sweet miscellany

seasonal plant-based recipes

Pumpkin Bread Part 2: Whole Wheat Pecan Pumpkin Bread

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As promised, and in keeping up with the pumpkin madness, here is the second of the two pumpkin breads.  This recipe is by far one of my favorites.  It’s a no frills type of recipe that produces a reliably delicious, moist, and perfectly spiced pumpkin bread every time.  You can actually taste the pumpkin (which I love) and the spices only enhance the flavor instead of masking it.  I could probably write an entire novel worth of delicious descriptions, but I will spare your sanity. 

This recipe makes 1 regular sized loaf, but you can easily double it and freeze the second one to save for later.  You can also make this into mini loafs, just make sure to fill the pans about 1/2 full and decrease your baking time a bit.  Well wrapped, this bread can last up to a week.  And, if you are looking for a way to use up some of this bread, make it into french toast!

Whole Wheat Pecan Pumpkin Bread
makes 1 loaf

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup organic raw sugar
1 cup organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coconut oil, barely melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup (or more) coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease/flour a large loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices until combined.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in another large bowl with a hand mixer), mix the pumpkin, coconut oil, eggs, water, and sugar until well combined and smooth.  Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, then add the rest of the dry ingredients along with about half of the pecans.  Mix on low until just combined, then pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.    Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread Part 1: Vegan & Gluten Free Millet Pumpkin Loaf

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I know, you’ve been seeing a lot of pumpkin around here lately.  It’s no secret that I love these orange orbs of squashy goodness.  I’ve already baked them into scones, made them into butter, and roasted up their seeds in the oven.  Since it’s autumn and therefore officially pumpkin season, this won’t be the last post you see involving them. 

This post will be the first of two involving pumpkin bread (which, by the way, is my favorite type of quick bread).  In this version, I made it gluten free, vegan, and refined sugar free.  This bread is dense and moist with a cake-like quality.  It is sweet, but not overly so with a good bit of spice.  It also has a slightly smokey flavor due to the addition of molasses.  To add some texture, I folded raw millet into the batter and sprinkled raw pepitas on top.  Overall it’s a treat you can feel good about eating for dessert or for breakfast.

Before you bake this bread, you should know that it will not rise much at all.  I baked it in a regular sized loaf pan, and it came out a bit squat (but delicious nonetheless).  If you would prefer, you can bake it in two or three small loaf pans, making sure to fill them up about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way.  If you go this route, make sure to decrease your baking time to around 30 minutes.  If you don’t have millet or don’t want to use it, just omit it altogether, or, add pepitas into the batter instead. 

Gluten Free & Vegan Millet Pumpkin Loaf
makes 1 large loaf  

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp fine grain sea salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
1/2 cup oil (I used safflower, but grapeseed would be another good option)
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 can or a scant cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup raw millet, rinsed (opt.)
2 tbsp raw pepitas, coarsely chopped (opt.)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and dust your loaf pan(s) or line with parchment paper.

Combine the flours, spices, salt, and baking soda in a bowl with a whisk, then set aside.  In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or by hand with a hand mixer), combine the oil, molasses, syrup, pumpkin, and vanilla until well mixed.  With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients and millet if using and mix for about 3 minutes until everything is incorporated.  Pour the batter into your loaf pan(s) and then sprinkle the top with the chopped pepitas.  Bake for 45-50 minutes (or 25-30 for a small loaf) until the center springs back when touched.  Enjoy!