Holiday baking is most affordable in these cities

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Holiday baking is most affordable in these cities

Between gifts, travel, parties, and hosting events, the holiday season is often hard on your wallet and your health goals. Holiday baking is no exception. With grocery prices up by more than 6 percent since 2022, baking is more expensive than just a few years ago.

On the health front, research shows that body weight increases by an average of 1.35 percent during the holiday season. To help bolster your health and finances this year, consider a few simple ingredient swaps to help up the nutritional content and lower the cost of your recipes.

To help you determine whether baking is more or less affordable in your city than in others, Hers analyzed price data on five key baking ingredients in 50 metropolitan areas across the U.S. Additionally, Hers outlined health considerations for each of the individual ingredients and suggested alternatives that could boost the nutritional value of your favorite treats, regardless of where you live.

Key Findings

Cities in Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma had the lowest overall baking ingredient prices.
Honolulu had the highest prices for both milk and eggs, while New York had the highest prices for cooking oil and margarine.
Cooking oil prices varied more than all other ingredients: In Oklahoma City, Buffalo, and San Jose, cooking oil was $7.74 for a 15.5- to 18-ounce bottle, while in New York, the same product cost $11.55.

Average Cost of Baking Ingredients by City: Cheapest to Most Expensive

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: $22.37
San Antonio, Texas: $22.69
Kansas City, Kansas: $22.89
Tulsa, Oklahoma: $23.36
Austin, Texas: $23.40
Rochester, New York: $23.69
Buffalo, New York: $23.78
Salt Lake City, Utah: $23.97
Omaha, Nebraska: $24.08
Birmingham, Alabama: $24.15
San Jose, California: $24.25
Houston, Texas: $24.26
Dallas, Texas: $24.52
Sacramento, California: $24.61
Indianapolis, Indiana: $25.12
Richmond, Virginia: $25.19
Phoenix, Arizona: $25.20
Orlando, Florida: $25.20
Nashville, Tennessee: $25.22
Columbus, Ohio: $25.29
Memphis, Tennessee: $25.37
St. Louis, Missouri: $25.40
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: $25.44
Atlanta, Georgia: $25.48
Las Vegas, Nevada: $25.52
Detroit, Michigan: $25.62
Denver, Colorado: $25.62
Cincinnati, Ohio: $25.93
Boston, Massachusetts: $26.28
Louisville, Kentucky: $26.30
Tampa, Florida: $26.44
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: $26.44
Raleigh, North Carolina: $26.45
Cleveland, Ohio: $26.74
Baltimore, Maryland: $26.76
Los Angeles, California: $26.79
Jacksonville, Florida: $26.80
San Francisco, California: $26.87
Chicago, Illinois: $27.01
Miami, Florida: $27.18
Seattle, Washington: $27.45
Minneapolis, Minnesota: $27.63
San Diego, California: $27.89
Washington, D.C.: $27.89
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $27.99
Portland, Oregon: $28.39
Providence, Rhode Island: $28.72
Honolulu, Hawai’i: $28.80
Hartford, Connecticut: $29.09
New York, New York: $30.69

Holiday Baking Prices: Trends and Insights

How can you stick to your budget this holiday season while keeping your wellness goals in mind? Below are health considerations for each of the baking ingredients Hers analyzed, along with potential swaps that may make your treats more nutritious.

Milk

Milk can provide valuable nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and protein, though high-fat dairy products can contribute to increased saturated fat intake and could impact heart health when consumed in excess. When baking, consider swapping whole milk for unsweetened soy milk or cashew milk, which are still protein-rich but are lower in saturated fat and calories.

That said, swapping dairy milk for plant-based milk could increase your grocery bill. The average gallon of milk in the U.S. is $4.13, while many plant-based alternatives are priced higher due to supply chain considerations.

Eggs

Eggs offer high-quality protein, along with essential vitamins like B12 and D. However, for people with high cholesterol or egg allergies, the ingredient can pose health issues. The preparation of the eggs matters, too. Combining eggs with butter or oil — as is typical in baking — may reduce the overall health benefits.

Rising egg prices have also played a role in higher overall baking costs, but healthy and more affordable substitutes exist. Depending on your recipe, you might consider using applesauce, mashed banana, or a binder made of flaxseed meal and water.

Margarine

Margarine is a common baking ingredient that is often more affordable and has a lower percentage of saturated fats and “bad” cholesterol than traditional butter. Still, the type of margarine you purchase may vary widely in terms of nutritional value. Some products include additives that bakers may choose to avoid.

For holiday baking, consider swapping out margarine for Greek yogurt, olive oil, avocado oil, or nut butter, depending on the texture your recipe needs.

Sugar

It’s hard to imagine holiday treats without a bit of sweetness, and sugar is a crucial ingredient. Even so, consuming sugar in excess can contribute to health concerns like weight gain, elevated blood glucose, and increased risk of heart disease. Because added sugars provide calories without essential nutrients, they can also crowd out more nourishing and fiber-rich foods.

Fortunately, it’s possible to cut back on sugar without losing out on flavor. Natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, applesauce, mashed banana, or dates may work as alternatives in baking. You might also consider reducing the sugar in your recipe by 25 percent, which still allows your recipe to taste sweet.

Cooking Oil

Cooking oils, which impact the texture of holiday treats, play a central role in baking. Some oils can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol when used in excess. You might consider trying olive or avocado oil, as both offer heart-friendly monounsaturated fats and may make a nice addition to a dense cake or muffins.

Sometimes, you can swap out a portion of the oil a recipe calls for in favor of applesauce, banana, or yogurt. That substitution may also save you money — cooking oil was the most expensive item on our ingredient list across the board on a per-unit basis.

3 Tips for Maintaining Healthy Habits This Holiday Season

Regardless of your plans this holiday season, it’s possible to maintain healthy habits on a budget — and treat yourself from time to time. The key is to plan ahead, consider ingredient swaps, and focus on a balanced plate at most meals.

Avoid the “all or nothing” mindset. One night of festive treats won’t hurt your long-term health. Choose when you’ll enjoy your favorite meals and treats and when you’ll focus on more nutritious options. Additionally, aim to fill up on protein and fiber to avoid overeating and giving in to cravings.
Stay active, even in short bursts. Your holiday schedule might be jam-packed, so it might be helpful to consider adding in exercise “snacks” to break up your busy holiday schedule. Research shows that exercising vigorously for a total of just 15 minutes a week is associated with an 18 percent decreased mortality risk.
Take a pause. The chaos of the holidays can make it difficult to make mindful choices. Try to find a moment for a brief meditation, bath, or journaling session to regroup and remind yourself of your intentions for the end-of-year season.

Methodology: How Hers Compared Holiday Baking Prices

Hers started by selecting the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on Census Bureau population data. To calculate the cost of holiday baking, Hers used the quarterly Cost of Living Index from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).

From this dataset, Hers pulled the prices in each of the 50 cities for five primary baking ingredients available via C2ER: milk, eggs, margarine, sugar, and cooking oil. Hers then added the prices for each of those items together to calculate our healthy “basket” of baking items and used that to compare the regions. For the key findings section, Hers also calculated the variance between regions for each ingredient.

Get the data here.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.