Image via Mashable
Despite the crazy heat that is plaguing our little part of this world, we have heard a rumor that it is technically autumn! Hence the rampant signage of “pumpkin spice (insert name of food you will be sick of very shortly)” all over the place. While it might seem ridiculous to cozy up to a PSL when it’s 94 degrees outside, the quintessential fall
gourd has lots of amazing qualities (if we can wrestle it back from pop culture coffee shop fads).
As a nice seasonal break from sweet potatoes and yams, pumpkin is nutritionally dense and seriously versatile in the kitchen. It can be made sweet (hello pie!) or savory (think cayenne or curry), be made into a soup or a casserole – it can even thicken your morning smoothie! 1 cup of pumpkin cubes (about 116 grams) is a great source of potassium, has all you need and then some of your daily Vitamin A, and even packs decent amounts of Vitamin C, B-6, Iron, and Magnesium (which can help reduce leg cramps!) – we can’t say for sure whether or not any of that makes it into a Starbucks PSL, but let’s assume not
so much.
What does manage to retain all the goodness is pumpkin bread, one of our all-time fall favs! So, if you can brave the idea of turning on your oven in this Santa Barbara Endless Summer, here’s a great recipe we came across that offers all the deliciousness of classic pumpkin bread, with some great additions/substitutions like natural sweeteners and coconut flour, making this yummy treat gluten-free and packed with fiber and protein.
Pumpkin-Coconut Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sifted coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 7 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325º. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, arrowroot, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin puree, coconut oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in the egg whites until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick pulled from the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. When cooled, remove the bread from the pan and serve.
(Total Time: 1 hr. 20 min, serves 8)
It’s best when served warm, with salted butter. The bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for two days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to two months.