By Irene Hayton

Compared to typical pumpkin bread recipes, this one uses healthier flours and less fat and sugar, making it a better choice for an occasional treat for those who don’t have any intestinal yeast overgrowth. Please see the Notes at the end of the recipe for any item marked with an asterisk (*).

  • · ½ cup (125 ml) butter
  • · ½ cup (125 ml) sucanat *
  • · ½ cup (125 ml) unsweetened applesauce
  • · ¼ cup (50 ml) unpasteurized honey
  • · 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • · 3 eggs
  • · 1 14-ounce can (398 ml) pure pumpkin *
  • · 1⅓ cups (325 ml) oat flour *
  • · 2 cups (500 ml) spelt flour *
  • · 1 tablespoon (15 ml) xanthan gum *
  • · 1 tablespoon (15 ml) non-alum baking powder
  • · 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
  • · ½ teaspoon (2 ml) unprocessed sea salt
  • · ½ teaspoon (2 ml) stevia powder
  • · 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cinnamon
  • · 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground nutmeg
  • · ½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground ginger
  • · ½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground cloves

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sucanat. Add the applesauce, honey, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin and mix well. In another bowl, combine the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, stevia, and spices; stir into the pumpkin mixture just until moistened. Divide the batter evenly between 2 lightly buttered loaf pans, smoothing down the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Bake the loaves on the center rack of a preheated 350º F (180º C) oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes then slide a knife around the edges and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 2 16-slice loaves.

Notes:

  • · Sucanat is the evaporated juice of sugar cane. It is golden brown in color, looks like sugar, and contains the natural nutrients of sugar cane. Sucanat is a healthier alternative to refined white sugar and can be substituted on a one-to-one ratio.
  • · If you don’t have oat flour, make your own by grinding large flake oats in a clean coffee grinder until they are the consistency of flour.
  • · You can substitute whole-wheat pastry flour for the spelt flour and omit the xanthan gum. For more information about spelt, see the Health Tip for January 2003.
  • · Xanthan gum improves the texture of baked goods when using non-wheat flours by helping to make them less crumbly.
  • · These ingredients can be found in health food stores or in the natural food section of some grocery stores.
  • · Use canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Alternatively, you can substitute freshly cooked pumpkin; the small “sugar pumpkins” are best for eating.