It is officially Fall! We all know what that means…Pumpkin flavored, coffees, cakes, breads, snack bars, and pretty much anything else you can make with that pumpkin spice flavor, starts appearing everywhere.

You either love it or hate it. I personally LOVE it! But I can’t start eating the fall desserts now, and then roll into the holidays and make it out without gaining more weight than I want to. But there’s no way I could wait till Thanksgiving to have those fall treats either! Solution…? This custard! It tastes just like your favorite pumpkin or sweet potato pie but has NO ADDED FAT or REFINED SUGAR and by losing the crust, it also loses the fat and calories a crust would have added.

Eat it just as is, or add a dollop of whipped coconut cream, and you’ve got an indulgent dessert that hits all the right notes but isn’t as sinful as the original!

Low-Fat Sweet Potato Custard

Yield: 6 ramekins or 1 9-inch pie filling

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked sweet potato (approx. 2 med potatoes)

¼ cup maple syrup

1/3 cup whole cane sugar

¾ cups non-dairy milk (soy or almond are my favorite)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

pinch cloves

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons agar powder (not flakes)

Procedure:

Bake 2-3 sweet potatoes and allow them to cool. (You can do this the night before)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, add all the ingredients, and blend until smooth.

Divide evenly between 6 ramekins. Place in a glass pan and fill with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool fully in the water bath.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally, overnight.

Eat it plain or add a dollop of whipped coconut cream!

*Note: This recipe is also great as a pie filling, so if you want to go for the pie, here are the instructions.

For Pie:

Fit a single pastry crust into a 9 inch pie pan.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the center looks semi-firm.

*Check the edges of the crust after baking for 40 minutes and cover the crust with foil if it is browning too rapidly.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then chill for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.

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