Cinderella used one as her ride to the ball and kids and adults love to create fun and spooky lanterns out of them…but did you know that pumpkins are a pretty amazing health food as well? The signature fall decoration is filled with more than just protein rich seeds; it’s also packed with vitamins and antioxidants that will help get your body ready for the cool weather ahead. Feeling inspired? Here’s our take on delicious pumpkin bread.
Wet Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- 2 ½ Tbs water
- 15 ounces (1 ½ cups) canned pumpkin puree
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup milk (almond or soy milk works great as well)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (you can use whole wheat, but it’s won’t be as light)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Topping
- ½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your loaf pan. (we used an 8×5 pan)
- In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside to thicken (this becomes your “flax egg” which adds to the health of the bread and actually makes it vegan)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, canola oil, flax egg and soy milk until smooth.
- Add the flour, then sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves on top of the flour. Stir with a large spoon or spatula, gently, just until combined. Be sure not to over-mix.
- Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle the pepitas on top. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. If you can’t wait to try a slice, be really careful slicing it while it’s hot…OR relax and let it cool completely for easier slicing and serving.
