Easy and Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe (Perfect for Breakfast)

• Food: Pumpkin Bread
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Raise your hand if you’re looking forward to the arrival of autumn! Pumpkin goodies, cooler weather, and dusting off my favorite boots are all things I’m looking forward to this fall.

The leaves on the trees outside appear to be exhausted, so I expect a display shortly.

While we wait for those lovely red and orange trees, I’m fulfilling my pumpkin cravings with my favorite pumpkin bread. This variation of my old honey-sweetened pumpkin bread has been streamlined and polished.

Pumpkin purée and spices, of course, are used, as well as honey (or maple syrup), white whole wheat flour (which has a more neutral flavor than regular whole wheat flour), and coconut oil.

You’ll get some very excellent pumpkin bread if you combine all of those ingredients in one batch.

If you enjoy banana bread, you will enjoy this recipe as well. This dish is quite adaptable to specific diets, and I’ve included tips for tweaking it below. Everyone will enjoy this pumpkin bread!

My brother and I have been filming cooking videos. We’ve had more fights than I’d like to admit, but we’ve settled into a nice routine lately. Will you please let us know what you think of our pumpkin bread video? It’s quick and to the point, and I hope you enjoy it.

Pumpkin Bread

This delicious pumpkin bread is created with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup.

No one will ever suspect it because it’s so wet and fluffy! This pumpkin bread can easily be made vegan and/or gluten-free; see the recipe notes for further information. One loaf is made from this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup milk of choice or water
• 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground
• nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• Optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit…
• Pinch of ground cinnamon, for sprinkling on top

Instructions For Pumpkin Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and butter a 9-inch loaf pan.
2. With a whisk, combine the oil and honey in a large mixing dish. Whisk in the eggs until well combined. (If your coconut oil hardens when it comes into touch with cold ingredients, simply place the bowl in a warm spot for a few minutes, such as on top of your stove, or warm it in the microwave for approximately 10 seconds.)
3. Whisk together the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Finally, using a large spoon, mix in the flour just until incorporated. Some lumps are acceptable! If you’re adding any more mix-ins, fold them in lightly immediately.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan that has been oiled and lightly sprinkled with cinnamon. Run the point of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern for a lovely swirled look.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (my bread is usually done at 55 minutes if I haven’t added any mix-ins; if I have, it takes closer to 60 minutes). Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan before carefully transferring it to a cooling rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

NOTES

• SUGGESTION FOR STORAGE: Because this bread is wet, it will only keep at room temperature for two or three days. It can be kept in the refrigerator for five to seven days or frozen for up to three months. Before freezing the bread, I like to slice it and defrost individual pieces by allowing them to come to room temperature or softly toasting them.
• OIL OPTIONS: Coconut oil is my favorite. I used unrefined coconut oil and the flavor is barely detectable in the finished product. If you’re into that, olive oil might give the muffins a herbal note. Although vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, most vegetable/canola oils are heavily processed, therefore if possible, choose cold-pressed sunflower or grapeseed oil.
• MAKE MUFFINS: Here’s how to make pumpkin muffins.
• TO MAKE IT VEGAN: Use maple syrup instead of honey, flax eggs instead of eggs, and non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water instead of milk.
• MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Use non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water instead of regular milk.
• REPLACE THE EGGS WITH FLAX EGGS TO MAKE THEM EGG-FREE.
• MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: The all-purpose gluten-free flour blend from Bob’s Red Mill works wonderfully. 2 1/2 cups of certified gluten-free oat flour can be used instead. Coconut flour should not be used in place of regular flour.
• ALTERNATIVES TO WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR: An equal amount of all-purpose flour can be substituted for whole wheat flour.
• MAKE IT LESS FATTENING: While I believe this bread has a good level of fat, if you’re on a low-fat diet, you may replace the oil with applesauce.