Asian Journal of Food Research and Nutrition

Utilizing stevia instead of sucrose to cut calories and improve nutritional value of cake, and using internal watermelon peels for preparing puree to substitute fats in cupcakes. Muffins technological and sensory evaluation was conducted. By creating a product with high nutritional value and low in fat, utilizing vegetables' high fiber content, creating a new product with high nutritional and biological value, and taking advantage of various minerals from their natural sources, watermelon peels can be used to their fullest potential economically and for health reasons. The muffin blends and formulas were made, and we performed all necessary analyses (chemical, physical, sensory assessment, and texture for muffins). The findings demonstrated that while weight increased with increasing purée, volume and specific volume considerably reduced. So that the muffins volume was small at 100% replacement level. Using watermelon puree and stevia in place of butter and sucrose in baking resulted in a negligible improvement in cohesion, chewiness, and hardness. However, there was no difference between the acceptability of the low-calorie muffins and the control cake until 75%. The addition of (watermelon and stevia) did not cause any unfavorable changes in flavor, aroma, or color. The panelists agreed that the watermelon and stevia muffins high moisture level was acceptable. Results showed that puree and stevia are effective at lowering the amount of fat and calories in muffins and are a suitable fat and sugar substitute. The final product had higher levels of protein, ash, fiber, and minerals, and the muffins had high acceptance. Low-calorie muffins contained more moisture and were moister, but they were still secure and maintained quality.