As kid, I was a little different than most- I didn’t have a sweet tooth. That’s right, I craved pickles, not cookies. On Halloween when we’d come home with loads of candy I was excited, yes, but it took me about 6 months to eat it all! So when it came to be the holidays, my mom and sister always tried out different desserts, because she loved to bake and it was fun trying to find a new favorite for everyone!

During the holidays I never really liked pumpkin pie. I do more now, but it still falls a little flat for me. But one Christmas together my mom and sister made a pumpkin cheese cake- man, did that ever change my view of the pumpkin! It’s creamy, tangy and not too sweet. I know for me sometimes too much sugar can give me a stomachache, so this recipe came to the rescue!

The great thing about this recipe is that there is no butter and you can use whatever cracker/cookie you prefer to mimic a graham cracker like taste. But we have to acknowledge the amount of cream cheese. This is an older, classic recipe and sometimes I like to stick to something like that for the holidays, as long as the dairy and fats that are used are organic from animals that are hormone and antibiotic free. It’s all about balance, right?

Because of pumpkin’s rich orange color, it is very high in vitamin A, healthy for vision and skin and contains lots of beta-carotene. It also contains a high amount of fiber and a healthy alternative for a carbohydrate.

I recommend this for the holiday dinner table because it’s something classic, with a little twist that is sure not to disappoint. Plus it is super easy to put together, it only requires a lot of time in the oven.

The recipe above is straight from the original cookbook of my Moms (you can see it’s been used)! Serve it up and be merry!