The problem with Halloween is the amount of pumpkins you’re left with. I always think it’s a shame when people buy pumpkins (actual food) just for decoration and then don’t actually eat them afterwards. There are plenty of people in this world who would be very grateful for some pumpkins to cook with.
Thing is, in our first-world lives, October and November ensure an overload of pumpkins, resulting in pumpkin soup, pumpkin curry, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes – pumpkin everything, basically! (remember that scene in Forest Gump with Bubba talking about everything he can do with shrimps? I’m sure that’s what I just sounded like!)
I had one bowl full of diced pumpkin left and really couldn’t stomach another curry or soup, so decided to attempt a pumpkin bread.
The result was surprisingly delicious. I mean, I wasn’t really surprised because pumpkin is sweet and goes so nicely with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in cakes, I just wasn’t sure how the cake itself would come out being that pureed pumpkin is very wet. I decided to put chocolate chips in it to make it more cake-like, and some walnuts for added flavour and crunch. Of course, this cake is gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar-free and vegan.
I am no Paul Hollywood and really have no idea what constitutes a pumpkin or banana bread and what makes it a cake, but who cares, I’ve called this bread!
Health facts: Pumpkin is one of the best known sources of beta-carotene which means it’s high in anti-oxidants. Along with all its other health benefits, like regulating blood pressure and being high in fibre, this makes it a great food to add as part of your diet. It is also a source of protein so a great addition to the day for vegetarians and vegans.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups gluten-free self-raising flour (I use Doves Farm)
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch Himalayan salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
Wet ingredients:
1 cup full pureed pumpkin
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Half banana, mashed
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp almond milk
Handful vegan chocolate chips
Handful walnuts, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven 180*. Prepare a loaf tin with baking paper and grease with coconut oil.
If you haven’t yet prepared the pumpkin, do this by dicing pumpkin, steaming it and pureeing it in the blender. When it is cool, you can use it.
Once that’s done, the rest is easy. Simply mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, then fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
Spoon into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean. If your oven is not a fan oven it may take a little longer.
Love & health,
Lauren
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