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I have a cooking classes coming up this week at work with the theme of lightened up Thanksgiving desserts. I’ve been playing around with the recipe idea all weekend after posting my Supermarket RD’s Pick of pumpkin puree.
Pumpkin pie is my ultimate favorite dessert on Thanksgiving and I make sure I always save room for it. Of course, there’s not too much room after a delicious Thanksgiving day meal, so I always found it so annoying when I would try to cut myself a sliver of pie and end up making a mess trying to get that perfect little piece.
This recipe I decided to skip the pie plate and use a sheet cake pan to easily cut into little squares to get that perfect little slice.
While this recipe is still a dessert, it is lightened up by cutting back on sugar and adding Greek yogurt in place of other fats.
This was the first time I made a graham cracker crust, but using yogurt instead of butter and I am quite pleased with the results.
Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
Description
Move over pumpkin pie. These pumpkin pie bars can satisfy your craving with lightened up ingredients. Plus, it’s easier for portion control by cutting them into small squares versus trying to cut a sliver of pie.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 cup graham crackers, crushed
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup Cabot low fat vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- For the pumpkin pie filling:
- 1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup Cabot low fat vanilla yogurt
- 1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 heaping tbsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- For the crust: With cooking spray, grease a 9×13 baking dish; set aside. In a food processor, combine the graham crackers and quick oats. and pulse until fine crumbs. Add the cinnamon, light brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Press evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
- For the pumpkin pie filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, yogurt, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Pour the filling over the crust evenly. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn down to 350 and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool completely before slicing.
Let me tell you, I even surprised my hardest critics with this recipe. It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie!
I love this recipe. Always on the lookout for family-friendly recipes using pumpkin! I’ll be so sad when canned pumpkin is no longer available at the market. Pinning now!!
Totally the perfect little pumpkin treat!
These look delicious! totally making them
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I’m not so into baking so I normally look at pretty pictures of baked goods, drool, and then pin them. But this recipe seems pretty easy and I have all the ingredients on hand, so I’m actually going to bake it!
Mmm these look too good Julie!
I myself made a healthy pumpkin treat my just going for a little pumpkin pudding myself, and it was delicious! I love these little squares of yours though, mmmmm *wantsrightnow*
Oh love pumpkin pie and these look just perfect. And love that you lightened up with yogurt.
Hmmm…. wonder what my family would think if I brought this to Thanksgiving instead of traditional pumpkin pie? Of course I wouldn’t tell them it was a “healthy version.” 😉
i <3 lightened up desserts – and lightened up pumpkin pie is a sure winner!
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