Skinny Mini Pumpkin Cream Pies

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! And hello all my fellow last minute Thanksgiving preppers. I love the day before Thanksgiving. Prepping all the food and making all the things that can be made ahead of time.  Last night I made these quick pies to take to work and share with all the others that were stuck working today. The office was pretty empty today so I got out early today and headed over to Target to pick up all the last minute things I needed. I always seem to forget something. I wanted to share with you a super quick and super easy skinny mini pumpkin cream pie recipe in case you might have forgotten to bring something. My grandma, never the one to go to anything empty handed, makes chocolate cream pie as a last minute go to. Cream pies have got to be the easiest dessert to make. It's just pudding mix, whip cream, and pie crust.

Ingredients

1 package Jello Pumpkin Pie Spice Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cup fat free cool whip

12 Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust (2 packages)

I found this delicious pumpkin spice pudding mix on the thanksgiving display. You know that section they put together to make shopping for holiday baking or cooking easier.

Follow the pudding mix directions by mixing with 2 cups of skim milk.

Once it's all mixed together fold in the Cool Whip. (BTW if you have the Target Cartwheel app they have a coupon for Cool Whip right now).

Pour the mixture into the mini graham crack pie crusts and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

For only 159 calories these mini pies are amazing. I mean a traditional slice of pumpkin pie has over 300 calories but if you are still craving that custard-y pie texture you could always make my crustless pumpkin pie. 
I got rave reviews for these pies. In fact I had people try one and then end up taking one home for later because they loved it so much.

What is your favorite easy pie recipe?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Mini Pie (makes 12 pies)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 159 Calories from Fat 41

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.5g 7%

Saturated Fat 3.0g 15%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 1mg 0%

Sodium 245mg 10%

Potassium 63mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 25.4g 8%

Sugars 13.8g

Protein 2.3g

Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 5% • Iron 2%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

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!

Why Do Celebrations Always Equal Food?

This past weekend was the my birthday! :) I had a blast but I noticed something. Why do celebrations (birthdays, graduations, or anything really) always have to be celebrated with boat loads of food and typically it's junk food and the like.

Friday night we went out to dinner to celebrate and I wanted to order a salad. I like salads but I was told that I should "stop dieting tonight and celebrate" my birthday. After going to dinner on Friday night and then going out and having a couple of drinks all I wanted to do on Saturday morning was have a bowl of Greek Yogurt with berries and then go to the gym. For some reason my family thought this meant I was punishing myself for the night before. They wanted to take me out to a big breakfast and that's awesome, breakfast is my favorite meal. But when I said "No" I was told I was being a "Party Pooper." I felt guilty so of course I caved.

Volcano Chicken at Johnny Garlic's (Spicy BBQ Chicken on a bed of garlic mash potatoes.)

As the day progressed I ended up eating even more junk. Later that evening we had a few people over and ordered pizza and bread sticks. (Mmmm carbs.)

Come Sunday I wasn't feel well at all. My stomach was upset from all the garbage and the total lack of any exercise. Now it's Monday and I'm still a bit sluggish and I actually do feel guilty for my behavior. But it really does make me wonder. Why do we have to eat poorly to celebrate an occasion? Isn't feeding our body properly a better way to celebrate, especially on a birthday.

Leprechaun (Spinach) Cupcakes

Okay, these are awesome! I found this recipe on Weelicious, for spinach muffins. (I love Weelicious. I love the kid's themed recipes. I refuse to grow up.) I figured that muffins are the breakfast cousin of cupcakes so I decided to just tweak it a tad and throw some Hungry Girl Frosting on it. Do not worry they do not taste like spinach or anything healthy. They really taste like a cupcake, a really dense, yummy cupcake. Best of all, they are only 138 calories with frosting!

Cupcake Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce (1 applesauce cup)

1 large egg

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 heaping cup fresh spinach - packed

1/4 cup Blue Agave 

2 tablespoons coconut oil - softened

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese 

2 tbsp Splenda No Calorie Sweetener  

1/2 cup Cool Whip Free 

I just noticed that the Baking Soda is missing from the group photo. Sorry.

Throw the applesauce, egg, vanilla extract, spinach, agave, and coconut oil into the blender or food processor. 

Pulse until they are all combined and liquefied. 

Pour the liquid spinach mixture into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir all the ingredients together until it is all fully incorporated.

Pour the mix into a cupcake tin lined with baking sheets and bake at 350*F for 12 minutes. 

Take out and cool. 

While the cupcakes are cooling, place the cream cheese and Splenda in a bowl and stir until combined. Then, add the Cool Whip, continuing to stir until you have a creamy frosting. Take out the spoon/whisk and lick it clean. Soooo gooood. 

Frost each cupcake with 2 tsp of the frosting. 

Enjoy.

They're actually pretty easy to make. I really thought it would be more complicated. They are really yummy and really low in calories which is great. I think they would be awesome around Christmas time as Grinch cupcakes too. 

Please let me know what you think of them.

                                                                                          

                                                                                          What are your plans for St. Patrick's Day? 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cupcake with 2 tsp frosting

Amount Per Serving

Calories 138 Calories from Fat 48

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.3g 8%

Saturated Fat 3.9g 19%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 21mg 7%

Sodium 173mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 19.7g 7%

Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2%

Sugars 7.3g

Protein 2.6g

Vitamin A 7% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 3% • Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet