Want to enjoy all the pumpkin benefits outside of Halloween and Thanksgiving? Try our delicious Pumpkin Bread made with coconut oil and agave syrup! Perfect as an autumn snack with a glass of milk for the kids and hot tea or coffee for the adults.
The Fall season means pumpkin for lots of us. And pumpkin means Halloween and Thanksgiving. But it's worth enjoying pumpkin more often than that.
There are loads of different meals (throughout the year) where pumpkin can be such a valuable addition. Both in taste and nutritional properties.
So why not include it into everyday meals that the whole family can enjoy?
One of the easiest meals for me is making bread. I know it sounds complicated for some, but it really doesn't have to be. In a matter of minutes you can prepare a mixture that you just need to get into the oven and you'll have yourself a wonderful loaf to enjoy with any meal of the day.
And what's a more unique Fall bake than a combination of pumpkin and flour in a perfectly baked loaf of bread? I can't think of any right now.
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Ingredients
To make this Pumpkin Bread, you will need the following ingredients:
Pumpkin. I always prefer to use a fresh pumpkin which I roast and then blend into a puree, but if you're running out of time or can't get your hands on a fresh one, a store-bought pumpkin puree will do just fine.
Wholegrain flour. To add some more nutrients to this bread we've decided to use wholegrain flour. You can also try rye or spelt.
Regular white flour. In order for the bread to have a nice rise, we need to use some regular white flour as well.
Eggs. To help the ingredients bind and the bread to rise.
Coconut oil. A healthier option than butter or margarine.
Agave syrup. Or any other sweetener of choice like date syrup, honey, coconut sugar etc.
Spices. I tried to make this recipe with a variety of different spices and I think the cinnamon-nutmeg combination works the best. You could add cloves and ginger to make real pumpkin spice but it may be too rich for some kids. Cinnamon is the way to go in my opinion.
Nutritional Benefits
Pumpkin is rich in the vitamin A which is also responsible for its orange color. It also contains certain antioxidants which may help protect eyesight.
Wholegrain flour provides some fiber as well as certain minerals such as zinc, iron, and magnesium. It is also a good vitamin source – particularly B vitamins such as niacin and folate.
Eggs. A great protein source as well as certain B vitamins.
Coconut oil. Adds calories and fat.
How To Make Pumpkin Bread
Make the pumpkin puree. If you are following my advice and using fresh pumpkin, then you have tiny bit of extra preparation to do.
You should be using a smaller pumpkin, such as "pie pumpkin" or "sugar pumpkin" (not the larger varieties we use for Halloween).
To prep the puree, first turn your oven to 360°F / 180℃. Then cut the pumpkin in half (I find it easiest to cut the pumpkin in half ignoring the stem, and then to rip it from there). Once you have halved it, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and place the two halves flesh side down on a roasting pan. You can add a bit of water to the bottom of the pan to keep the pumpkin nice and moist. Bake for about 45 minutes or when you pierce the skin with a fork it goes right through.
Once baked, let it cool, scoop the flesh and place in a blender and blend into a smooth puree. This is a great puree you can use to feed small babies, or use for Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Pie or many more ideas.
Prepare for baking. Once you have the puree ready, you can preheat the oven to 320°F / 160℃. Line a bread pan with parchment paper or grease with some oil/butter (I use a bit of coconut oil).
Get mixing!
Mix the dry ingredients. In a bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, mix the eggs, agave syrup and coconut oil.
Add the cooled pumpkin to the second bowl and mix into a smooth mixture. Slowly, bit by bit add the flour mixture from the first bowl.
Bake! Pour into the loaf tin and bake for about 60 - 75 minutes, based on the size of your bread tin and strength of your oven (when you insert a knife into the loaf it should come out clean).
I used a Pyrex basics bread pans 8.3 inch x 4.6 inch. (Love it because it is glass, so it is a real non-toxic product).
Possible Pumpkin Bread Variations
Add some seeds. To add some variety to your bread, you can use some pumpkin seeds (or any other) and put on top of the mixture before baking. Seeds also add some good fats to this bread.
Add some nuts and chocolate chips. We haven't done this yet, but simply add some chocolate chips to the top or chopped up nuts in the mixture (child age permitting) for some crunch.
Cut up into pieces. This is not a variation but you can cut it into little squares so it is easier for toddlers and babies to hold.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Recipe
Pumpkin Bread with Coconut Oil and Agave Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup wholemeal flour
- 1 egg
- ½ cup agave syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 1¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Optional
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ginger
Instructions
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Pre-heat the oven to 360°F / 180℃.
- Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and place the two halves flesh side down on a roasting pan. You can add a bit of water to the bottom of the pan to keep the pumpkin nice and moist.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or when you pierce the skin with a fork it goes right through.
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 320ºF / 160℃.
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper or grease with some oil/butter.
- In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients – flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
- In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients – eggs, agave syrup and coconut oil. Add the cooled pumpkin puree little by little and mix into a smooth mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients mixture, little by little to the wet ingredients and incorporate everything. The mixture should be quite dense.
- Pour into the bread tin and sprinkle with some pumpkin seeds (or whatever has your fancy) and bake for about 60 - 75 minutes, based on the size of your bread tin and strength of your oven (when you insert a knife into the loaf it should come out clean).
- Cool before serving.
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