a woman pulling a spoon of prune puree out of a jar

How to Make Prune Purée

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Whether you are trying to reduce refined sugar, cut unhealthy fats, or simply make healthier recipes, Prune Purée can enhance cakes, cookies, muffins, savory sauces, and more. Our friend Meg from This Mess Is Ours shared the easiest way to make prune puree, so you can keep this versatile ingredient on hand regularly. The only question left is: will you be making naturally-sweetened Teriyaki Sauce or a Chocolate Mug Cake first?

a stack of dessert plates with a slice of Double Chocolate Cheesecake

What’s in our prune purée recipe?

Our prune purée recipe calls for two simple ingredients – prunes and water! It’s really that simple.

Baking with Prunes

You probably know that prunes are great for gut health. But did you know that they can add moisture and depth of flavor to your favorite baked goods? And that’s not all…with the addition of prune purée, bakers can reduce refined sugar by up to one-third, as well as reducing the amount of needed eggs and fats. Whether you are trying to reduce refined sugar, cut unhealthy fats, or simply make healthier baked goods, California Prunes and Prune Purée are ingredients more and more bakers are relying on to enhance their cakes, cookies, muffins, and more.

Delicious + Nutritious

Because prunes are naturally sweet, they are an obvious choice for a healthy sugar alternative. In addition to reducing (or eliminating) the need for refined sugar in your favorite recipes, prunes are a healthy powerhouse and provide many essential vitamins and minerals that will level up the nutritional value of any recipe! Prunes are low glycemic and loaded with fiber, polyphenols, boron, potassium, and Vitamin K which collectively can contribute to gut health, reduced inflammation, cancer prevention, blood sugar control, bone health, and reduced cholesterol!

woman pulling a spoon covered in prune purée out of a jar

HOW TO USE PRUNE PURÉE IN YOUR RECIPES:

Prune purée is a multi-talented baking substitute. Use it to replace sugar, eggs, or fat and prepare for rave reviews. Here’s a Guide to Healthier Baking to help get you started, but you can also try these easy swaps in your own favorite recipes.

Swap for sugar: Use prune purée to replace anywhere from one-third to half of the sugar in a recipe.

Swap out eggs: To replace 1 large egg, use ¼ cup prune purée. Keep in mind that this works best in recipes that call for no more than 3 large eggs.

Lose the fat: To cut down on fat, replace up to half of the butter or oil with an equal amount of prune purée.

three stacks of Vegan CHocolate Cookies from Displaced Housewife

Now you can make this: Vegan Chocolate Cookies

Some people have said that these vegan chewy chocolate cookies from Displaced Housewife are too good to be true. That’s true – and they’re also too good to be left on the counter. These cookies have been known to disappear in mere minutes.

woman pulling a spoon covered in prune purée out of a jar

How to Make Prune Puree

Whether you are trying to reduce refined sugar, cut unhealthy fats, or simply make healthier recipes, Prune Purée can enhance cakes, cookies, muffins, savory sauces, and more. Our friend Meg from This Mess Is Ours shared the easiest way to make prune puree, so you can keep this versatile ingredient on hand regularly. The only question left is: will you be making naturally sweetened Teriyaki Sauce or a Chocolate Mug Cake first?
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Dip, Snack
Cuisine Kid Friendly, Quick & Easy, RD Creations
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
 
 

  • 16 ounces pitted California prunes
  • 1/2 cup hot water

Instructions
 

  • Combine the prunes and water in a blender. Pulse to combine, then blend until smooth, pourable consistency forms, scraping the sides if necessary. 
  • Store the purée in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Notes

We like to keep a batch on hand to add to burgers, baked goods, and to slather on sandwiches!
Tried this recipe? Want to save it for later?Share it on social and tag @CAPrunes or #CAPrunes!

Here’s our handy guide to swapping prune puree for eggs, sugar, or oil/butter in recipes.

As we noted, prune puree is the perfect swap for eggs in recipes like pancakes, brownies, cookies, or simple cakes or cake mixes. This swap for eggs works best when you aren’t replacing more than 3 eggs, and where the recipe doesn’t depend on the egg for a light structure (like chiffon cake.)

Now that you’ve made a batch of prune purée, here’s how to use it:

two white mugs filled with Chocolate Mug Cake

Chocolate Mug Cake

Got five minutes? That’s all you need to whip up this individual Chocolate Mug Cake. This warm, gooey dessert from This Mess is Ours is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth!

a jar of Homemade Teriyaki Sauce with two chopsticks on top

Naturally-Sweetened Teriyaki Sauce

This easy homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe uses prune pureé in place of refined sugars. Keep a batch on hand to whip up delicious meals that you can feel good about serving to your family. Need some inspo? Be sure to check out our recipe for Chicken Teriyaki Bowls!

a sliced loaf of Spiced Snack Cake with citrus, walnuts, ginger and prunes

Spiced-Prune Snack Cake

This delicious Spiced Prune Snack Cake gets an added dose of healthy sweetness from California Prunes.

a slice of toast slathered with ricotta and apple butter

Spiced Apple Butter

Savor the essence of fall with CA GROWN’s recipe for luscious Apple Butter—a blend of tart Granny Smith apples, warm spices, and a touch of sweetness, with the unique addition of prune puree as a natural sugar substitute.

There are about a million other delicious ways to use prune purée! If you’ve got a favorite recipe using California Prune Purée that you’d like to share with us, snap a pic and share it on social using #caprunes.

Like what you see? Be sure to follow California Prunes on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter for more delicious recipes!