Protein Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Easy, Delicious, Healthy)

three slices of high protein pumpkin pie in the pie dish, with sugar free whipped cream on top.

5 from 4 votes

Protein Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Easy, Delicious, Healthy)

A few simple ingredient swaps make this high protein, low sugar, and gluten free Pumpkin Protein Pie holiday-worthy! Makes one 9-inch pie (8 slices).

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Andréa Marchese

Equipment

Ingredients

Crust:

⅓ cup almond butter 80g
⅓ cup water 2.7oz
½ cup vanilla rice protein powder 56g, extra if needed
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling:

15 oz canned pumpkin
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ scoops unflavored whey protein concentrate 45g
1-2 tablespoons sweetener any kind (optional)
1 cup water 8oz
2 whole large eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (163C).
In a medium bowl, mix almond butter with water until smooth.
Add in rice protein and cinnamon. Mix until combined. (If the batter is sticky, add a little more rice protein.)
Press into pie pan, and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine pumpkin and spices, set aside.
Mix whey protein with water, then add to pumpkin and spices.
Add eggs. Mix slowly until combined.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the center of the pie is firm to the touch.
Let cool completely and enjoy!

Video

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS

For the crust:

I recommend rice protein powder (or other plant-based proteins, like pea protein blends, peanut protein) in the crust because they make for a melt-in-your-mouth crumble. So good!

This Vietnamese cinnamon is my favorite. I love its bold flavor! Or in place of all the spices in this recipe, simply use 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin spice mix.

Instead of the almond butter, any nut butter or even this sugar free cookie butter(!!!) can be used (as in the video below).

For the filling:

Instead of pumpkin, try using sweet potato, butternut squash, or any winter squash. Cook the squash and run it through a food processor to get the right consistency.

Pumpkin pie filling can also be used to replace the pumpkin puree in this healthy pumpkin pie recipe. Note that the pie filling will have (sugar and) spices already added, so you won't need to add the spices called for in the recipe.

I suggest whey protein concentrate in the filling because it tends to bake very well (as opposed to whey isolates, which bake dry and rubbery). I suggest unflavored or lightly flavored vanilla protein powder.

If using unflavored whey concentrate, you may wish to add 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite sweetener. I like confectioner's erythritol in this recipe.

The filling will likely work with a blend of whey and casein protein (like Quest protein powder or PEScience protein powder), but the bake time may need to be reduced. The casein will thicken the filling, and it may cook faster.

Swap out the water for milk (or coconut milk, almond milk) in the filling for an extra creamy texture and a hint of additional flavor.

VARIATIONS

This high protein pie recipe would be great prepared as mini pumpkin pies, or as little tarts like these Chocolate Hazelnut Tartlets.

Crustless Protein Pumpkin Pie: For a lower-calorie option, skip the crust altogether. Pour the filling directly into a pie dish lined with a parchment round and bake as directed.

A traditional pie crust of graham cracker crumbs will also work well in this recipe.

TOPPINGS

I topped this healthy pumpkin pie here with a homemade sugar free whipped cream (using confectioner's erythritol instead of sugar), but this Cashew Whipped Cream would be a great choice as well.

STORAGE

This delicious pie will stay well in the refrigerator for several days (if it lasts that long!).

For longer, consider freezing individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top freezer bag. They'll keep well for up to two months.

Nutrition