Crust-less Pumpkin Pie

We are only two days away from Thanksgiving!! I am so excited! I love Thanksgiving so much. Probably because I love cooking and spending time with family. One of the most important things about Thanksgiving is the tradition. My family has so many traditions for Thanksgiving. We always make stuffed artichokes (recipe to come soon!), and we always share our blessings of the year with each other, I always watch the parade as soon as it starts in the morning (my FAVORITE part is the little bits of the Broadway musicals they show first thing in the morning), and of course we ALWAYS have pumpkin pie. 

This year I thought I would try and make traditional pumpkin pie lighter since pumpkin itself it actually very good for you. Although we will also have the full fat version it's nice to have the option of a lighter version. I know that I will probably only eat this lighter version because it rocks! If you like a custardy pumpkin pie you will love this crust-less pumpkin pie too! 

It's also SUPER simple! Just dump the following ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together until smooth.

Ingredients:

15 oz. can Libby's Pumpkin Puree

12 oz. can Fat Free Evaporated Milk

4 Large Egg Whites

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

10 packets Splenda*

Pour into a pie pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. 

Once the sides are golden brown take a tooth pick and insert it in the middle of the pie. If the toothpick comes out clean the pie is done. Take it out and let it cool completely so that it can set.

* I used Splenda but you really could use any sweetener of choice. If you are trying to eat clean I would suggest maple syrup in place of the Splenda.

What is your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 slice (Pie makes 8 slices)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 62 Calories from Fat 4

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.4g 1%

Cholesterol 2mg 1%

Sodium 79mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 11.7g 4%

Dietary Fiber 4.7g 19%

Sugars 6.8g

Protein 5.9g

Vitamin A 134% • Vitamin C 2% Calcium 14% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pumpkin Spice Bread

If you haven't noticed yet, I love pumpkin. I could eat pumpkin flavored anything. I also really loved baked goods. Pumpkin Spice Bread is one of my favorite Fall treats. This recipe is great because its lower in calories than a traditional spice loaf but the taste is still amazing. 

I was really craving Pumpkin Spice Bread yesterday afternoon so I started searching for a recipe that would satisfy my craving and not ruin my day with fat and calories. Thanks to Ruth at Living Well Spending Less I used her recipe. I made a few simple tweaks and I will be enjoying pumpkin bread for the rest of the week. 

Ingredients:

6 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

5 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

5 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups banana, mashed

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 1/3 cups Unsweetened Silk Almond Milk 

2 cans pumpkin puree

1. Take all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice) and mix them in a very large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients (eggs, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla, melted coconut oil, almond milk, and pumpkin). 

3. Once liquid ingredients are mixed pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until fully incorporated. 

4. Pour mixture into loaf pans. I used a pan that makes 4 mini loaves. I also sprinkled a little pinch of pumpkin pie spice over the tops of them before popping them in a 350 degree preheated oven. 

5. Baked for 45-60 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in the middle of a loaf comes out clean.

Enjoy a slice toasted with butter or just by itself. I like to mine with a little honey drizzled on it. 

What kind of breads do you make in the fall? I also like cranberry bread. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 slice  **Recipe makes 64 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 88 Calories from Fat 15

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.7g 3%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 13mg 4%

Sodium 143mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 16.6g 6%

Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2%

Sugars 6.9g

Protein 1.8g

Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 3% • Iron 4%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

50 Calorie Brownie Bites

Happy Halloween!

I'm getting ready for my Halloween Party this weekend and was asked several times to make my brownie bites. I love these things because they are wicked easy to make. I've made these before and I swear to you that no one could tell they were low-cal.

I cannot take credit for this recipe though because it it a Hungry Girl Recipe . 

It's really simple. Just two ingredients; Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix with Chocolate Chips and one can of Libby's Pumpkin (Pumpkin Puree NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling). I like the Ghirardelli mix the best because it is super chocolatey but you could make it even lower calories if you used a sugar free brownie mix. 

I pinky promise to you that you do not taste the pumpkin at all. I made these for my mom a few weeks ago and she hates pumpkin and she had no idea they were made with pumpkin. The chocolate completely masks the pumpkin. 

