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November 9, 2011

Pumpkin Praline Parfaits (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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It is a wonderful thing, when you think your choices are extremely limited, to discover that you have a lot more options than you thought. Even better, that those options appear to be increasing all the time. This is how I felt when I first found that my gestational diabetes was here to stay, that I was a diabetic for life. I thought that for baking, my sweetener options were limited to artificial products like sucralose and aspartame, neither of which I have ever much liked. What a delight, then, to discover a whole world of alternative sweeteners that were naturally derived and had little to no effect on my blood glucose levels. Ever cautious, I first approached them with some trepidation. Could they be for real? How could there possibly be all of these sugar alternatives that I’d never even heard of? Could they really sweeten my foods without causing a blood sugar spike?

For someone with a true passion for baking, these alternative sweeteners have been an absolute godsend. Notice I use the term “alternative sweeteners” instead of “artificial sweeteners”. This is because sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol, and other plant-based sweeteners like stevia, are all naturally occurring substances. Sure, they have to be processed out of the plants in which they occur, but it also takes a lot of processing to get sugar out of sugar cane. And guess what? Even if you never knew it, you’ve been consuming erythritol and xylitol all the time, because they are both naturally occurring substances in many fruits and vegetables. This fact alone makes me feel a lot better about using them in my low carb baking.

What’s especially heartening to me is that producers of these sugar alternatives are constantly striving to improve them. Recently on Twitter, I noticed a new follower going by the name of @swervesweetie. Intrigued, I clicked on their profile and discovered a new erythritol-based sweetener called Swerve. My new follower and I struck up a little correspondence, and they asked me to try out the product in my baking. So what’s different about this one? Well, they have formulated their product to be used cup-for-cup to replace sugar. Plain erythritol is only about 60-70% as sweet as sugar, but Swerve has been designed to be exactly as sweet as regular sugar. That’s pretty great news for anyone want to take a conventional recipe and make it sugar free.

For my part, I knew instantly what I wanted to make with it. I’d seen a recipe in the King Arthur Flour catalog that I wanted to make low carb, and I knew it would be a good match for the Swerve Sweetener. The King Arthur version, a Pumpkin Mousse with Salted Pecans, was anything but low carb, being made with their pastry cream mix. But I’ve had such success with pastry cream lately, I knew I could revamp the recipe to my specifications. And instead of salted pecans, I decided to use the Swerve Sweetener to its best advantage, and make some pecan pralines.

The Results: Okay, I officially declare this the perfect fall dessert. Really, it is amazing, like rich, thick pumpkin pie filling without the crust. And the pralines are to die for! Sweet and pecan-y, they add the perfect bit of crunch to the rich pumpkin pastry cream. If you haven’t decided what to serve for dessert on Thanksgiving Day, may I enthusiastically recommend this? I may be making a second batch for our Thanksgiving!

And how did the Swerve perform? Perfectly. I used it cup for cup in both the pastry cream and the pralines, and was very pleased with the sweetness of both parts of the dessert. And here’s an added bonus that the Swerve people didn’t even mention; there was none of the mouth-cooling sensation that is typical of other erythritol sweeteners. This is big to me, because I know a lot of people are put off by that when it comes to sugar alcohols. I think the Swerve folks need to make this a selling point, because it certainly is to me!

Pumpkin Praline Parfaits

Pumpkin Pastry Cream:
1 1/4 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener
pinch salt
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp butter, cut into two pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pralines:
1 cup Swerve Sweetener
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp molasses
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

For the pastry cream, whisk together whipping cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with Swerve sweetener and salt, then whisk in cornstarch until mixture becomes pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

Slowly whisk about half of the hot cream into the yolks to temper, then return the yolk/cream mixture back to the saucepan and cook until thick and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes, whisking continuously. It thickens up suddenly and quickly, so watch carefully!

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap flush to the surface. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours.

For the pralines, combine Swerve with the cream, butter, molasses and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until Swerve dissolves and mixture boils. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 280F on a candy thermometer and just begins to darken. Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla extract and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in pecans and mix vigorously, then pour into a parchment lined baking pan. Let cool and harden.

To assemble parfaits, take about a quarter of the pralines and place in a heavy-duty plastic ziploc bag. Crush with a heavy kitchen mallet until broken into small pieces. Set aside.

Divide half of pumpkin pastry cream into 6 dessert dishes or ramekins. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of crushed pralines, then top with remaining pastry cream and sprinkle each with 1 more tablespoon of crushed pralines.

Garnish with lightly sweetened whipping cream, if desired, and 1 pecan half.

Serves 6. Each serving has 8.1 g of carbs and 2.2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 5.9 g.

