With Halloween in the rearview, you may have a few pumpkins lying around that you aren’t quite sure what to do with. Well, you could get creative and gather your neighbors over or some lawn bowling. Or you could start thinking about your Thanksgiving dessert table and get creative in the kitchen to create a healthy pumpkin pie.

I have taken the liberty of making a few healthful swaps from my traditional pumpkin pie recipe to make it guilt-free for my paleo friends as well as for folks who may be limiting grains.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipes

Crust Ingredients:

• 15 – 18 pitted dates
• 3 cups raw walnuts
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 can pureed pumpkin
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine crust ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until mixture is in crumbles.
3. Press crust mixture into a 9-inch round baking pan or pie dish. Set aside.
4. Add ingredients for your healthy pumpkin pie filling into a blender or food processor until combined.
5. Pour filling over crust and bake for roughly 45 – 50 minutes or until edges begin to turn brown.
6. Remove pie from the oven and allow to cool before cutting/serving.

Chef Tip: Serve your healthy pumpkin pie with homemade whipped coconut cream and/or cinnamon.

Chef Tip: You could use almonds in place of walnuts for the crust, and it is just as delicious.

Chef Tip: If you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you could also use a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and all spice.

Chef Tip: You could use maple syrup for a sweeter filling, or you could also substitute the honey with liquid stevia.

Fresh vs. Canned

I used canned pumpkin for my healthy pumpkin pie recipe because, quite simply, it’s quicker and more convenient. But if you do have an extra fresh pumpkin hanging out—preferably one that was grown as a pie or “sugar” pumpkin—that’s free of blemishes and is firm, you may be wondering if there are any benefits to using fresh over canned.

Let’s be clear: both are seriously loaded with healthful nutrients, including beta-carotene (which gives it its bright orange color), Vitamin K, potassium, antioxidants, and iron, which is why pumpkin is considered a superfood.

After making both—one with canned and one with fresh—I found there is a difference in flavor and especially texture, and I preferred the fresh as it’s lighter and has a smooth, velvety texture. When I made pumpkin soup a few weeks ago, I shared step-by-step instructions for how to roast your pumpkin (Steps 1 – 4), and I believe it’s worth the effort. And it really isn’t that difficult—plus, you get the nutrition-packed seeds to boot.

Still, canned pumpkin does take less time, less effort, and can also cost less, and some do prefer the taste for their healthy pumpkin pie. There is one caveat. You’ll want to avoid any that are labeled as “pumpkin pie mix,” as those typically contain added sugar and potentially other additives. Stick with 100% pumpkin.