Baking this time of year is absurdly fun. After a long summer where its far too hot out for me to use my oven in my stifling, non-central-air apartment, baking is long over due. Homegirl loves chocolate, and there's no better way to enjoy chocolate than in a homemade baked good.
My obsession this season has been "sweetener free" recipes such as my Chocolatey Pumpkin Pie Bars. I guess the other theme is that I am really, really into pumpkin like every other basic girl this time of year. What can I say?? There's something that really gets me about vitamin A packed, yummy pumpkin this time of year. Lemme make a prediction! The whole pumpkin obsesh will have this generation with the best eyesight this nation has seen in years!!
So anyway, when I say "sweetener" free, I mean sweetening desserts with date-paste or bananas or applesauce instead of honey or syrup or sugar. Honestly, dessert is dessert and carbs are carbs...but I love the idea that every bite of sugar from a banana also delivers the body lots of potassium and manganese; I love that dates have sugar but also have copper; and applesauce provides antioxidants with its sugar. It just makes me really excited to know that sweet desserts can also nourish the body... but I guess that's why I'm a dietitian, huh?
Anyway, at friendsgiving last weekend, I had the divine pleasure of eating a super scrumptious pecan pie. Ah. Guys. This pie was not healthy but it was drool-worthy-delish. It got me thinking about a recipe I attempted a few weeks ago but failed at creating: a high protein pumpkin bar. The "bars" were too soft and ended up resembling pie filling.... and voila! The idea for this recipe was born.
This pie filling is SO delicious. I actually used the first failed-batch as flavoring for my oatmeal. A few tablespoons added protein, fiber and creaminess to oats. The perfect autumn breakfast. But, guess what, it tastes even better in pie crust (duh).
And its SIMPLE. Check out my video on Instagram!
Since I'm not a baking genius, I used Food Faith Fitness' gluten free, paleo pie crust as a sub for the usual-gluteny crust. Feel free to use whatever crust ya want. Just stuff it with this healthy but decadent filling!!
Healthy Pumpkin Pie
serves 8
Food Faith Fitness Pie Crust (or crust of choice)
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 pureed bananas
1 cup apple sauce
1 cup egg whites
1/3 cup full fat coconut creme
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. In a bowl, combine ingredients, mix well.
3. Slowly and evenly pour the pie filling into the crust. Smooth it with a spoon.
4. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
5. And...adding a scoop of vanilla Halo Top (or ice cream) never hurts!!!
Comments