It’s quite ironic…I’m sitting on the beach, watching the waves softly lap in and out, sipping on some coconut water and writing a blog post about pumpkin bread. Not something that typically comes to mind at the beach. However, if you follow my Instagram, you can see I worked hard on this pumpkin bread over the past few weeks….too hard not to share the recipe. It was another one of my crazy baking challenges: “I’m going to make the best damn pumpkin bread with whole grain flour instead of white flour, coconut oil instead of butter, and coconut sugar and date paste instead of white sugar. And it’s going to be unbelievable.”. Well, after the 2nd, then the 3rd, 4th, and 5th try, I was starting to wonder if this was ever going to happen. My husband came home from work one day and says “What’s up with these things?? Are you making one every day?!”. “Well, not intentionally!!”, I said! I tried everything: fresh vs canned pumpkin, different combinations of flour, beating the coconut sugar with the eggs instead of adding it to the dry ingredients, instant coffee vs strong brewed coffee….the list goes on.
I finally inlisted the help of a fellow Holistic Nutritionist/Chef and she suggested date paste. Of course! This is how I make my banana bread…what was I thinking?! I also realized that brown rice flour was lending somewhat of a grainy texture so swapped it out for oat flour. This seemed to do the trick and what developed is what you see here: A moist, perfectly spiced, pumpkin coffee bread with dark chocolate and nut crumble topping. It has more of a texture like a cake…but who would complain about that?!
With American Thanksgiving approaching and the abundance of fresh pumpkins back home, I can’t think of a better time to share this recipe…
Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Loaf with Dark Chocolate
Serves: as many want to enjoy! Makes one 9″ x 4″ loaf
Ingredients:
Sugar and Spice Nut Topping:
(optional; can also top with plain nuts, seeds, chocolate, etc.)
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, crumbled
1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon vanilla powder
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour
½ cup almond flour
½ cup arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons true cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla powder
1 ½ teaspoons fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cardamom*
¼ teaspoon clove powder*
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree or fresh pureed pumpkin
6 Tablespoons date paste
1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
2 free range organic eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
50 grams or 1/2 bar organic, dark chocolate, cut into chunks
4 oz decaf, strong brewed coffee
Directions:
Brooke @ Chocolate and Marrow - Girl. This looks absolutely amazing! I love all of the different ingredients…and have SO been there with the multiple tests. When you get it right, though, that’s just something truly special.
And these PHOTOS! Don’t even get me started. I want the half pumpkin in a frame in my house.
xoxo
Love & Garnish - You are too sweet! And yes…it feels like the biggest victory in the world once you nail it!
Love & Garnish - PS Funny you say that about the half pumpkin photo….I was close to not including it!