Carb Conscious Thanksgiving: Mini Pecan Pies
November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes. In 2018, it was estimated that 34.2 million Americans had diabetes and that number is only increasing. Part of managing diabetes is eating a carb consistent diet, meaning a similar number of carbs at each meal throughout the day. By eating a consistent amount of complex carbohydrates spikes in blood glucose levels, as well as the insulin release trigger, are greatly reduced. Even if you’re not a diabetic, maintaining a consistent carbohydrate intake in your day-to-day routine is good for your health.
Many of our favorite Thanksgiving foods are very high in carbohydrates. While tasty, overindulging often results in a crash after the meal, caused by the spike and fall of blood glucose. For both members of our community with diabetes and those who just follow a carb consistent diet, we wanted to share some lower carb options to help you navigate this Thanksgiving. This week, it’s a dessert recipe for Mini Pecan Pies!
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 45 Minutes Servings: 15
Ingredients
- 1 package mini Phyllo Shells, gluten free (15 shells)
- 3 tablespoons Water
- 1 tablespoon Flaxseed, ground
- 1/3 cup Maple Syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Almond Flour
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lay out the Phyllo shells on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the water and flax meal. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flax egg, maple syrup, vegetable oil, almond flour, vanilla extract, chopped pecans, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Fill each pie crust with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling (it won’t look like a lot, but the filling expands while baking.)
- Bake for about 25 minutes (or when the center of pies start to solidify and are no longer jiggly.)
- Cool completely in pan.