Crunchy Pumpkin Pie 

Whether you’re preparing dessert for a holiday feast or a special treat for a weekend dinner, a pie is sure to please family and friends. Trouble is, traditional pie crusts that are made with lard, shortening, or butter are high in calories and fat (including saturated fat, trans fat, or both).

The good news? You can prepare tasty and healthy crusts using a small amount of vegetable oil, as this recipe demonstrates.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup ground almonds

• 2 tbsp. brown sugar

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil (such as canola)

• 1 tbsp. water 

Filling

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 egg, beaten

• 4 tsp. vanilla

• 1 cup canned pumpkin

• 2/3 cup evaporated skim milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. To prepare crust, mix oats, flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in small mixing bowl. Blend oil and water in measuring cup with fork or small wire whisk until emulsified. Add oil mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Press into 9-inch pie pan and bake for eight to 10 minutes, or until light brown. Turn oven to 350 degrees. To prepare filling, mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla, and mix to blend. Add pumpkin and milk; stir to combine. Pour filling into prepared pie shell and bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serves nine.

Nutrition Info

PER SERVING: calories–169, fat–7 g, calories from fat–37%, cholesterol–24 mg, sodium–207 mg, carbohydrates–22 g