Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year. I love the beauty God created in the changing of the seasons. As soon as the temperature starts to drop, I begin cooking our fall favorites. I’ve created healthier versions of these cool weather recipes with less sugar. They have become classics around my household, and I hope they will become classics for your family too. Happy fall. Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin Pie

Filling
(Yields two pies.)
2 cans of pumpkin puree 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup of pure maple syrup 1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup flour 2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup almond milk 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder

Crust
When I make pies, I usually use Wholly Wholesome Gluten Free Pie Crust. You can purchase at Whole Foods. Using a pre-made pie crust is much easier and tastes great. Just make sure you buy a pie crust that uses whole ingredients.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the filling evenly into the pie crusts. Cook for 30 minutes. Allow pumpkin pies to chill overnight in the refrigerator. If you are on a time constraint, allow at least four hours to chill.

Apple Cider

64 oz organic apple juice
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions
Place all ingredients in a crock-pot. Cook on low for 1.5 hours. Not only does the cider taste great, it makes your whole house smell delicious!

Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries
1/2 cup of maple syrup
Juice from 1 orange (or 3/4 cup of orange juice)

Directions
Rinse the cranberries first. Then combine cranberries, maple syrup, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low, allowing cranberries to continue to pop for about 10 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

•LR•

Katie Bryan is a food blogger, wife and mother of two sweet girls. She also teaches classes on nutrition and faith. Get healthy recipes on her blog: KatieEats.com