Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

As soon as the weather gets chilly and the pumpkins start popping up everywhere I turn, I get excited to make one thing: Pumpkin Bread. I’ve been making pumpkin bread every year since I was in High School. I used to use my Grandma Craigie’s recipe, and then over the years modified that recipe to make it healthier. However, since cutting out gluten, refined oils and sugars I have been faced with yet another dilemma in trying to preserve an old favorite. Before we all lament the loss of the poor pumpkin bread, rest assured I whipped up with a winning recipe that has passed the terrifying test of many family gatherings!

If I’m baking a dish or dessert with grain I’ve been liking this whole-grain, Gluten-Free Flour Blend of buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and amaranth flour plus arrowroot powder. I opted to make my own in place of commercially available gluten free blends because I’m not a fan of potato starch and the other refined ingredients in most GF baking flour blends from the store. I like to purchase the whole grains from the bulk bins and grind them myself in the Vitamix, but you may also buy the flours and make your own blend. I find this mixture gives a nice fluffy texture that holds together well and is not too gummy. It’s pure and easy to make!

I’ve also enjoyed making my own pumpkin puree. I purchased several Pie Pumpkins from the market for only $2 and roasted them myself. One pie pumpkin provides about 3 cups of puree. See How-To Make Your Own Below! I try to avoid using canned and already processed products when I can but if you need to buy a canned pumpkin puree I recommend this Organic BPA-Free Pumpkin Puree.

How to Make Homemade Organic Pumpkin Puree:

1 Organic Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin
1 Glass Baking Dish
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Break off the stem from the pumpkin.
Cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon (or your hands like when you were a kid!)
Place marrow-side-down into a glass baking dish with 1/3 cup of water and put into preheated oven.
Roast the pumpkin for 45-55 minutes, the inside will be completely soft and easy to scoop out when it is done.
Use a spoon to scoop the pumpkin away from the skin and transfer to a bowl. Mash away any chunks with a potato masher or an immersion blender to yield a smooth puree.
Store in the refrigerator.

I recommend doing more than one and making extra to freeze and have on hand!
Just as easy to have on hand as the cans

Now that you have freshly made pumpkin puree, here’s a delicious way to put it to use:

Ingredients

2 cups of GF Flour Mix, (may use equal parts Buckwheat Flour, Brown Rice Flour, and Oat Flour)
2 Tbsp. Arrowroot powder
½ tsp. Himalayan or natural Sea Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)

Have wet ingredients at room temperature

3 Pastured Eggs
1 ¾ cup Pumpkin Puree or Butternut Squash Puree (or 1-15-oz can of puree)
1/3 cup Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
2/3 cup Raw Honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F
In a mixing bowl whisk together flours, arrowroot, salt, baking soda, and spices
Using a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and honey. *Make sure all wet ingredients are room temperature so the coconut oil melts. Heat the mixture over low heat if the coconut oil is not melting, no not microwave.
Add the dry ingredients to wet and mix together fully.
Divide batter between two loaf pans greased with coconut oil.
Bake on center rack at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until completely cooked through and browned on top.
Place loaf pans on a cooling rack and allow to cool. Use a knife to loosen from sides and remove loaf to cooling rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve warm