Holiday Favorite Pumpkin Dessert
Hands down, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is no hassle or stress of finding the perfect gift, just a great day spent with close family and friends and of course delicious food! My mouth is watering just thinking about some of my family’s favorite recipes. Going into the holidays, I used to struggle with how to stay on a healthy eating track, and I hated passing up the calorie and sugar dense foods I loved so much. Now I like to go into each day with the mindset that it is ok to indulge in my favorite foods even if they are not “healthy,” and it is really all about balance. I’ve always said that it is easy to do EXTREMES but what takes hard work and strength is BALANCE of all things mind, body & spirit.
First off, these special holidays only come around once a year, and one day does not make a healthy journey or ruin your goals. It is ok to have a cheat day every once in a while! Secondly, if you are still feeling apprehensive about completely letting lose during these meals, maybe go with a more balanced approach. Fill your plate with smaller portions of the buttery or sugary foods, and load up on the leaner proteins and veggies. I like to keep the 80/20 rule in mind to help me stay on track (eat healthy and clean 80% of the time and partake in special treats 20% of the time). However, you choose to tackle your holiday dinner, I hope it is filled with lots of love and laughter!
Below is one of my family’s favorite desserts for Thanksgiving. It screams Autumn with its pumpkin goodness and its flavorful layers never disappoints! I would love for you to try it for your own family and friends and let me know what you think!
If we think of food as high vs. low calorie options, this one would be on the higher end, but check out my Crowd Pleasing Butternut Squash for my favorite butternut squash side dish that is so filly and good for you! A great dish to add as a lower calorie option to your Thanksgiving buffet. I absolutely love eating vibrant foods that speak to me from my plate, that I know are going to give me massive nutrition and energy throughout my day, and this recipe does just that!
INGREDIENTS:
First Layer:
2 - 15 oz cans pumpkin
1 - 12 oz can evaporate milk
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp allspice
2 cups sugar
4 beaten eggs
Second Layer:
1 - box classic Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
Third Layer:
1 - bag of pecans chopped
2 sticks of butter on top
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Prepare 9” x 13” pan with coconut oil or cooking spray.
2. Mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon, allspice, sugar and eggs together. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the box of yellow cake mix. Set aside.
4. In the 9” x 13” pan, layer together all the ingredients. Pumpkin layer, cake layer, chopped pecan layer, and butter layer on top.
5. Bake for about 1 hour.
6. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
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