How to Bake a Healthy Pie for Dessert

Have your pie and eat it, too, with tips for lightening up almost any pie from crust to topping.

Step 1: Use a single crust Use only a single bottom crust, which will save you 120 calories and 8 grams of fat per slice of an eight-slice, 9-inch pie.
TIP: Ditch the crust altogether and line a pie dish with crumbs over a layer of cooking spray. Try gingersnaps, shortbread cookies, graham crackers, or chocolate cookie crumbs.
Step 2: Swap white flour Swap half the white flour in your crust recipe with whole wheat pastry flour. You'll gain 1-1/2 grams of fiber per slice.
Step 3: Use good fat Use a pie crust recipe that calls for oil instead of shortening and use a healthy oil, like canola. Use less than called for and substitute the rest with low-fat buttermilk or fat-free cream cheese.
Step 4: Reduce sugar Reduce the amount of sugar in your pie filling by half or replace half with sugar substitute.
Step 5: Cut filling fat Cut the butter in your filling -- which can normally go up to a half a cup -- to about two tablespoons. Use fat-free sweetened condensed milk in recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk and evaporated skimmed milk in recipes that call for evaporated milk. Try low-fat or light cream cheese in place of the full-fat variety.
TIP: Make your own fruit pie filling to boost fiber and nutrients.
Step 6: Top it off Top your healthy pie off with low-fat vanilla ice cream or fat-free whipped topping and dig in.
FACT: The American Pie Council named January 23 National Pie Day, dedicated to celebrating pie.