Pecan-Topped Carrot Pie

Yes, you read correctly: carrot pie. I was a little skeptical myself, but I had to try it out. What I found was this pie tastes like the perfect holiday hybrid of a fresh pumpkin pie and my momma's pecan pie.

This recipe is also significantly cheaper than either a pecan or pumpkin pie--a 1 lb bag of carrots (which is about what this recipe took for me) costs less than 50 cents at some supermarkets! I'm just happy that I found a year-round recipe that mimics my favorite pies...

Oh, and about the crust...well...I'm not so good at crust shaping, which you'll see from the photos. I also use store-bought refrigerated crust, because I'm horrifically lazy. I'm just showing y'all the real me :).

Pecan-Topped Carrot Pie

Taste of Home

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced fresh carrots (about 1 lb bag)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

1 unbaked, 9" pie shell

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbs butter, melted

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray, and form pie crust into the plate.

2. Add about 1" of water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add carrots, cover and reduce heat. Cook the carrots for about 10 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the carrots.

3. Add the carrots, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, pie spice, cinnamon and salt into a food processor or blender. Cover and puree, until smooth and uniform.

4. Pour the carrot mixture into the pie crust.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the pecans, sugar and butter. Sprinkle over the pie filling. Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

Serve chilled with whipped cream or warm out of the oven! Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.