Fat replacement in shortbread cookies using an emulsion filled gel based on inulin and extra virgin olive oil

•Emulsion Filled Gel with inulin and extra virgin olive oil replaced butter in cookies.•Cookies with EFG had thinner pore walls than the reference cookies.•Total substitution of butter with EFG led a lower level of fracture stress.•The 50% butter replacement resulted in crumb morphologically very similar to control.•Shortbread cookies prepared with 50% of EFG were well appreciated by consumers.

The European Food Safety Agency recommends low intakes of saturated fatty acids. This study evaluated the replacement of 50% and 100% of butter in shortbread cookies with an emulsion filled gel (EFG) based on inulin and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and investigated its impact on product characteristics (volatile profile, fracture behaviour and crumb pore size, sensory properties). Cookies containing both 50% and 100% EFG had thinner pore walls than the control cookies, without EFG. The total substitution of butter with EFG gave products with higher number of small-sized pores and lower level of fracture stress, with poorer sensory properties than control cookies. The replacement of 50% of the butter fraction of shortbread with EFG based on inulin and EVOO did not substantially affect cookie microstructure, compared to control. Cookies with 50% butter replacement showed comparable fracture properties, and were well accepted by consumers, resulting a product with potentially healthier properties (19% less total fat, 39% less saturated fats) respect to control cookies.