With the Fall season upon us, the stores are jam packed with pumpkin flavors galore. I thought it would be appropriate to bring to you a deliciously moist, yet healthier version of pumpkin bread. This pumpkin spice bread can be made with gluten free flour, or regular all-purpose flour…It’s up to you. It’s a simple recipe that can be eaten plain for breakfast, a snack, or you can top it with a cream cheese glaze that bumps it up to the dessert category. No matter how you eat it, I’m sure you’ll be pleased.
A little about the benefits…Pumpkins are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamins A.C, and E, omega fatty acids, zinc, selenium, iron, magnesium, and beta carotene. They are great for your eyes, skin, heart, and help boost your immune system.
Pumpkin recipes often include the addition of pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon, etc. I personally used trader joe’s pumpkin pie spice in this recipe, but to be honest with you, their mix doesn’t include Ceylon cinnamon. It isn’t written on the label, which leads me to believe that it is the wider used, cheaper form of cinnamon, which is cassia. Ceylon cinnamon has far less potential to cause harm when consumed regularly than cassia. So, when adding the extra tablespoon of cinnamon to this recipe, I recommend using Ceylon cinnamon if possible. Quality ingredients matter. Cook using the best ingredients you can find. It will probably not harm you to make this recipe with cassia cinnamon instead of Ceylon, but little efforts add up. If you don’t already have Ceylon cinnamon in your cabinet, maybe it’s time to get some… Wink, wink.
Ingredients for the Pumpkin Spice Bread:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup of gluten free flour, or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups or 1, 15 oz. can of pumpkin
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 4 oz. cream cheese or you can use vegan cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ½ cup powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit as a sugar substitute
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or milk alternative-I used coconut milk
Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix the coconut oil with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. Add the pumpkin and stir. Next add all the dry ingredients, almond flour, flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, ginger powder, and extra Ceylon cinnamon. Mix until well combined, and everything is evenly moist, with no dry clumps. Pour it into your prepared loaf pan, and bake it in the oven for 1 hour. Once it is done, let it completely cool before trying to remove it from the pan. This is a very fudgy, gooey moist bread. It’s better to wait till it has completely cooled, or else it will fall apart.
If desired, drizzle with the cream cheese glaze. Here is how you make it…put the cream cheese in a small bowl and mash it with the back of a fork. Try and get it as smooth as possible. Next mix in the powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit. Once well blended, add the milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. When the bread is completely cooled, drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the top of it. This pumpkin spice bread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or you can slice it, and freeze it for 1-2 months… but really, who is going to do that? This is sooo good, you’ll find yourself going back for seconds. I hope you share some with your friends. Tis the season for all things pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin joy. Here is wishing you good health, and good luck on all of your cooking adventures!
