A holiday dinner just isn't complete without a pumpkin pie. Now that I'm living in the South, I tend to hear quite a bit more about sweet potato pie than ever before - it's not exactly a popular dish in the Pacific Northwest.
However, no matter whether you prefer pumpkin or sweet potato, it can be a calorie bomb. The majority of those calories come from the crust. When something consists solely of flour and butter, though, that shouldn't really come as a surprise.
If you're like me, the crust is a mere nuisance anyway. Simply a vehicle with which to scoop all that lovely spiced squash and whipped cream into my mouth.
So why not do away with the crust as a whole?
What's the point of adding all those extra calories if they're not being enjoyed anyway?
Enter crust-less sweet potato pie. It's accessible - because sweet potatoes are available nearly year round. It's easy - because there's only a few ingredients. It's portion friendly - only two of you for Thanksgiving Day dinner? No need to make a whole pie, just halve this recipe and you've only got two servings to tempt yourself with. Feel like an impromptu holiday pickup after a hard day at work this winter? Pop this baby in the oven and you get a taste of the seasonal festivities without a whole pie staring at you the next day, begging you to indulge.
The caloric comparison is surprising. A serving of this pumpkin pie, which is 1/8th of the pie, equals 320 calories and 15 g of fat. Crust-less sweet potatoe pie, on the other hand, offers a serving equal to 1/4 of the pie and provides only 290 calories. Unless you're a true afficianado of the crust (which I'm not, give me filling and more room for whipped cream any day), it's a trade off one can be happy with.
If you're not a fan of sweet potatoes, feel free to switch it out for pumpkin - or even another squash like acorn. Go nuts.
No-Crust Sweet Potato Pie
Yields 4 large servings
2 medium sweet potatoes (approx. 16-18 oz total)
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
5 tablespoons (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Bake the sweet potatoes at 400F for about 45 minutes to an hour until cooked thoroughly. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 350F. Let the potatoes sit for about ten minutes to cool down enough to handle. The skins should peel off easily, if not, place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for another ten minutes to steam them off. Mash the flesh in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in the evaporated milk. When the potato is cool enough to touch with a bare finger, mix in all of the remaining ingredients. Divide the mixture into 4 one-cup ramekins or 2 two-cup ramekins. Place into a casserole dish filled with water to halfway up the ramekins. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until set. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold with whipped cream.
Nutritional Estimate
This is a nutritional estimate, regard it as such.
1 serving = 1/4 of recipe
290 calories
47 g carbohydrate
7.5 g fat
10 g protein
