Do you ever feel like the anticipation of something is the best part of the something?
Some examples I feel this way about:
-I think the smell/thought of coffee is better than the taste
-Imagining and planning a vacation is sometimes more fun than the vacation itself (because things will always go wrong and expectations are not always met; I’m not saying vacations are not fun! Just that the idea of them in your head is sometimes more ‘perfect’.)
-The first sip of a glass of wine; the first bite of pizza = the best
-Anticipating the next season spring in winter, summer in spring, fall in summer. (Sorry winter, got no love for ya.)
There has to be some science about the brain chemistry of anticipation. Perhaps dopamine is highest right before you receive a reward? (Can any of you medical experts weigh in on this?!)
All this to say: pumpkin season is almost here here. I’m just gonna say that September is the start of fall and pumpkin season. So with a few days of crisp weather here or there, I am giddy with anticipation. So naturally I baked pumpkin bread!
When I went to reach for the whole wheat flour, I remembered the folks at Glean had sent me some of their pumpkin flour to try. It’s literally flour made from pumpkins – that’s the only ingredient. It fits in a lot of diet patterns like paleo, gluten-free, and vegan too. I wouldn’t call it super delicious – it’s not sweet or anything – but it’s definitely nutritious!
So that was the flour in this recipe mixed half with whole wheat, but I’m sure you could sub in any of your favorite baking flours pretty easily for the whole recipe.
I also used canned pumpkin, walnuts, and chocolate chips, because all pumpkin bread needs a little chocolate. I wouldn’t call this “healthy” pumpkin bread, but it’s definitely made with a good amount of healthy ingredients.
Pour batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment (for easy removal) and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Double Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- big pinch of black pepper
- 1 large egg beat
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift all dry ingredients together.
- Mix all wet ingredients.
- Add wet to dry and mix well.
- Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment and press. Top with any more walnuts or chips you'd like.
- Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool to room temperature before removing from loaf pan and slicing.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Yes, the smell of coffee gets me every time, even though I don’t like drinking coffee, haha! Pumpkin bread sounds so good right now too, especially with fall coming up. Mmmm! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Kathy says
So how did it taste?
KathEats says
Amazen’
Andrea Shome says
Yum!! What an interesting flour! How was the texture?
KathEats says
Of the flour or bread? The flour is similar to whole wheat – a bit more coarse than AP. And the bread is gooey and moist!
Andrea Shome says
Ah, excellent for both!!
Kat says
Oooo this looks delicious! I don’t care if it makes me basic, I am ready for all. the. pumpkin spice. things. I am totally not a medical expert so I have nooo idea about the dopamine question, but I bet you could find some studies on Pubmed! That would be a fun thing to spend some time researching.
Melanie Hill Gilbert says
Totally trying this! I’m very intrigued by the pumpkin flour! Here’s a question you may be able to answer. I seem to have an allergic reaction most every time I eat walnuts (not severe; tongue just breaks out with little welts and it’s kind of uncomfortable for a while). I’ve been told this is probably due to acid content in the nuts — do you happen to know if there are certain types of walnuts more prone to giving a reaction? It’s annoying because I get almost no omega 3s in my diet and would like to get them via walnuts (I pretty much eat zero fish, unfortunately).
Also, I am exactly the same way with anticipation – I think that’s why I’m such a planner. The planning is sometimes the best part! Including planning my Charlottesville trip next month, woot! I have visions of Claire traipsing around the outdoor spaces at Pippin Hill, etc. while Steve and I relax and sip wine. We’ll see how that goes! :))
KathEats says
I am not up to speed on allergies and can’t speak to the acid content in the different kinds walnuts – do you get this with any other nut or any other acidic foods? I would just use a different nut – like pecans or even chopped almonds – if walnuts give you a strange reaction. Or just leave the nuts out!
And yay for a visit. Hopefully our fall weather will have arrived by your visit. It’s still in the mid-to-high 90s here now!
Marsha says
I don’t think you should try a different nut in this recipe until you have seen your doctor and been tested for allergies. Quite often being allergic to one type of tree nut means you can have an allergy to more of them. As well, nut allergies can get worse with repeated exposure. What can be a mild reaction one time (tingly tongue, itchy throat or ears, etc.) can be severe and even anaphylactic another. Stop eating nuts, especially walnuts, and go for allergy testing.
If you are looking for Omega-3s and don’t eat fish, there are several other ways to incorporate it into your diet. If you can’t get it through fresh food, there are some good supplements on the market.
KathEats says
I assumed you had gone to a doctor Melanie since you said “I’ve been told” and since you didn’t mention other nuts that you weren’t allergic to any others, but agree with Marsha if that’s not the case.
Jessica says
Chia seeds and flax seeds also have good amounts of Omega-3 <3
TONYA says
Sigh. ok typically I am in the “Let’s not force pumpkin season” camp. But with today being 10007 degrees here in the DMV, I am THROUGH with summer. T.H.R.O.U.G.H! Summer is thoroughly drunk and needs to go home NOW. So bring on the pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice, crockpot meals, everything! If we collectively wish it, maybe it fall will come! 🙂
Kim says
You didn’t really give a review of the bread! Does the pumpkin flour behave similarly to whole wheat? Is is more dense? Did it rise well? I would love to know a little more about it!
KathEats says
Sorry! Since I haven’t made this particular bread with straight whole wheat I can’t really compare the two, but it was a dense and moist texture and I enjoyed it very much! There wasn’t anything odd about it (like a weird flavor or texture after baking).
Kori says
I do have to agree that *sometimes* the buildup and anticipation of a fun event may be more enjoyable than the event itself! I think part of that is due to my high expectations and simply expecting everything to go as planned. As I have continued to reduce my type A controlling side of my personality, I find I am able to enjoy things and life in general more. I would be curious to know the research on this topic! Sooo that bread looks amazing! I have never eaten or cooked with pumpkin flour. I certainly hope to enjoy this with Matt this autumn!
Ann says
Hi Kath,
This recipe looks great, I have to get some of that pumpkin flour.
Can you tell me where you got those beautiful red napkins? They are so pretty. Thank you.
KathEats says
I’ve had them for a long time and there is no tag 🙁 they may have been my grandmother’s.
Luise Persson says
Looks amazing! Gotta try that one out. It’s always such a hazzle when pumpkin season starts, since we don’t have canned pumpkin in Denmark (at least not in most part of it). So always have to make it myself 😉 But, with this recipe I’ve got a pretty good reason for it!
Grace says
Yay for Glean!!! I love mixing the pumpkin flour with peanut butter and making ants on a log for our kids. Their Beet powder is my favorite to add to smoothies.