Partial Fat Substitution in Butter Cookies Using Thermochemically Modified Unripe Plantain (Musa paradisiaca AAB) Flour Treated with Fumaric Acid.

This study evaluated thermochemically modified unripe plantain flour treated with fumaric acid as a fat substitute in butter cookies. Incorporating this modified flour with a 24.73% fat reduction increased sensory acceptability by 65% compared with native unripe plantain flour. Fat reduction caused changes in mass loss during baking and porous structure while maintaining stable ash and protein contents and a higher proportion of nondigestible carbohydrates. Enzymatic hydrolysis analysis confirmed higher resistant starch content and lower proportions of rapidly and slowly digestible starch than in the control cookies. Thermochemically modified unripe plantain flour treated with fumaric acid proved to be a promising alternative for developing reduced-fat butter cookies by improving sensory acceptability, textural properties (increased crispness), and functional potential through reduced product digestibility. Reduced-fat cookies exhibited greater firmness and crispness but also greater browning intensity.