Things you can do with a Pumpkin

Apart from making the traditional lantern, try some of our recipes for healthy pumpkin pies and other pumpkin desserts that are bursting with fall flavour. Our healthy pumpkin dessert recipes are lighter twists on the classics you love, like pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. Our healthy pumpkin recipes let the true flavour of pumpkin shine through. We eliminate much of the fat and sugar in favour of rich spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to enhance the pumpkin flavour. Try our Classic Pumpkin Pie for a traditional Thanksgiving dessert or our Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake for an elegant ending to a holiday feast.

Pumpkin Bread

Healthy Weight Healthy Heart
Makes: 2 loaves, 12 slices each
Active time: 15 minutes | Total: 3 hours (including cooling time)

Canned pumpkin puree and whole-wheat flour come together in this healthy homemade pumpkin bread. The canned pumpkin helps keep the bread moist and tender. If you like the flavour of pumpkin pie spice, feel free to add a pinch or two to season the bread.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour, preferably white whole-wheat (see Tip)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 cups canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Stir all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, egg whites, brown sugar, pumpkin and oil in another large bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
3. Bake the loaves until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Per slice: 210 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 16 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrate; 18 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 377 mg sodium; 125 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (96% daily value), Iron (15% dv).

Tip: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find it at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie

While pumpkin pie deserves respect as a Thanksgiving icon, it’s fun to shake up tradition. Surprise your family and friends with a frozen pie this year—it just might become one of their holiday favorites. No need to let them know how easy it is. While pumpkin pie deserves respect as a Thanksgiving icon, it’s fun to shake up tradition. Surprise your family and friends with a frozen pie this year—it just might become one of their holiday favorites. No need to let them know how easy it is.

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
• 30 small gingersnap cookies, (about 7 1/2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
FILLING
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 pints (4 cups) frozen low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened (see Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare crust: Combine gingersnaps and raisins in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add oil and pulse until blended. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
3. Bake the crust until set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To prepare filling: Combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well. Add ice cream and stir until blended. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Let the pie soften slightly in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

TIPS & NOTES
• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and freeze the pie for up to 3 days. | Equipment: 9-inch deep-dish pie pan
• Tip: To soften ice cream quickly, microwave on Medium-Low for 30 to 60 seconds.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 230 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 4 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fibre; 179 mg sodium; 165 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value)
Carbohydrate Servings: 3
Exchanges: 3 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
• 1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 20 cookies)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
FILLING
• 20 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, (2 1/2 cups)
• 12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (1 1/2 cups), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
• 8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream, (1 cup)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.
2. To prepare crust: Combine crumbs and oil in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan.
3. To prepare filling & bake cheesecake: Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl once or twice. Add cream cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch; process until smooth. Add egg, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla and salt; blend well. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in lemon juice. To the remaining filling, add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch; blend well.
4. Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla filling into the centre of the crust. Then pour about 1 cup of the pumpkin filling into the centre of the vanilla filling. Alternate the remaining fillings in the same manner; concentric circles will form as they spread. To create a marbled effect, gently swirl a knife or skewer through the fillings.
5. Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.
6. Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the centre still jiggles, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven. Coat a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake. Let stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.

TIPS & NOTES
• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. | Equipment: 9-inch springform pan

NUTRITION
Per serving: 221 calories; 6 g fat ( 3 g sat , 2 g mono ); 27 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein;1 g fiber; 220 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium.

Pumpkin Coconut Tart

Dark rum, coconut milk, cinnamon, ginger and cloves give this pumpkin tart a complex flavor that matches perfectly with a cup of chai laced with milk.

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
• 1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 tablespoons cold reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
FILLING
• 1 1/2 cups canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup “lite” coconut milk
GARNISH
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut chips, (see Ingredient Note) or flaked coconut, toasted (optional)

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare crust: Combine flour, almonds, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, and then cream cheese by the tablespoonful, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust.
3. Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. To prepare filling: Beat pumpkin, 3/4 cup sugar, rum, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in coconut milk. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
5. Bake the tart until the filling is just set (the centre may still appear soft, but will become more solid as it cools), 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until chilled. Remove the pan sides before slicing. Garnish with coconut, if desired.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 2), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cover and refrigerate the cooled tart for up to 1 day. | Equipment: 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom pan
• Ingredient note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
• Tip: Place slivered almonds in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Ingredient note: Large thin flakes of dried coconut called coconut chips make attractive garnishes. Find them in the produce section of large supermarkets or at melissas.com.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 260 calories; 12 g fat ( 6 g sat , 3 g mono ); 80 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein;3 g fiber; 168 mg sodium; 163 mg potassium.

Pumpkin Pie with Rum

Dark molasses and dark rum put this pumpkin pie a cut above the rest. Non-fat evaporated milk, which stands in for heavy cream, does a fantastic job of cutting the fat in the filling. Add to that our blue ribbon butter-canola crust and you’ve dropped three-quarters of the fat and more than half the calories found in most similar pies. Don’t use pumpkin-pie mix—buy canned pumpkin without added spices: the flavour will be superior.

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1-2 tablespoons ice water
FILLING
• 2 large eggs
• 1 15- or 16-ounce can plain pumpkin puree
• 1 12-ounce can non-fat evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 3 tablespoons dark rum, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. To prepare crust: Stir all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a nutty brown, 30 seconds to 4 minutes, depending on your stove. Pour into a small bowl and let cool. Stir in oil. Slowly stir the butter-oil mixture into the flour mixture with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Gradually stir in enough ice water so the dough holds together. Press the dough into a flattened disk.
2. Place two overlapping lengths of plastic wrap on a work surface. Set the dough in the center and cover with two more sheets of plastic wrap. Roll the dough into a 13-inch circle. Remove the top sheets and invert the dough into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Remove the remaining wrap. Fold the edges under at the rim and crimp. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
3. To prepare filling & bake pie: Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, molasses and rum (or vanilla). Combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl. Rub through a sieve into the pumpkin mixture and whisk until incorporated.
4. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake the pie until the filling has set and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes; cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly. Cool on a wire rack.

TIPS & NOTES
• Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: 9-inch deep-dish pie pan

NUTRITION
Per serving: 278 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 58 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein;3 g fiber; 187 mg sodium; 397 mg potassium.