% Butter 50% Avocado Purée

100% Avocado Purée
Figure
*Mean of2.
10 Final
panelistschocolate
using a 9-pointchip cookie
scale (1: weak, 9:products prepared
strong; Liking- by replacing
1: dislike extremely, butterBrownness-
9: like extremely; with avocado purée
1: light brown, 9:
shown in the following order: control, 50% butter/ 50% avocado purée, and 100% avocado pur
dark brown)
Sample formulations found in Table 1
Figure 2. Final chocolate chip cookie products prepared by replacing butter with avocado purée
shown in the following order: control, 50% butter/ 50% avocado purée, and 100% avocado purée

Sample formulations found in Table 1.

Brownness
The 100% butter chocolate chip cookie had the highest mean for brownness at 5.90 which is
most likely caused by non-enzymatic chemical reactions such as Maillard reaction which occurs
when reducing sugars, amino acids, proteins, and/or other nitrogen-containing compounds are
heating together and caramelization which occurs as a result of direct heating of carbohydrates,
specifically sucrose and reducing sugars (Purlis, 2010). The 100% avocado purée scored the
lowest, with the 50% butter, 50% avocado purée scoring higher. Non-enzymatic browning is also
responsible for the production of flavor and aroma compounds. The browning in 50% butter,
50% avocado purée is most likely due to combination of Maillard reaction and enzymatic
browning. Plants contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) which usually causes the
browning due to oxidation during postharvest processing and storage (Taranto, 2017).

Sweetness
The 100% butter had the highest mean value for sweetness at a mean of 7.20. 50% butter, 50%
avocado purée scoring the second highest at mean of 5.00 showing sweetness decreased as the
butter was partially replaced by avocado purée. As the butter was fully replaced with avocado
purée, the flavor was affected and sweetness began to decrease more. 100% avocado purée
scored the lowest at the mean of 2.90. The heat treatment results in development of bitterness
and off-flavors in avocado which would explain the decline in sweetness with higher
incorporation of avocado purée (Duarte, 2016). This would also explain why the cookies made
from 100% avocado purée has a stronger aftertaste as compared to 50% avocado purée, 50%
butter and 100% butter.

Crumbliness
There was significant difference between the three samples. The control sample had the highest
mean score at 6.60, with 100% avocado purée scoring lowest at mean of 1.90. 50% butter, 50%
avocado purée sample scored in between at the mean of 6.00. The crumbliness was seen to
decrease as more avocado purée was incorporated as avocado consist of about 72% water.
(Dreher, 2013). In a study conducted to test the effects of avocado purée as a fat replacer in
oatmeal cookies, it was noted that fat reduced avocado cookies were soft, chewy and had
rounded contours with notably less surface cracking (Wekwete, 2005). In another study
conducted to test the influence of avocado purée as fat replacement for low-fat muffins, there
was a significant increase in moisture in muffins made with 100% avocado purée as compared to
the control (i.e., 100% butter) and the other modifications (i.e., 25%, 50%, 75% avocado purée)
(Othman, 2018).

Overall Acceptability
The overall acceptability of 50% butter, 50% avocado purée and the control had no significant
differences. The mean of 50% butter, 50% avocado purée was highest scoring 7.10 while 100%
avocado purée was lowest scoring 3.20. Out of all 3 samples, 50% butter, 50% avocado purée
was the most preferred among the panelists. This could be due to its flavor similarities with the
control as all the samples had equal amounts of sugar. It was noted that the increase in the
amount of avocado purée decreased the likability. Similar results were observed in a study
conducted to test the in influence of avocado purée as fat replacement for low-fat muffins as fat
substitution at higher than 50% led to undesirable flavor and aftertaste (Othman, 2018).

Diameter Measurement
The diameter measurement results were presented n Table 4 and Figure 3. There are no
statistically significant differences between 50% butter, 50% avocado purée and 100% avocado
purée (p>0.05) in diameter. The control had higher figures as compared to the 50% butter, 50%
avocado purée and 100% avocado purée samples.

Table 4. Diameter measurements for chocolate chip cookies prepared by replacing butter with
avocado purée (Mean ± SD, unit: inch).
Control Modification 1 Modification 2
(Code: 561) (Code: 982) (Code: 643)
Average of 3 6.40b ± 0.53 4.60a ± 0.36 4.40a ± 0.53
measurements
* Mean* ± Standard Deviation of 3 measurements
* Means with the same superscripts in row indicates a non-significant difference (Tukey test, p<0.05)

Figure 3. Average diameter measurements of chocolate chip cookies prepared by replacing

butter with avocado purée (UNIT: inch).

