Vegan, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe!

Say good night, Moe.

I’m not much of a baker. I read once that baking is like science and cooking is like art. I think that sums it up perfectly. Baking is literally chemistry, after all. I also don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I’m not really drawn to baking the way a lot of people are.

However, I do love a man who loves sweets. My wonderful boyfriend is a willing test subject for any cookies, cakes, or cupcakes (hell, sometimes even candy!) that I try reinterpret with vegan and gluten-free ingredients.

This pumpkin bread is for him. A little sweet, a little spicy. I’m addicted. (I’ve used pumpkin Moe for this recipe—he was one of three gourds—the others were Larry and Curly, and you can read about their delicious demises here and here.)

Vegan & Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 sixteen ounce can of unsweetened pumpkin (the same kind used for home-made pumpkin lattes) or home-made pumpkin puree (see below)

3 cups gluten free flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF flour a lot)

2 tbsp of unsweetened apple sauce

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice

Ingredients, Assemble!

Method:

-Mix the sugar and melted/softened coconut oil together in a large mixing bowl. You can use an electric mixer, but there’s really no need, I did this with a fork. Just like our paleolithic ancestors!

-Add the pureed pumpkin (either the can or from the instructions below). Warning: Do not lick the spoon, because you will become addicted to this pumpkin-coconut-sugar substance and end up selling your home and children to finance your new habit.

-For the avid DIYers among you: If you want to, you can make pumpkin puree instead of buying a can. It’s so easy! Cut a small pumpkin in half vertically (you may need to remove the stem first) and remove the guts and seeds. Put both halves cut side down in a roasting pan with a little olive oil. Roast at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. When the pumpkin is done, scrape off the skin and put the pumpkin flesh into the blender on high speed for a full minute. It will whip up into a beautiful puree that looks and smells heavenly.

#nofilter #iwokeuplikethis

-Stir in the remaining ingredients.

-Pour into a loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Maybe less time for muffins, I don’t really know. (I’ll get back to you, because I’m definitely making this again.)

What are some of your favorite easy recipes? How about recipes that you make just for your loved ones? Anyone else think that raw pumpkin smells a lot like melon when you first cut it open?

You may wonder why there is no photo of the finished product. The bread was all gone before I had the chance to take one. Oops!

Related on Eco-Chick: 

• Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Mac ‘N Cheese
• Slow Cooker Vegan Pumpkin Chili Recipe