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Filed Under: Gluten Free, Low Carb, Other Desserts

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} says

    November 9, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    I felt like you when I heard about my cholesterol. I thought it's the end of cakes, cookies and other good bakes until I start reading and discovering so many soy based products that are as good as dairy ones.
    Your parfaits look great! Glad to hear there's a new sweetener on the market since my new year resolution (2012 i mean) is to give up white sugar and flour.

    Reply
  2. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says

    November 9, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    Smooth, crunch and seasonal!? Perfect ๐Ÿ™‚ I'm always amazed to hear of the alternative sweeteners that I had never thought of before. Even using things like honey and agave don't always occur to me.

    Reply
  3. Sandra says

    November 9, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    I can imagine the flavor of this dessert, Carolyn! Look absolutely amazing..

    Reply
  4. kita says

    November 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    I've had pumpkin parfaits on my to do list for over a year! I love your take on this and the pralines sound like they really kick it up a notch! Motivation! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  5. healthyfoodietravels says

    November 9, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    Oh my, whenever I hear praline, I know I'm helplessly drawn in! ๐Ÿ™‚ Looks amazingly good!
    I discovered xylitol in China, it's pretty much all they use. I was very pleasantly surprised!

    Reply
  6. [email protected] says

    November 9, 2011 at 4:30 pm

    What a pleasure to have a new product turn out beyond what you have expected. Delicious recipe! And a good new find. I will keep my eyes out for the product – hope your Wednesday treats you wonderfully! xoxo megan

    Reply
  7. Steph says

    November 9, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    I'm still amazed that you haven't let your diabetes get you down. I don't know if I would be able to move on and find so many new ways to still enjoy the things I love. This parfait sounds AMAZING!! Perfect fall treat!

    Reply
  8. RavieNomNoms says

    November 9, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    I don't know how you do it, but this looks amazing! What a great fall treat to have…

    Reply
  9. Lisa @ Tarte du Jour says

    November 9, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    These parfaits look spectacular! This is my time of year…I love pumpkin anything! I've never heard of Swerve before. I know people who are diabetic would appreciate knowing about this one.

    Reply
  10. Birgit Kerr says

    November 9, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    This looks wonderful! You already answered a question I had about the cooling sensation, but I have another question on the Swerve. How about the recrystalizing properties of the regular erythritol? Is that different in swerve too? Did you get a chance to observe this?

    I could imagine that this yummy looking dessert was gone before any crystals could form though ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  11. [email protected] says

    November 9, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    This looks utterly fantastic! I ADORE anything pumpkin and contrary to what is in my blog, I try to be careful of what I eat most of the time. So this WILL be being printed out and tried.

    I am so happy for you that you are able to find ways to work with your diabetes when it comes to cooking. My dad, who died in 06, had type 2 diabetes and I wish things like this had been around for him even those few short years ago. Plus, my husband has type 2 diabetes and I love knowing that there are recipes like this out there for me to be able to make him.

    Reply
  12. Carolyn says

    November 9, 2011 at 6:51 pm

    Hi Birgit,
    I actually still have some of the pumpkin pastry cream left and plan on having it for dessert tonight. I will make note of any crystallization, but I haven't yet had that problem in any of my pastry creams made with any kind of erythritol.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Jackie says

    November 9, 2011 at 7:14 pm

    I have been trying to find sugar substitutes that I like, I will have to give swerve a try. It certainly sounds worth it. The recipe looks really good as well. I will be giving this a try.

    Reply
  14. Nicole says

    November 9, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    I think I've only had a parfait once in my life – crazy, I know, but it only makes me want this more. I love, love pumpkin and can't even begin to describe my addiction to pralines, so the two of them together? Heaven.

    Reply
  15. Lauren at Keep It Sweet says

    November 9, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    I'd definitely be ok with a limited diet if I could eat this for dessert on a regular basis! These look delicious.

    Reply
  16. scratch-made wife says

    November 10, 2011 at 12:41 am

    I'm seriously intrigued by this sweetener – and this dessert! I am amazed by the amount of wonderful foods you've found you can eat. I need to branch out and see what else is out there for me (I don't have diabetes, but a newfound insulin issue has recently limited my diet to be very, very low carb.) Keep posting the awesome recipes. I'll keep bookmarking them. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  17. Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says

    November 10, 2011 at 12:55 am

    This dessert looks so yummy! I've never heard of Swerve, but now I am curious. I try to limit my sugars too, but I'm not a big fan of artificial sweeteners. I don't like the aftertaste!

    Reply
  18. Jeanette says

    November 10, 2011 at 1:22 am

    You have really made the most of this new sweetener in this Thanksgiving worthy treat!

