Try this Healthier Pumpkin Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon all spice*
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1/2 cup oil (i used coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract*
- 1/4 cup apple cider no sugar added*
- 3 tablespoons pepitas roasted and salted (or roasted and not sal up to you)
- Carbohydrate 428.729885087888 g
- Cholesterol 1402.95833333002 mg
- Fat 234.117402499263 g
- Fiber 13.2266334655951 g
- Protein 72.1163858306439 g
- Saturated Fat 138.710569582878 g
- Serving Size 1 1 pumpkin loaf (1177g)
- Sodium 1776.98266660607 mg
- Sugar 415.503251622293 g
- Trans Fat 20.6291999166254 g
- Calories 4096 calories
Step-by-step
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until it's combined and lightens in color just slightly.
- Whisk in the pumpkin puree, oil, orange zest, vanilla extract, orange extract and apple cider.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula. It's okay if there are a few lump remaining; do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the pepita seeds on top.
- Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the top of the bread after 30 minutes to prevent the top from excessive browning.
- Insert a toothpick in the center to test is the bread is done, it should come out clean with only a few small moist crumbs.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in pan on a wire rack before removing.
- Keep the pumpkin bread in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Using white whole wheat flour instead of standard all-purpose flour provides the structural integrity needed to support heavy pumpkin puree without making the crumb excessively dense or rubbery. When combining wet ingredients like pumpkin, apple cider, and oil with dry components such as baking soda, baking powder, and spices, chemical reactions begin immediately as the alkaline leaveners meet acidic elements like the cider and pumpkin solids. Cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and nutmeg dissolve their essential oils into the lipid phase of the batter, ensuring that the warm aromatics distribute evenly rather than remaining isolated in pockets of fat. Room temperature eggs at 70 degrees Fahrenheit incorporate more air during whisking than cold eggs straight from the refrigerator, which helps offset the heavier weight of the unrefined whole grain flour. Folding the wet and dry mixtures together gently with a rubber spatula prevents the gluten networks from overdeveloping, a common pitfall that yields tough quick breads instead of tender, moist slices. Positioning the oven rack in the lower third of the 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven prevents the bottom from burning while allowing the heat to penetrate the center of the 9x5 inch loaf pan over the course of sixty to seventy minutes. Covering the loaf loosely with foil after thirty minutes of baking stops the exterior from scorching before the interior starch gelatinizes completely. Cool the finished loaf completely inside the pan on a wire rack before attempting to slice it, because cutting warm quick bread tears the fragile crumb structure apart.
