Nothing screams fall more than pumpkin-flavoured anything.

But as much as pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins are to die for this time of the year, sometimes you just want to quickly whip together a dessert without using the oven and having to wash a ton of dishes. My clients over in The Clear Skin Solution loved this decadent dessert!

Insert Pumpkin Pie Parfaits– tasty, easy and requires no heat!

This autumn dessert only takes 10 minutes to prepare and the pumpkin is full of nutrients that support healthy skin.

Vitamin A for the Win

Not only this pumpkin pie parfait absolutely delicious, but it’s also loaded with beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. 

And this powerful antioxidant found in orange-coloured foods (hey there, pumpkin!) can do wonders for your skin.

First and foremost, vitamin A can help fight off acne and scars. Those pesky pimples may keep popping up because dead skin cells and oil are covering your pores. Vitamin A, however, can stimulate cell turnover, decrease oil production and then clear your pores.

Another bonus is that vitamin A may prevent signs of aging (and who doesn’t want that). It can keep wrinkles at bay because it assists with collagen production and tightens the skin by making new skin cells.

On top of anti-acne and anti-aging benefits, vitamin A can brighten the skin. If you were a sun-worshipper, this antioxidant may lighten your dark spots and improve uneven skin pigmentation by regulating the activity of tyrosinase, an enzyme in charge of producing melanin. Beta-carotene can also protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

Fibre, Digestion & Your Skin

Just as pumpkin promotes healthy skin, it also supports healthy bowel movements due to its high fibre content.

I know, it’s not the most classy topic. But it’s extremely important when it comes to clear skin.

How does this relate to your skin? When your normal gut bacteria is disrupted and leaky gut occurs, body-wide inflammation and, thus acne, starts to show up. Consistent bowel movements are how your body gets rid of excess acne-triggering estrogen, fungus and yeast from the body.

A fibre-rich diet helps increase good probiotics in the gut and allows for quicker transit time through the digestive tract. Fibre binds the waste together to assist in increasing stool size, diluting, and helping to move it through the body quicker.

If you’re looking to up your fibre intake, pumpkin is a great choice because a one-cup serving has over 2.5 grams of fibre.

That’s 10 percent of the daily value for fibre.

So whether you’re hoping to impress your dinner guests, satisfy your sweet tooth or add more fibre to your diet, this pumpkin pie parfait is perfect for you!