    Reply
  19. Becky says

    November 10, 2011 at 1:25 am

    This pumpkin parfait sounds so good, and looks amazing. I'll have to look for the Swerve. As one who has to watch carbs and fat, I appreciate all of your efforts in the kitchen.

    Reply
  20. Boulder Locavore says

    November 10, 2011 at 2:57 am

    I echo your enthusiasm about the currently available 'alternative' sugar. For those unable to eat regular sugar for necessity or choice, having the only option be chemical does not seem the right solution. These new sweeteners are very exciting…..as is THIS dessert! Perfect fall dessert, I agree. Thanks for including it in the TG LinkUp!

    Reply
  21. Belinda @zomppa says

    November 10, 2011 at 3:49 am

    Thanks for sharing. It is difficult to know what alternatives there are out there that is healthy and tasty.

    Reply
  22. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    November 10, 2011 at 5:39 am

    Hi Carolyn! The fact that you mention this is the perfect fall dessert said it all. I love pumpkin flavor and I am not a big parfait fan but I'd love to try this one. After all I might like all kinds of parfait. Your blog is a great source for making dessert with healthy choices. We're fortunate to know good source (your blog)!

    Reply
  23. Kari says

    November 10, 2011 at 6:25 am

    I like your points about alternative sweeteners – good food for thought and also reassuring to me on the occasions I use them.

    I also smiled at your pictures, because I made pumpkin banana soft serve recently and parfaied them with cereal, to look surprisingly like this. But your recipe sounds considerably nicer! The banana pumpkin combination didn't work as well as I'd hoped :/

    Reply
  24. Foodness Gracious says

    November 10, 2011 at 6:49 am

    Great post and very interesting, I have used erythritol before and experienced the cooling effect which was a little strange but it would be my go to sweetner again if the need arises,
    Take care..

    Reply
  25. The Cilantropist says

    November 10, 2011 at 7:43 am

    Carolyn these parfaits look amazing! I havent really ventured into the world of alternative sweetners, but whatever sugar you use I can imagine this has a lovely flavor. Thanks for sharing about Swerve!

    Reply
  26. Jill @ MadAboutMacarons says

    November 10, 2011 at 11:44 am

    C'est vraiment parfait! Yep, perfection in that glass and beautiful photos, too. Carolyn, this looks stunning!

    Reply
  27. Angie's Recipes says

    November 10, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    Gorgeous parfaits!

    Reply
  28. Curt says

    November 10, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    Theres a great southern style treat! I love pralines, and they're had to come by here in Wisconsin!

    Reply
  29. Karen says

    November 10, 2011 at 1:55 pm

    I don't love pumpkin pie, but this looks like a dessert I could get into! And the praline? Yes, please!
    That's great that the Swerve worked out so well, should I ever need to use something other than sugar…I would be lost if I had to change up the amounts to compensate.

    Reply
  30. Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says

    November 10, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    These are so gorgeous! And I LOVE pralines and of course pumpkin! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  31. Katherine Martinelli says

    November 10, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    These look amazing!! And it's so great to hear that there are quality sweetener alternatives on the market.

    Reply
  32. Mighty says

    November 10, 2011 at 8:12 pm

    A new sweetener…lovely, lovely and lovelier!!! I'm always on the look out to alternatives as well, so this is a nice discovery! As for the dessert t looks awesome as all your stuff does!!!

    Reply
  33. Delishhh says

    November 10, 2011 at 8:51 pm

    Love this idea – looks so good!

    Reply
  34. Krista {Budget Gourmet Mom} says

    November 10, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    I am always inspired by your spirit and your ability to work with what ya' got. I would gladly eat anything you dish up and I have no doubt that I would love it!

    Reply
  35. Torviewtoronto says

    November 11, 2011 at 12:38 am

    delicious looking flavours and presentation looks wonderful

    Reply
  36. moonwinks14 says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:13 am

    Made this yesterday – using Erythritol. I wasn't sure if I liked it as well as other pumpkin mousses, but I now know that it was because I didn't let it set in the refrigerator long enough, (couldn't wait!). We had it again for dessert tonight as is in the picture with a bit of cinnamon sprinkled on the top and it was EXCELLENT! I substituted xanthan gum for the cornstarch and had a great thickened pastry cream. When I made the pralines, instead of molasses, I tried for the first time a sugar free molasses extract and they also turned out very well. Incidentally, I noted in your list of ingredients, you do not have stevia listed, but it is listed in your directions to add to the praline mixture. So I did add some liquid stevia to taste. I did get the "cooling" effect from the Erythritol, so I went ahead and ordered a pound of Swerve for the next go-around, thinking I would make this over the holidays. Thank you for your blog and all your hard work. I have been diabetic for some time and most of the time, with the exception of holidays, follow Dr. Bernstein's dietary program (whom I have seen with excellent results). I appreciate your efforts and fine culinary skills! My best to you.

