Are you getting pumpkin burnout? I'm not! I loove pumpkin-flavored things all the way from September to at least January. (Or like...um, all year round). And yet, oddly enough, I'd never really made pumpkin bread before, perhaps because I'm so used to making my famous chocolate chip pumpkin pie. While that's not going anywhere, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas, this time I wanted to create something a little easier (no crust!).
Enter this vegan chocolate chip pumpkin bread. I adapted it from my chocolate chip banana bread, and made it several times to get the recipe down pat. This final version has a slightly crispy crust (just the way I like it, and the way my banana bread is; I don't like an oily, pound-cake-like crust), and bakes completely through beautifully while remaining magically moist. Also, I found that most pumpkin bread recipes don't call for enough spices (with lots more sugar), at least for my taste, so I upped the ante until it was just spice-y enough...*and* added vanilla extract, which is crucial to rounding out the flavors. Please feel free to substitute raisins for chocolate chips! I made it both ways and couldn't decide which I liked better. It's more classic with raisins, and more decadent with chocolate chips, but you can't go wrong either way...Or maybe make one of raisin, and another of chocolate. :)
YIELDS
1 loaf (or 2 mini loaves)
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 2 cup flour
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 7 tbsp oil (either canola or coconut)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp pumpkin spice mix (see below)
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1 cup chocolate chips (or raisins)
- about 3 tbsp non dairy milk (I used almond), as needed
Directions
Here is my original pumpkin spice mixture:
4 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
Use the leftover spice mix to jazz up your oatmeal, smoothie, coffee, tea, or whatever strikes your fancy! :)
1. Heat oven to 375* F. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice mix. Whisk with a fork and set aside.
**technique tip: Don't overpack your flour! I used to think that you're supposed to firmly pack it in there--but that's a surefire way to add more flour than needed. Gently put it into the measuring cup until just *under* the brim (not all the way to the top like some say). This is because no other ingredient (especially wet ingredients, like oil, water, or purees) can be packed all the way to the brim like flour, so if it's the only one that's overpacked, the proportions will be thrown off. When in doubt, "under-pack." It's much easier to add a dusting of flour if the mix looks too wet (it won't) than do the reverse.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and quickly combine. Fold in chocolate chips (or raisins). Use splashes of almond milk as needed to fold in the flour-y parts into the dough. (It will *seem* dry, crumbly, and not smooth, but that's normal). Don't overstir!
4. Add the dough to a loaf pan or two mini loaf pans. Bake in the oven for *at least* 45 minutes for mini loaves, and at least 55-60 minutes for a full loaf. Since oven temperatures and pan sizes vary, be sure to do the toothpick test in the middle of the loaf to see that it comes out clean.
5. The bread can be sliced and enjoyed immediately, though I highly recommend letting it cool. In fact, this is a bread that keeps getting better as it sits on the counter. The crust will still remain a little crusty (rather than soft and oily), while the inside will get more flavorful and nuanced.
More in vegan baking: The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
GF Pumpkin Spice Cookies
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Photo: Peaceful Dumpling
GF Pumpkin Spice Cookies
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