::Montage Sequence::: Lazy Pumpkin Pie

(tldr: I made a pie. It is easy and delicious. The recipe is below, with pictures.)

I love baking. I love being in shape. My loves hate each other.

I've always been a decent baker, and when I was a kid I had no problem whipping together cakes, brownies, muffins, cookies, cupcakes, whatever...from scratch....for no reason (my brother certainly reaped the benefits). I just like baking, and it's so yummy! But now I can't really justify making cakes and brownies on a whim anymore since it's basically just pounds of butter and sugar, that I inevitably have to eat. Myself. All of it. Immediately. Usually facing the corner in a grownup time-out of shame.

So, I have to forego my baking prowess for the greater good of staying healthy. Boo. But having to avoid traditional ingredients has resulted in broadened horizons and I've been having fun experimenting with 'clean' recipes. I've actually produced a few great successes (with a few duds as well) but we like to focus on the positive.

Now that it's autumn, it seems the pumpkin patches have EXPLODED because you can't turn a corner without seeing something pumpkin flavored. And I have totally fallen for it. I've been CRAVING pumpkin, pumpkin anything. If you can put pumpkin in it, I want that thing. All the things

So here is the recipe I came up with for clean pumpkin pie that fills my need to bake things, and consume pumpkins, but also complements my need to eat clean (bonus, I'm really lazy and this recipe is great for that too). I suppose if you really break it down, this pie (I assume it's still a pie, I'm not much of a pie connoisseur, so I don't know if there is some criteria that this does or does not meet to make it into the category, but as far as my tummy is concerned, this is a pie). uh, what was I saying. Oh yeah, this pie fits all kinds of cool categories that are important to people:

-it's super easy to make

-there are only five ingredients

-you have all the ingredients (and if you don't, you're just one quick trip to trader joe's away from having everything you'll need)

-it's gluten free

-it's flour-less

-it's eggless

-it's crust less

-it's low fat

-it's yummy

-it's super easy to make (did I say that already? Because it seriously is. I could make another one before I finish writing up this post. Seriously. The hardest part is waiting for the pie to cool. SO difficult)

Anyways, blah blah blah, here is the recipe I came up with:

Lazy (gluten-free, crustless, eggless, clean, five ingredient) Pumpkin Pie

(update! If you need a dairy-free version, Check this out!)

You'll need 5 ingredients:

3 tbsp flax seed meal soaked in 9 tbsp hot water*

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 containers (150g each) non-fat Honey Greek yogurt

* the flax seeds are a substitute for 3 egg whites which I didn't have nor have tried.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425

Before you do anything, soak the flax seeds in hot water and let sit. Meanwhile combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the flax seeds last when they have cooled a bit to the consistency of egg whites, and mix everything until it's smooth.

Line a baking dish with parchment paper, pour in pumpkin mixture.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350, and bake for another 60 minutes.

Turn off oven, but LEAVE THE PIE INSIDE and allow to cool (inside the oven). When cooled completely, store in the refrigerator.