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How to Bake a Healthy Pie for Dessert. Have your pie and eat it, too, with tips for lightening
up almost any pie from crust to topping. You will need Single crust Whole wheat pastry
flour Canola oil Low-fat buttermilk or fat-free cream cheese Sugar substitute Fat-free sweetened
condensed milk Evaporated skimmed milk Low-fat or light cream cheese Low-fat vanilla ice
cream or low-fat whipped topping Cookie crumbs (optional) and fruit (optional). Step 1. Use
only a single bottom crust, which will save you 120 calories and 8 grams of fat per slice
of an eight-slice, 9-inch pie. Ditch the crust altogether and line a pie dish with crumbs
over a layer of cooking spray. Try gingersnaps, shortbread cookies, graham crackers, or chocolate
cookie crumbs. Step 2. Swap half the white flour in your crust recipe with whole wheat
pastry flour. You'll gain 1-1/2 grams of fiber per slice. Step 3. Use a pie crust recipe
that calls for oil instead of shortening and use a healthy oil, like canola. Use less than
called for and substitute the rest with low-fat buttermilk or fat-free cream cheese. Step
4. Reduce the amount of sugar in your pie filling by half or replace half with sugar
substitute. Step 5. Cut the butter in your filling -- which can normally go up to a half
a cup -- to about two tablespoons. Use fat-free sweetened condensed milk in recipes that call
for sweetened condensed milk and evaporated skimmed milk in recipes that call for evaporated
milk. Try low-fat or light cream cheese in place of the full-fat variety. Make your own
fruit pie filling to boost fiber and nutrients. Step 6. Top your healthy pie off with low-fat
vanilla ice cream or fat-free whipped topping and dig in. Did you know The American Pie
Council named January 23 National Pie Day, dedicated to celebrating pie.