Every time my dad's family gets together, my Gramma would make this amazing pumpkin bread. She would make huge batches, and it would still be the first thing to disappear at thanksgiving dinner. When she couldn't make it any more, the task fell upon me and my sister to make it every year.
Part of the reason this bread was so amazing was that it used a full cup of melted butter, 4 eggs, and 3 cups of white sugar! I took it upon myself to make a gluten-free vegan version of my Gramma's recipe without refined sugar that would taste just as good as the original.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c coconut oil, melted
- 4 flax eggs (4 tbsp flax, 2/3 c water)
- 3 1/3 c gluten free flour (I used Thomas Keller's Cup 4 Cup)
- 1 1/3 c pitted dates
- 1 c maple syrup
- 2 1/2 c pumpkin purée (I used Trader Joe's Organic Canned Pumpkin)
- 2/3 c milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 c walnut pieces
- 1/2 c raisins
- 1/2 c chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare the flax eggs in a bowl and store in the fridge. While you wait for them to thicken, combine the dates, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil in a food processor until it makes a thick paste. Put it in a mixing bowl and add milk, vanilla, and flax eggs. Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture until combined, then stir in the nuts and raisins. Pour the mixture into 2 greased and floured bread pans and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a knife comes out of the middle clean. Let it cool completely before serving.
This bread is so good for you - the pumpkin adds vitamin A and beta carotene, and the flax eggs add essential omega-3 fatty acids. Between the dates, pumpkin, and flax, this bread is loaded with fiber. It goes great slathered with a homemade almond butter or peanut butter. If there's leftover batter, you can pour it into a muffin tin (or just eat the batter - the perks of vegan baking!)
The verdict - my mom, who is also gluten-free, was in heaven because she hasn't had pumpkin bread in years. My dad, who grew up eating this bread, gave his seal of approval.
Happy baking and happy Fall!