November and December are home to the two most gluttonous holidays of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas. And they are side by side!

How is a dieter supposed to enjoy their favorite thanksgiving dessert recipes while still maintaining or losing weight?  I believe that no one should deny themselves over the holidays. The key is to find low-calorie or low-sugar alternatives and to eat smaller portions. Here is a list of the best thanksgiving recipes that are light, diet-friendly and easy to make!

1. Frozen Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 4 tablespoons Truvia, or other sweetener
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• chopped pecans

Directions:

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir often. Add pureed pumpkin just after the butter has melted and keep whisking. Next, add cream cheese, sweetener and spices. Whisk until smooth, then add the vanilla extract.

Mix it completely and remove from heat. Line a 9×9 pan with wax paper and pour the fudge mixture into the pan or dish.

Sprinkle with pecans and place in the freezer for 24 hours. When ready to slice, remove the fudge by pulling out the wax paper and cut into pieces. Store fudge in a container with a lid in the freezer – until ready to serve.

2. Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 4 bananas
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Blend together and freeze. It’s that simple! Enjoy.

3. Pumpkin Pie Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
  
• 5 large eggs
  
• 2 tsp of liquid stevia (or one cup of sugar)
  
• 2 cups of 100% pure pumpkin
  
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
• 1/4 tsp  all spice
  
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Whip the cream cheese using a hand mixer. Next, add the eggs and whip with the cream cheese. Add pumpkin, spices, liquid stevia (or sugar) and vanilla. Spray muffin pan and spoon in. This makes 24 pumpkin bites. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-35 min. Let cool for a bit.. loosen the edges so they are easier to take out and finish cooling.

4. Apple Pie Tacos

Ingredients:

• 4 apples peeled & sliced
• ½ cup sugar
  
• 2 tsp cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp Nutmeg
  
• ½ cup water
  
• Tortillas (flour) 6″ size
  
• Oil (for frying tortillas)
  
• 1/2 c sugar-cinnamon mixture
  
• Whipped cream

Directions:

Place apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water in a sauce pan.

Stir until well blended and cover and cook on medium stirring frequently
For 10 minutes or until apples are semi soft. If needed, thicken sauce using
1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 3-4 tablespoons of water. Mix into sauce and stir until thickened.

Heat oil on medium heat in a skillet and holding the tortilla folded in half, place the bottom on tortilla in the oil for a few seconds. Then lay it on one side until browned and then place other side down until browned. Remove from oil and sprinkle browned tortilla with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Fill taco shells with apple pie filling and top with whipped cream, and sprinkle a little more of sugar-cinnamon mixture on top.

5. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Muffins:

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  
• 3 cups almond flour
  
• 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
  
• 1/2 cup sweetener (Truvia or other)
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Sweetened Pumpkin Seeds Topping:

• 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
  
• 1 tbsp melted butter
  
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  
• 1 tbsp sweetener (Truvia or other)
  
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 1 1/2 pkgs (12 oz) cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/2 cup sweetener
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 tsp vanilla
  
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

This is a classic thanksgiving recipe with a twist! For sweetened Pumpkin Seeds Topping, place pumpkin seeds, butter, sweetener and cinnamon into a bowl and stir well, set aside. For the cream cheese filling, whip cream cheese with the eggs,sweetener, salt and vanilla extract until it is smooth. Set aside.

For the muffins, preheat the oven to 325F and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Beat in butter and sweetener until well mixed. Add pumpkin, eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract.

Drop a spoonful of batter into the bottom of prepared muffin tins and make a well in the center. Drop a tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the well, then top with more batter to fill muffin tins to about 3/4 full. Toss some pumpkin seeds on each muffin. Bake for 23- 25 minutes, or until tops are set and edges are just browned. Let cool.

6. Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

7.  Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 oz of softened cream cheese
  
• 1 container of marshmallow fluff
  
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  
• 1 cup of light whipped cream
  
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Beat together cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, pumpkin and spice. Then by hand stir in cool whip. You could pour this into a hollowed out pumpkin for a decorative bowl! This is great on fruit, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, etc!

8.  Crustless Butternut Squash Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Butternut Squash Puree
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 tsp ginger
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp cloves
  
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  
• 1 Tbsp flour
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 cup evaporated milk
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Beat all together until well mixed. Pour into a 10″ greased pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and turn down to 350 for an additional 35 minutes or until center is set nicely.

 9.  Nutella Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix – powder only, do not mix as directed on the box (I used yellow but spice cake would also be good)
• 1 can pure pumpkin – not pumpkin pie filling
  
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/4 cup Nutella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until well mixed. Divide into lined muffin tins. Bake 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. This thanksgiving recipe is great for the kids and makes a delicious snack!

10. Two-Toned Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages Light cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sweetener (truvia or similar)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs + 2 egg whites
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1.5 tsps Pumpkin Spice
• 1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed (optional)
• Chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Blend the cream cheese, Swerve, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until smooth and no chunks are left. Now blend in eggs and egg whites, one at a time. Remove 1 cup of the creamed mixture and spread it around into the bottom of the graham crust; set aside.

Add pumpkin spice to the remaining mixture in the bowl and gently stir until well incorporated. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust. Put in freezer for 30 minutes. Take it out and bake it in a preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to completely cool, then refrigerate overnight. Before serving, top with a dab of whipped topping and a few chocolate shavings.

11.  Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 cups butter or margarine (softened)
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
  
• 1 large Egg
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 12oz bag White Chocolate Chips