Average Diameter

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
mean

Control (561) 100 % Butter

Modification # 1 (982) 50 % Butter 50 % Avocado Puree
Modification # 3 (643) 100 % Avocado Puree
Means of 3 measurements
Sample formulations found in Table 1.
There were no significant differences in diameter between 50% butter, 50% avocado purée and
100% avocado purée. However, it was discovered during dough preparation that the sample with
fat replaced fully with avocado purée was difficult to mix due to its sticky composition. In a
study to test effect of avocado purée in oatmeal cookies, it was observed that the cookie had
significantly reduced spread and was more rounded (Wekwete, 2005).

Butter makes the cookies spread and crisp while baking which explains the reason behind the
control having higher diameter and mean (Etingin, 2015). The control was also crumblier due to
its reduced moisture content.

Nutrition Facts
Figure 4 shows Nutrition Facts for three chocolate chip cookie samples that were examined in
the present study. There was an overall decrease in calories and total fat and an increase in
dietary fiber as more avocado purée was incorporated. The control chocolate chip cookie had
115.2 calories per serving (i.e., 2-inch cookie), whereas the 50% butter, 50% avocado purée and
100% avocado purée had 101.5 and 87.8 calories per serving (i.e., 2-inch cookie) respectively.
Butter is more calorie dense than avocado. Butter has 100 Kcal per 1 tbsp
(californiaavocado.com, 2020) whereas 50g of avocado is only 80 Kcal (californiaavocado.com,
2020). This explains the decrease in calories as avocado purée was substituted for butter. The
control chocolate chip cookie had 6g of total fat per serving whereas the 50% butter, 50%
avocado purée and 100% avocado purée had 4.3g and 2.7g of total fat per serving respectively.
Butter has 23g of total fat per 2 tbsp whereas 50g of avocado only has 8g of total fat, which
explains the decrease (californiaavocado.com, 2020). Fiber content increased as avocado purée
was incorporated into the recipes. Although the increase in fiber was minimal, the control had
0.2g, the 50% butter, 50% avocado purée had 0.4g and 100% avocado purée had 0.5g per
serving. The increase in dietary fiber can be explain by the fact that avocado has 6.8g of dietary
fiber per 100 grams (USDA, 2018) whereas butter has 0 g of dietary fiber per 100g (USDA,
2019).
Compared to a commercial “Tate’s Bake Shop” (Mondelez International, Chicago, IL) cookie
calories per serving, i.e., two cookies are around 140 calories. This equates to about 70 calories
per cookie. Protein is 2g, saturated fat 4.5g, it has no trans-fat, cholesterol is 25mg, dietary fiber
is less than 1g, total sugar is 12g and sodium is 160g. Surprisingly the commercial Tate’s Bake
Shop cookie has less calories than even the 100% avocado purée group with 87.8 calories per
serving. This is dependent on the type of fat used. The protein content is more in the sample
cookies; however, the saturated fat is less in 100% avocado purée i.e., 1.5g as compared to
Tate’s Bake Shop i.e., 4.5 g.
Figure 4. Nutrition Facts for Chocolate Chip Cookies prepared by replacing Butter with
Avocado Purée.
100% Butter 50% Butter, 50% Avocado 100% Avocado Purée
Purée

Conclusion
The study demonstrated that the overall acceptability and physical properties of cookies made of
100% avocado purée cannot successfully be used in the healthier versions of chocolate chip
cookies. We determined that replacing 100% of the butter with avocado purée led to a chocolate
chip cookie that was not acceptable in sweetness, crumbliness, brownness, or aftertaste. From the
results of previous studies, we initially hypothesized that chocolate chip cookies made from 50%
butter, 50% avocado purée would be overall acceptable as a healthier alternative. Based on the
sensory analysis, the 50% butter, 50% avocado purée was indeed the best. The cookies were
lower in calories, total fat, and cholesterol and higher in dietary fiber. The significance of this
study is dependent on the successful reduction of calories, total fat and increase in dietary fiber
content in cookies as avocado was incorporated in place of butter. Nevertheless, further research
should be performed incorporating a sweetener to reduce the bitterness of avocado to improve
overall acceptability. The future studies should also include a greater number of panelists and
broaden their age range.
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