Healthy Honey Pumpkin Pie

Sometimes, I go running.

By running I mean that I make quite a deal of stretching, and clipping/tying/headbanding my hair back, and stretching again, and then begrudgingly huffing around my neighborhood for a little while. I'm still waiting to get addicted to exercise like I hear is allegedly possible.

But even after only a few embarrassing low-key workouts I already find myself wanting lots of vegetables and water. It's weird. I start trolling Pinterest for brussel sprout recipes.

So then what, I go and screw everything up by baking a pumpkin pie? But wait, listen! This pumpkin pie filling is almost completely made up of good stuff! No cream, cream cheese, whole milk. Barely any butter. Mostly pure pumpkin, yogurt and whipped egg whites.

As usual, greek yogurt, my favorite faux fat ever, makes an appearance. It lends a rich, fat-free creaminess with a ton of protein to boot. [I still don't understand how they do it.] Whipping the egg whites separately then folding them in makes the pie light, airy and fluffy. The tang of the yogurt is tempered by the sweetness of the honey. You could use agave syrup instead of the honey if you want, or even all the sugar, but I just didn't have any on hand. I'd eliminate the milk if you do all agave.

Now I'm not going to go crazy and say this tastes exactly like a no-holds-barred full fat pumpkin pie. [If you're looking for that, check out my Guinness Pumpkin Pie recipe.] But it's pretty darn close, and SO much of the bad stuff is gone. It would be even better for you if you didn't eat the crust, but I wouldn't dare blaspheme to that extent. Just letting you know it's an option. [We all have our limits.]

**NOTE:: My pie recipes are for a 9.5" pie dish, which is slightly bigger than average. If you're using an 8" or 9" pie plate, you'll have a little filling left over, which I would highly recommend pouring into a ramekin and baking along with the pie [it'll probably be done in half the time]. That way you can taste test your filling without cutting into the real deal. Plus why wouldn't you want a little pre-pie?

UPDATE: I had to close comments on this post because for some reason it was getting tons of spam. If you have a question feel free to email me! My email is listed in my *About* page.

Healthy Honey Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 28oz can pumpkin

1 c nonfat plain greek yogurt

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c honey

2 tsp cinammon

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk

1/2 c lowfat milk

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp kosher salt

pinch nutmeg [or up to 1/4 tsp if you like nutmeg, I don't really]

3 egg whites

1 unbaked pastry pie crust

1. In a large bowl beat pumpkin and yogurt until well combined. Add the rest of the filling ingredients EXCEPT the egg whites and beat until well combined.
2. Rinse your beaters. In a medium bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
3. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the pumpkin mixture until well distributed.
4. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional  hour to an hour and 10 minutes until filling is just set. [It definitely took longer than a regular pumpkin pie.]
5. Turn oven off and leave oven door cracked. After half an hour remove pie and cool completely.