Monday, November 17, 2014

Lighter Pumpkin Bread

Aside from all the jokes about pumpkin flavored everything, it really is an essential flavor during the holidays. I'm sure if Family Feud surveyed 100 people and asked, "What is the most popular flavor of fall?" "Pumpkin" would be at the top of the list!

So here I bring you, a recipe for delicious pumpkin bread. This is one of my favorite recipes, AND it's lighter than traditional recipes without sacrificing flavor and texture. :)

The original recipe makes 3 9x13 loaves, but you can make them into muffins, mini loaves, etc. I was able to make 3 mini loaves (which I gave away as gifts) and 6 jumbo muffins.

Lighter Pumpkin Bread (adapted from allrecipes' Pumpkin Bread IV)
Ingredients
(Dry)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger

(Wet)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil (I used 1/2 cup canola, 1/2 cup melted unrefined coconut oil)
2/3 cup water
2.5 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Choose your desired pans and prep accordingly.
2. Sift/whisk all the dry ingredients together. Mix all the wet ingredients until smooth. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until well blended.
3. Pour into prepared pans and bake. Baking time will vary with the type of pans you choose. My jumbo muffins took 28 minutes to bake, and my mini loaves took 38 minutes to bake. Regular muffins will take about 20 minutes, and a 9x5 loaf will take about 45-60 minutes. The best way to test for doneness is to insert a toothpick or skewer into center of the bread, and it comes out clean. Cool and frost if desired.
Drizzled with melted white chocolate + unrefined coconut oil
Jumbo muffins!
These make the perfect gift because they taste even better over the next couple of days! Enjoy :D