Pumpkin Pie, USDA, Wikimedia Commons
Thanksgiving and Christmas can be challenging for those watching their weight or trying to make more health-conscious dietary choices. It can be difficult to keep consumption of saturated fat and sugar relatively low without forgoing many of the traditional dinner and dessert offerings.
Pie is usually considered a bad choice for health, but this isn’t true of all pies. The following pumpkin pie recipe is far healthier than most, with less saturated fat and sugar than the majority of recipes, and more dietary fiber and protein.
This recipe substitutes skim milk for the whole fat milk, condensed milk, or cream that most recipes call for, as well as cutting back the sugar significantly. While not as sweet, this pie derives its rich flavour from spices, and with less sugar, other more subtle flavours are apparent. This pie is free of artificial ingredients and healthy enough to snack on without guilt. It is also easy to prepare.
- Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes
- Cooking Time: Approximately 60 minutes
- Makes: Two 9-inch pumpkin pies
Pumpkin Pie Ingredients
- 2 9-inch unbaked pie shells
- 2 standard (398 ml) cans pumpkin
- 6 large eggs (equivalent to 7 medium eggs or 8 small)
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 cup raw organic cane sugar or natural, unrefined Demerara sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Pie Directions
Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (218 Celsius). If pie shells have just come out of the freezer, warm them in the oven for a couple of minutes, just until warm to the touch.
Beat eggs lightly with a whisk. Add all other ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into pie shells.
Bake 15 minutes and then reduce temperature to 350 Fahrenheit (176 Celsius) and bake for another 30-45 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick starting at approximately 30 minutes after lowering the oven temperature, and every 5 minutes thereafter. The toothpick should come out clean or nearly clean when the pies are done.
Pumpkin Pie Health Benefits
Pumpkin isn’t just tasty, it also provides a number of health benefits. Pumpkin contains dietary fiber, antioxidant vitamins including C and A, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, potassium, and manganese, all at just 79 calories per cup.
For more recipes, see the main Recipes page.