Pumpkin Bread

So, it’s fall, y’all. It doesn’t really feel like it over here in South Texas, but Halloween is this week, and the days are getting shorter. (It’s also been pleasantly cooler for a few days, by which I mean a high around 85 °F.) I made pumpkin bread to get in the mood, and this one happened to be very good! I halved the recipe from The Kind Diet. The resulting loaf was very moist and had the perfect balance of spice, sweetness and flavor. I would consider increasing the quantity of chocolate chips, but that’s just me.

2 cups spelt flour
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 ½ cups pumpkin purée
1 cup maple sugar
1 “egg” (i.e. 1 Tbsp. flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp. water)
½ cup almond milk or vegan milk of your choice (I used soy)
6 Tbsp. safflower oil
½ tsp. vanilla extract
6 Tbsp. chocolate chips (or ½ cup, if you want; see above)

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease a standard 9”x5” loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, maple sugar, “egg”, almond milk, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined; fold in the chocolate chips. Fill the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top springs back when pressed with a finger. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a baking rack to cool completely.