(Eye Healthy) Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

Here in America, the Thanksgiving Holiday may indeed be the best holiday of them all. On November 22nd of this year, it’s perfectly legal to eat as much as you want, then burn it off by watching football, or actually playing football (turkey bowl), or going to the movies. Of course it might not be the healthiest holiday, but it only comes around once a year. So why not go all out?

Let’s be honest, it’s only normal to look forward to a hearty meal. Especially when enjoying the company of family and friends. But you don’t have to stuff yourself silly if you don’t want to. There should be plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables to accompany the turkey, the stuffing and the mashed potatoes.

When it’s all over, the dessert table should have plenty of appealing options. But by far, the best Thanksgiving dessert is a slice (or two) of pumpkin pie.

Eye Healthy Pumpkin Pie:

Sadly, the versatile pumpkin tends to lose steam after Halloween night. But if you give it a second chance, it can make for a seasonal superfood. Not only is the flesh of a pumpkin extremely nutritious, but the seeds are very healthy as well.

As far as the eyes are concerned, pumpkin is an excellent source of beta-carotene, which helps to prevent the progression of age-related macular degeneration. It can also improve visual contrast, especially in dim lighting.

Over the years, I’ve tried to find ways to make a healthier version of pumpkin pie. One that recreates the taste, but with less processed sugar.

Here’s what I’ve come up with.

Ingredients:

For the crust – you may use a pre made crust, but I like to make a gluten-free version from scratch.

• 1 – heaping cup of almond flour
• 3 – tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 – cage free egg
• 2 – teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix (equivalent to – 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp ginger)

Ingredients for the pie filling are as follows:

• 1 – 15 oz. can of organic pumpkin
• 2 – tablespoons of pumpkin pie mix (2 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp ginger)
• 1 & 1/2 – teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 – cage free eggs
• 1/2 – cup raw organic honey (can use stevia to avoid sugar altogether)
• 1/3 – cup of milk if needed to thin the filling (can use coconut milk or almond milk for a dairy free version)

Instructions:

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. While the oven is heating, mix together the crust ingredients in a large bowl. When the ingredients become dough like, oil the pie pain and press the crust into the pan. When finished, put the pan in the oven for about 15 minutes, then remove.

You can start prepping the filling while the crust is baking. For this, add all ingredients except the milk into a food processor, then mix until smooth. Make sure to add the milk if needed to thin slightly. When finished, spread the filling into the crust pan and return to oven. Let it bake for about 60 minutes.

When finished, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for about an hour. The filling shouldn’t move when the pan is slightly shaken. Top with whipped cream.

Enjoy !!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.