The pumpkin also makes these brownies much healthier than the regular egg and oil recipe. According to the National Cancer Institute, pumpkins have the antioxidant beta-carotene, which can help prevent cancer. Pumpkin is also loaded with Potassium. So if you needed an excuse to eat brownies there ya go!

Following the directions on the box of Brownie mix I set the oven to 325.

Just mix both ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.

Then drop a heaping Tbsp of the batter into a greased mini muffin pan. I used a mini muffin pan but you could also use a brownie pan and just cut them into small squares. 

Before placing in the preheated oven I measured out 2 tsp of sprinkles and sprinkled a little on each little brownie.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Take them out and let them cool. 

I like them best warm, my mom likes them when they are frozen. Really they are good no matter what AND they are ONLY 50 calories each! 

Yay! for low-cal chocolate treats!! :)

Today at work I wore a little witches hat. 

What are you wearing today for Halloween?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 23 g (1 brownie bite)

Amount Per Serving

Calories50 Calories from Fat17

% Daily Value*

Total Fat1.9g 3%

Trans Fat0.0g

Cholesterol0mg 0%

Sodium39mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates10.5g 3%

Protein0.7g

Vitamin A 25% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% • Iron 2%

Nutrition Grade C+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Makes 48 Brownie Bites!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkins are pretty much my favorite thing on earth. I'm totally not over exaggerating. Besides all the wonderful pumpkin flavored food out there, pumpkin seeds are a fantastic snack. This past weekend we carved pumpkins and I made sure everyone saved their seeds so that I could roast them up.

While carving the pumpkins we just tossed the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl removing as much fleshy pumpkin pulp as possible.

1. Rinse the pumpkin seeds well.

2. Place on a baking sheet and let them dry over night. I let mine dry for almost 24 hours and they came out perfect.

3. Spray them with a generous coating of cooking spray and place them in a 250 degree F preheated oven for an hour. About every 15 minutes stir them around so that the seeds around the outside of the tray make their way to the middle of the tray.

4. When they are golden brown spray them one more time with cooking spray and sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of salt over them. Bake for an additional 5 minutes then remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Pumpkin seeds make an awesome snack but I also love to top my salads with them. I also saw a really great recipe on Pinterest for Pumpkin Seed Hummus. 

How do you like to eat pumpkin seeds?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/4 Cup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 81 Calories from Fat 59

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6.6g 10%

Saturated Fat 1.2g 6%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 152mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 1.5g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0.5g 2%

Protein 4.0g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% • Iron 10%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

It's finally Fall ya'll! You have no idea how happy I am about this! I could write an entire post about all the wonderful things about Fall but I will spare you and just simply say PUMPKIN! If you don't like pumpkin you're wrong. Pumpkin is delicious in everything. Including this delicious pumpkin pie oatmeal that I have been making all week for breakfast (and once for dinner). 

When it start getting chilly out oatmeal is the best breakfast. It sticks to your bones and warms you right up. And then when you add pumpkin it's like a home run. 

Ingredients:

1/3 Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree 

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Packets of Splenda (Or 1 Tbs Sweetener of choice, like Agave or Honey )

1 Tbs Chopped Pecans

2 Tbs Fat Free Cool Whip

1. Pour almond milk and oatmeal in a sauce pan on medium heat.

2. When it starts to bubble add the pumpkin and stir it up. Let it bubble for another minute.

3. Add the vanilla extract, Splenda, and pumpkin pie spice. Let it sit on low heat for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Take off the heat and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes.

Top with Cool Whip and Pecans.
Enjoy!

I love to make this the night before and let it sit in the fridge to "marinate" over night.
Oh My Gosh!
Yum!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size (Recipe makes 1 serving)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 267 Calories from Fat 88

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.8g 15%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 190mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 36.3g 12%

Dietary Fiber 8.3g 33%

Sugars 5.6g

Protein 7.6g

Vitamin A 264% • Vitamin C 7% Calcium 51% • Iron 21%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What's your favorite pumpkin food?