When it comes to pumpkin pie. My brother is a purist. Libby’s pumpkin pie filling with a regular crust. I am not a purist. Making a regular crust gluten free is a pain. Since we are not having the regular turkey dinner at their place this year, I wanted to still make my brother his pie and make one for myself to have at home.

Looking through recipes, I came across a recipe from Bobby Flay for Bobby Flay’s Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch and Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream. I love the originality of the recipe. I also love the simple crust. What I don’t love is the calories. 849 calories per piece. While I know I’m splurging a bit on calories, I don’t want a dessert that is more calories than I eat in an entire meal most days. I also don’t want to miss out on a treat. Of course I am editing this recipe to fit better into my diet. I also will be making this into a slab pie, versus a round pie for easier portioning.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced all of the sugars with their sweetener equivalents to remove the sugar.
• I replaced the all purpose flour with almond flour to make this gluten free.
• I replaced the milk products with plant-based milks to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the graham cracker crumbs with a low sugar gluten free cracker to remove the gluten and reduce the sugar.
• I deleted the whipped cream to reduce the calories.
• I increased the servings from 8 to 12 to reduce the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

A Healthier Version of Bobby Flay’s Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch

Serves 12

Crunch Topping

• 1/2 cup almond
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup light brown sweetener
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold

Crust

• 2 cups gluten free graham cracker crumbs
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling

• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup brown sweetener
• 1/4 cup granulated sweetener
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for the top
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup plant-based heavy cream
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. To make the cinnamon crunch, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the almond flour, oats, brown sweetener, and cinnamon in a food processor, and process a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Pat the mixture evenly into a 4-inch square on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Keep the oven on.
3. To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix until combined. Press evenly onto the bottom and sides quarter sheet pan. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake until light golden brown and firm, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
5. To make the filling, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, both sweetener, and the molasses together in a medium bowl. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream, coconut milk, and vanilla seeds or extract. Strain the mixture through a coarse strainer into a bowl. Whisk in the butter.
6. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, pour the pumpkin mixture into the shell, and sprinkle additional cinnamon over the top. Bake until the filling is set around edges but the center still jiggles slightly when shaken, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
7. Cut the pie into slices and top each with some of the cinnamon crunch.