    Reply
  37. Emily says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:32 am

    Wow these look good! I would much rather have one of these than a slice of pie!

    Reply
  38. Carolyn says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:34 am

    Hi Moonwinks. I am so SO glad you liked it. My bad about the stevia, there shouldn't be any in the pralines. I don't know why I wrote that, except that I so often write that very term "add vanilla and stevia extracts", I must have just been on autopilot. Either way, I don't think the extra stevia would hurt.
    The Swerve really didn't have much, if any, of the cooling sensation that I find with regular erythritol. Try it out in a concentrated way, as in these pralines or another nut brittle and let me know what you think!

    Reply
  39. Kate @ Kate from Scratch says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:49 am

    This looks fantastic! Your creations always amaze me. So delicious, satisfying and yet, meet wonderfully healthy requirements. I love it.

    Reply
  40. Russell at Chasing Delicious says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:58 am

    Yum! What a recipe! I am definitely going to have to try this. It looks scrumptious.

    Reply
  41. Kimber says

    November 11, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    What!? Low Carb and Gluten Free? No way … these look far too delicious! I cannot wait to try these!

    Reply
  42. Gone-ta-pott says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    Ohhh you bet! Pumpkin Praline Parfaits are perfect Fall desserts with no question. I loved the post and I have to try this new sweetener and new recipe.

    Reply
  43. Parsley Sage says

    November 11, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    You know, I don't think I knew that gestational diabetes could stay with mom after delivery! I thought it went away. Were you at risk of diabetes before you got pregnant?

    Enough prying into your life, this is a smashing dessert! Pumpkin and praline = singing! Looks delish ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  44. marla says

    November 12, 2011 at 3:35 am

    These are such fun parfaits. I was asked to use Swerve…are you liking it??

    Reply
  45. Jennifer says

    November 12, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    Hi Carolyn – your dessert looks and sounds wonderful. The sweetener is interesting too. Wondering how they get the sweetness level to go from 70% to 100% that of sugar. What are they using in combination with erythritol, I wonder?

    Reply
  46. Cara says

    November 14, 2011 at 2:51 am

    I'll be on the lookout for this product, for sure ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  47. Mike says

    November 29, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    I made these for a small event on Sunday and I waited to see the looks on the faces of the folks when they tasted it, I don't know how to descibe the WOW!!!!

    Reply
  48. Carolyn says

    November 29, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    Thanks, Mike, glad they were a hit!

    Reply
  49. Sook says

    November 29, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    Oh they look delicious!!

    Reply
  50. a happy little life says

    May 6, 2012 at 1:30 pm

    this is exciting! thank you for all the work you did to convey the information for the products and the differences in the sugars.
    big time pumpkin loving husband always looking at pumpkin recipes.

    i enjoy your blog very much and wanted you to know ๐Ÿ™‚
    have a great day.
    tracie

    Reply
  51. Michelle says

    August 7, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    I made these pralines today. The only problem I see is that they are too darn good to put in the ice cream I intended them for. Thank you for another winner. :0)

    Reply
  52. angela says

    November 19, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    Has anyone tried this using xanthan gum instead of cornstarch? If so, how much did you use? Thanks!

    Reply
  53. Catherine H. says

    December 18, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    I tried this recipe for a bit of a change from the usual pie, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. For some reason, the pastry cream came out grainy, although with a good flavor. It was nothing like the deliciously creamy, silky pastry cream from the Boston Cream Pie, unfortunately. Also, there was too much erythritol (haven’t invested in Swerve yet–so expensive!), and I get a strange burning sensation in my mouth from overdoses of erythritol; I’ve never heard anyone else mention this experience, so this may be just a personal quirk. The candied nuts were a bit much for the same reason, but another commenter’s idea of putting them in ice cream sounds like a good way to mitigate the effects. I’ve had so many good recipes from this site that I’m not too discouraged by a setback or two.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 18, 2012 at 8:20 pm

      Sorry to hear this didn’t live up to your expectations. It does sound like some people are very sensitive to the cooling sensation in erythritol and if you used regular erythritol, I can see how that would be very strong. I know Swerve is expensive ๐Ÿ™ In fugure, I’d say for you to always cut the erythritol with some stevia and not use full strength. I am always happy to help you figure out how to adapt a recipe to suit your tastes.

      Reply
  54. Jo says

    December 21, 2015 at 7:49 am

    This looks and sounds delicious. I see that it is low carb, and that is good, but do you know how many calories it has in it?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 21, 2015 at 7:50 am

      No, but you can enter the ingredients into My Fitness Pal or similar.

      Reply

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