Your new pumpkin pie recipe

Written by Lauren Graf   

One of my favorite seasonal indulgences is pumpkin desserts. Often, pumpkin treats are made from artificial pumpkin-flavored syrups, making them devoid of all the wonderful nutritional benefits that pumpkins have to offer. Pumpkin itself is very rich in fiber and antioxidants such as beta-carotene. The good news is that most pumpkin pies are made from the real stuff. The downside is that they pack about 350 calories per slice. The extra calories come from large amounts of added sugar, butter, and cream.

Try this simple, delicious fiber-rich version of pumpkin pie. It has about 200-230 calories per slice depending on whether you use Splenda or sugar. This recipe uses Greek yogurt in place of heavy cream and a high-fiber cereal instead of pastry shell for the crust. Another calorie slashing trick: If you don’t care about the crust, enjoy the filling of this pie for only 70-90 calories per serving. Now that’s a treat you can enjoy every day during the holiday season!

Light ‘n Pure Pumpkin Pie

Serves: 6

Total time: About 1 hour


Ingredients:

• 2 cups Fiber One cereal
• ¾ cup Smart Balance Light, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 29-ounce can of Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
• ¼ cup sugar or 1/8 cup Splenda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¾ cup 2% Greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Prepare the crust by placing Fiber One in a food processor and grinding (it should be a powder-like consistency with a few lumps). If you don’t have a food processor, put Fiber One in a sealable plastic bag. Using a meat mallet, crush the cereal until ground.
3. Add Smart Balance and vanilla. Mix together thoroughly, spread crust mixture onto bottom of pan and smooth together.
4. Bake for 12 minutes.
5. Remove. Let crust cool for 30 minutes before adding the pie filling.
6. Prepare filling by mixing pumpkin, Splenda or sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and Greek yogurt. Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Spread pumpkin mixture into pan.
7. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until warm. Serve with a few tablespoons whipped cream or scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition Content:
Per serving (about 4 ounces or 1/6 of pie)
Made with sugar: 230 calories, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 14 fiber, 6 g protein, 255 mg sodium
Made with Splenda: 200 calories, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 29 g carbohydrate, 14 g fiber, 6 g protein, 255 mg sodium.