Use avocados as a butter substitute in baking. Ounce for ounce, avocados have 150 fewer calories and 18.5 fewer grams of fat than butter. Plus, avocados, unlike butter, are brimming with healthful monounsaturated fat, fiber and other essential nutrients. While using avocados in a dessert recipe might sound odd, intrepid researchers set out to discover whether they could use pureed avocado in place of butter in cookies without impacting their taste. Turns out, the avocado cookies were softer, chewier and less likely to crumble than the ones made with butter. If you’re still wary, swap out just half of the butter in your recipe for pureed avocado. Or use it in savory treats, like zucchini or pumpkin bread.