Ambrosia on a fork

After tasting your first bite of this concoction, you'll find yourself hiding in the closet, furtively eating the entire pie all by yourself and hoping no one discovers your hiding place. Or you can do what I did- bake two pies so there's enough for everyone. One for me, one for them. 

Seriously though- this dish works beautifully for a healthy and delicious after school snack. Serve with a glass of milk. Or pair it with whole-wheat toast and cut seasonal fruit for an amazing breakfast that will have your kids singing praises. At least mine did.

I love serving treats or desserts that are at least a bit healthy, and with less than one tablespoon of sugar per slice, this pie is definitely a keeper in our home.

You will need:

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups chopped carrots

2 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice for more flavor)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

Directions-

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Press the pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie pan.

Bake the pie shell for 3-5 minutes, just to firm it up, them remove from the oven and set it aside. Place carrots in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain water and mash carrots until smooth using a potato masher. Or put them in the blender and process until smooth.

In a medium bowl, mix together the carrot puree, sugar, and eggs. Mix in the cinnamon and vanilla. Gradually  stir in milk. Pout the mixture into the partially baked pie shell.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for an additional 40-45 minutes, or until the pie is firm. This carrot pie can be served either as a side with dinner or as a light dessert.

For dessert, try topping slices of pie with freshly whipped cream and some freshly-grated nutmeg. It's heavenly!