Abstract: Baked foods are favored by consumers for their unique flavor and rich texture. Fat is an important part of baked foods. Its long-term excessive intake may have adverse effects on health. Therefore, the development and application of fat substitutes have become one of the research hotspots in the field of baked foods. According to their composition, fat substitutes can be divided into four categories: carbohydrate-based, protein-based, lipid-based and composite substitutes. Carbohydrate-based fat substitutes simulate fat texture through thickening, emulsification and gelation, but are deficient in flavor. Protein-based fat substitutes can strengthen the gluten network structure, but lack thermal stability. Lipid-based fat substitutes can effectively reduce the content of saturated fatty acids, but affect the digestion and absorption performance. Composite fat substitutes mainly integrate the functional advantages through multi-component synergy and overcome the limitations of single-component fat substitutes, thereby better adapting to the needs of different baking processing environments, but they are costly. In this paper, the action mechanism and characteristics of various fat substitutes are systematically elucidated, and recent progress in their application in baked foods such as pastries, breads and biscuits is discussed. Moreover, the current challenges are analyzed in depth, and possible future development directions are discussed, aiming to provide an important reference for in-depth research and industrial application of fat substitutes.

Key words: baked foods; fat substitutes; emulsion gels; research progress