This pumpkin pie keeps its classic spice and creamy texture with less sugar, under 150 calories per slice, and options for vegan or gluten-free diets.
A lighter pumpkin pie with a creamy center
The pitch here is simple: keep the familiar cinnamon-and-pumpkin flavor, but make a pie that’s naturally sweetened, lower in sugar, and still rich enough to feel like a holiday dessert. That’s more interesting than calling pumpkin pie “healthy” just because it’s next to pecan or chocolate cream on the Thanksgiving table.
Many standard recipes get their texture from sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and as much as a full cup of refined sugar. This version takes a different route. The promise is a smooth, ultra-creamy filling that doesn’t announce itself as a lighter dessert—and the recipe says it may be the creamiest pumpkin pie you’ll taste, healthy or otherwise.
What the recipe claims—and what goes into it
Each slice is listed at under 150 calories, with 2 grams of net carbs, 2.5 grams of protein, and 8% of the daily value for fiber. The pie is cholesterol-free, very high in vitamin A, and a source of riboflavin, folate, magnesium, and iron. It can also be adapted for gluten-free and vegan diets, with low sugar or no added sugar options.
The filling uses pumpkin puree, coconut milk, oats or flour, flax or egg, unrefined sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla. Use pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie mix, which already contains sugar and spices. If stores run out of puree during the holidays, the recipe suggests roasting a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin at home.
For the richest, firmest dairy-free filling, full-fat canned coconut milk is the recommended choice. Lite coconut milk, skim milk, almond milk, or oat milk can work, though they make a thinner pie that may be harder to slice. The flavor should still be good; the texture is the tradeoff.
For the thickener, options include whole-grain spelt, white, oat, all-purpose gluten-free, or almond flour. Coconut flour needs a smaller amount, so it calls for experimentation. Rolled oats add fiber and antioxidants; quick or instant oats can substitute, but steel-cut oats won’t produce a smooth filling or thicken it properly. Blend rolled oats into a fine flour before mixing.
Ground flax keeps the pie egg-free and vegan; non-vegans can use one egg instead. Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice bring the familiar flavor without adding fat or calories. If you don’t have pumpkin spice, add more cinnamon, or mix your own from ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon each nutmeg and ginger, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, and an optional ⅛ teaspoon allspice.
Sweeteners and crust choices
Coconut sugar and date sugar are the preferred refined-sugar-free choices. Brown or white sugar also work, though the recipe notes they’re more processed and lack the trace nutrients found in unrefined sugars. For a no-added-sugar version, use xylitol or a monk fruit-erythritol blend. Maple syrup and honey haven’t been tested here, so their results are uncertain.
You can use a favorite homemade crust or buy one. The suggested whole-wheat pastry crust avoids butter, lard, hydrogenated oil, and shortening, ingredients that can be high in saturated fat. Prebaking matters: it helps the crust stay flaky instead of soaking up moisture from the filling.
For that crust, combine 1½ cups all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup sugar or xylitol, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 2 to 4 tablespoons water. Start by heating the oven to 200°F. Stir the dry ingredients with the oil, then add enough water for the dough to hold together without turning gummy; about 3 tablespoons is typical. Press it into a greased 9-inch pie pan.
Put the crust in the oven, then immediately raise the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 15 minutes. The bottom may puff up; use pie weights or press it back down after baking. Let the crust cool while you make the filling.
Serving and baking the pie
The pie works on its own, but toppings make it feel more celebratory. Try vegan marshmallow fluff, homemade coconut whipped cream, coconut ice cream, or almond milk ice cream. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream is still Thanksgiving in dessert form.
Once the crust is ready, heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Blend the pumpkin, coconut milk, oats or flour, flax or egg, sugar, spices, salt, and vanilla in a food processor—or stir them thoroughly in a large bowl—until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust and level the top.
Bake on the center rack for 27 minutes. The middle may still look underdone when it comes out; that’s expected. Cool the pie on a wire rack, then refrigerate it uncovered or loosely covered with paper towels for at least six hours, preferably overnight. It firms up considerably as it chills, which is what makes clean slices possible.
Serve it after a holiday meal with dishes such as stuffed butternut squash, lentil loaf, cranberry sauce, green beans, or vegan sweet potato casserole. Keep leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Freezing is possible, but thawed slices won’t be as creamy.
For another pumpkin dessert, try crustless pumpkin pie. If you’re planning a broader holiday spread, the site also suggests pumpkin spice latte and vegan pecan pie.
Healthy Pumpkin Pie
A short bake, followed by a long chill
The key to this pumpkin pie is resisting the urge to keep baking it until the center looks firm. The filling should still seem underdone after 27 minutes in a 400°F (205°C) oven; it thickens as it cools, then sets during at least six hours in the refrigerator. That timing makes the recipe quick to bake, but you’ll need to plan ahead before serving. The recipe, from Katie Higgins, makes eight slices and lists 130 calories per slice. It has a 4.92-star average from 99 ratings. Higgins describes it as a creamy, naturally sweetened holiday dessert; the recipe is tagged as an American dessert.What goes into the filling
Pumpkin puree and canned coconut milk form the base: 15 ounces (425 grams) of pumpkin and 13.5 ounces (380 grams) of coconut milk. For texture, use ¼ cup (20 grams) of rolled oats, blended into flour, or substitute three tablespoons of flour. Two tablespoons (14 grams) of ground flax stand in for an egg, though one egg is also an option. For a flax-free version, see the Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe. Coconut sugar supplies sweetness: the recipe calls for ½ cup (100 grams), with xylitol suggested for a sugar-free version. Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt and pure vanilla extract round out the filling: two teaspoons of cinnamon, one teaspoon of spice, ½ teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon (15 grams) of vanilla. You’ll also need a pie crust, either prepared separately or made from the crust recipe included earlier.Mix, bake, then wait
Have the crust ready before you begin. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). If you’re using oats, grind them into a fine flour first; then stir or blend the filling ingredients until smooth, pour the mixture into the crust and bake it on the center rack for 27 minutes. Here’s the part that can catch you out: the pie won’t look fully baked when it comes out. Let it cool, then refrigerate it uncovered for at least six hours so the filling can firm up. The recipe’s nutrition facts are available online.Nutrition per slice
Each slice provides 130 calories, with 12 g of fat (7 g saturated), 4.4 g of carbohydrates, 2.5 g of protein, 2.4 g of fiber and 1.4 g of sugar. It also contains 140 mg of sodium, 174 mg of potassium, 3 g of polyunsaturated fat, 2 g of monounsaturated fat, 3,000 IU of vitamin A, 12 mg of vitamin C, 23 mg of calcium and 1 mg of iron. The figures offer a useful estimate, though the serving size is simply listed as one slice.
For another pumpkin breakfast bake, try Pumpkin Banana Bread.
More healthy holiday desserts
If you’re planning a holiday dessert spread, these recipes offer a few different directions, from cake and cupcakes to pie and cookies.
The post Healthy Pumpkin Pie first appeared on Chocolate Covered Katie.
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