Development and quality evaluation of functional cookies using Jaggery as a natural sweetener

Nutraceutical and functional foods, which improve nourishment and promote overall health and well-being, have gained increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. In rapidly urbanizing countries such as India, there is a growing demand for processed foods. In particular, bakery products like cookies have gained widespread popularity among both urban and rural populations. In recent years, foods with enhanced health benefits have attracted considerable attention. Jaggery, a natural sweetener with numerous health benefits including antioxidants and amino acids, with its natural and superior nutrient content, can be utilized as a healthier substitute for white sugar. The present study involved enriching cookies with jaggery at levels of 50%, 60%, and 70% (WWF: J50, WWF: J60, WWF: J70) to serve as a natural sweetener and replacing 100% sugar. The physical, nutritional, and textural properties, colour and sensory evaluation of the cookies were evaluated and compared to refined-flour: sugar cookies (RWF:S). The physical examination of the cookies revealed that the spread ratio varied from 4.5±0.2 to 5.1±0.01 and an increase in the quantity of jaggery led to an improvement in the hardness and strength of the cookies (4730.911 g to 11793.827 g). With the increase of jaggery in the cookie formulation, the values of L*, b*, C_ab, and h_ab gradually declined, while the values of a* and “E increased. Protein was significantly lower (p < 0.05 %) in cookies with sugar (6.12 g/100 g) compared to jaggery cookies. Fibre and ash were significantly higher (p <0.05 %) in whole wheat flour and jaggery incorporated cookie (2.13±0.06) and (1.96±0.01) than cookie with refined wheat flour and sugar (RWF:S). The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that cookies made with 60% jaggery (WWF: J60) performed equally well as the refined wheat flour and sugar cookies (RWF:S) in terms of overall acceptability. These cookies were crisp, which contributed to their higher acceptability scores.