Sleeker, Lighter Pumpkin Pie

Most of us have a favorite pumpkin pie recipe that we trot out holiday after holiday, and if yours is like mine, it’s loaded with dairy fat. This year, I wanted to make a lighter pumpkin pie but with a whole-foods twist, so I auditioned this version with lite coconut milk instead of cream. What a great surprise: The whisper of coconut gives it a sweet nuttiness, and it’s every bit as spicy and comforting, creamy, homey and delicious as the old version. Move over, heavy pumpkin pie: This sleeker, lighter Pumpkin Pie will be the new star of my Thanksgiving dinner.

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs (vegans may experiment with egg substitute)
1 3/4 cup mashed cooked pumpkin, or 1 15-ounce can unsweetened organic pumpkin
3/4 cup Sucanat or other natural alternative sweetener (I used 1/2 cup organic natural brown sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon molasses (omit this if you don’t want a slightly darker-colored pie)
3/4 cup lite coconut milk, shaken well to combine solids and liquid (and make sure it is “lite” coconut milk or you will have a very caloric pie!)
Dough for 1 pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add pumpkin, sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and molasses and blend thoroughly. Add coconut milk and stir to combine.

3. Roll out dough, place in a deep dish pie pan, and crimp edges decoratively. Pour filling into pie crust (if you have extra dough, you can cut out little leaf-shapes with a cookie cutter and place them on top, for an easy but gorgeous presentation). Bake 50-60 minutes until set.

4. Serve cooled, with topping of choice.

Serves 8 to 10.

MORE THANKSGIVING IDEAS
• Baked Squash Savory Stuffing
• Curried Pumpkin Soup
• Pumpking Pie with Pecan Crust
• Thanksgiving Decorating with Nature
• Spicy Sweet Potato Patties

By Cait Johnson, Managing Producer, Care2 Green Living

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

5:44AM PDT on Oct 3, 2011

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Jennifer C.

12:59AM PDT on Aug 2, 2011

Great recipes. Thanks for sharing.

Kay O.

10:18PM PST on Nov 28, 2010

Lighter without losing its flavor, thanks!

Kristen R.

5:31AM PDT on Apr 11, 2010

Mmm...coconut milk!

Mervi R.

2:45PM PDT on Mar 22, 2010

Thanks, though a vegan version would be nice, too...

Daya L.

7:36AM PST on Nov 4, 2008

Where is the vegan recipe? No eggs, no milk perhaps silken tofu?

Colette G.

7:26AM PST on Nov 4, 2008

I've never seen a recipe with sweetened condensed milk. I use evaporated 2% milk (you can also use skim). In my vegan recipe I use silken tofu - also great.

Dawn H.

1:37PM PDT on Oct 21, 2008

I substitute condensed skim milk instead of the full fat condensed and it still tastes great! I use the condensed skim any time a recipe calls for cream and have had no ill effects to the taste.

Geri M.

3:51PM PST on Nov 19, 2007

I should also mention that I do not pack the brown sugar, and even use less than the recipe requires ... still great !!

3:49PM PST on Nov 19, 2007

I have used 2% milk and even 1% milk in my pumpkin pie, and it is every bit as good, and I follow the recipe on the can of Stokely's pure pumpkin for the rest of the ingredients.