Healthier Pumpkin Bread by Erica

Healthier Pumpkin Bread by Erica

I love a good loaf of pumpkin bread. It’s moist and hearty and spicy all at once.

Now, there’s no denying that I like a slice of conventional pumpkin bread. But this time of year, with all of the baking and dessert-eating that goes on, it can be wise to make a healthified version now and then. That way you can enjoy all of the seasonal flavors with a few added health benefits.

 
 

How is this pumpkin bread healthier?

Now, everyone’s idea of what “healthy” means is different. But here are the ways that I feel this bread is healthier than regular pumpkin bread:

• It’s lower-carb. Since I used coconut flour instead of wheat flour, this bread is higher in fiber and lower in net carbs.
• It’s higher in protein. Coconut flour requires that you use more eggs than traditional baked goods. This bread contains a whopping 6 eggs! All those eggs add extra protein and healthy fats.
• It’s lower in sugar. The entire loaf, including the cream cheese frosting, contains only 5 tablespoons of added sweetener. The rest of the sweetness comes from a ripe banana. That’s it! Compare that to the 1 (or more) cup of sugar in most pumpkin bread recipes.
• It uses natural sweeteners. As I mentioned above, all of the sweetness comes from natural sources: bananas and maple syrup. Unrefined sweeteners contain more nutrients than white granulated sugar.
• It uses healthy fats. This one is the most controversial. I replaced the polyunsaturated vegetable oil that most pumpkin bread recipes call for with grass-fed butter. Butter is more nutritious than highly processed “vegetable” oils, it’s more heat-stable, and it’s less likely to be rancid.

Okay, let’s move on to making this pumpkin bread!

 
 

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the bread: milk, a ripe banana, pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder, baking soda, arrow root powder, and coconut flour.

 
 

Begin by mashing your banana. Since it’s just one banana, I like to use my baby potato masher for the job.

 
 

Add the pumpkin, milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth.

 
 

Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients.

 
 

Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together until well-combined. Let the batter sit for 2 minutes. This gives the coconut flour a chance to absorb some of the liquid. Whisk again.

 
 

Scrape into a greased and parchment-lined loaf pan. I used a smaller-than-usual pan so that the loaf is taller. You could bake yours in a 9×5 pan instead, but the bread won’t rise as high.

 
 

Bake in a 350ºF oven for 45–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

 
 

After 10 minutes, take the loaf out of the pan and let it sit on the wire rack until completely cool.

 
 

Once the bread is cool, you can make the frosting! Here’s what you’ll need: butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

 
 

Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and beat until completely smooth.

 
 

Spread the frosting on the cooled loaf of pumpkin bread.

 
 

This is lovely still-fresh from the oven, but it’s also great the next day. I feel like the flavors have a chance to meld as the bread sits.

 
 

Notes:

• You can make this bread paleo-friendly by substituting coconut oil for the butter, and coconut milk for the whole milk. Leave off the cream cheese frosting.
• The texture of this bread isn’t exactly the same as “regular” pumpkin bread. My kids and I love it, but my husband is a little more skeptical. So keep that in mind if you have really picky eaters!
• The sweetness is just barely there. If you prefer a sweeter bread, I would suggest using coconut sugar and increasing the amount to 1/3 to 1/2 cup or so. If you’re using maple syrup, don’t increase it too much or the batter will be too wet.
• I like to store this bread in a gallon baggie with a piece of parchment paper on top of the frosting to prevent it from sticking to the bag.
• You can either frost the bread like I suggested, or you can use the cream cheese frosting as a spread. That’s the easiest way to serve the bread if you’re planning on storing it.

 
Printable recipe: Healthier Pumpkin Bread

 

https://ift.tt/2rux7jB