Creating healthy desserts that are in line with your particular lifestyle can be a challenge for some. As a vegetarian and most of the times, a vegan, I give a strong focus to high protein, earthy foods, where you’re able to include a sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals, avoiding the use of animal products when it doesn’t make sense. I’m sure you would agree that nothing beats home cooking when it comes to healthy desserts! That’s why this vegan pumpkin bread might just become your new favorite staple.
The base ingredients for this recipe act as a smorgasbord for your daily intake of diverse nutrients and antioxidants. Using just one cup of pumpkin puree offers almost 60% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 26% of vitamin C and is rich in manganese, copper and potassium.
You’re probably already quite conscious of the result of our modern day lifestyles and the burden it places on your body, particularly when you treat yourself to foods that are overly processed. These foods create free radical damage within the body where healthy cells are attacked, much like corrosion within the body.
Over time, this can have a toxic effect on your health and leave you open to an unpleasant array of disease. As pumpkin has an incredibly high level of vitamin A, it contains powerful antioxidant properties that offer protection from free radical damage. Vitamin A also helps to build a strong immune system and can give you glowing skin from the inside out.
One of the most impressive ingredient when it comes of health benefits is turmeric, which as you probably have noticed has become huge in health stores across the nation. That’s because of its powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties. Antioxidants are measured by units on an ORAC scale, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. Turmeric comes out with a glowing score of 127,068. To put that into perspective, Domino’s pizza only has a score of 200. I know which one I’d rather choose!
Adding coconut oil into this hearty loaf of pumpkin bread offers a unique blend of healthy fats. Coconut oil is a highly prized oil that has also been exploding in the health world, as it increases good cholesterol and even promotes weight loss. One of the magical aspects of coconut oil is that it increases nutrient absorption.
You’ll find the finished product of the vegan pumpkin bread to be a really interesting combination, with the mellow blend of both sweet and savory ingredients infused together. The best part is that there’s no added nasties like those found in commercial loaves. Simply pure and wholesome ingredients that are life-giving and bursting with flavor.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate and Walnuts {GF}
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree obtained from mashed roasted pumpkin
- 1 very ripe mashed banana
- 3 tbsp vegan milk of choice I used coconut milk
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup lightly toasted walnuts
- 1 vegan chocolate bar melted
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.
- In a large bowl combine the flours, baking soda, salt and half of the mixed nuts quantity.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the remaining nuts and melted chocolate) and mix to combine, until you obtain a batter.
- Transfer the batter into a parchment paper lined loaf pan, and bake for 45-50 mins. (insert a toothpick into the loaf, if it's coming out clean, it's ready!)
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Before slicing and serving, mix the rest of the nuts with the melted chocolate, and spread the mixture onto the loaf.
Notes
Oh great pumpkin awesomeness!! Can not wait to try this! Does it need a flax “egg” to hold it together, or does the banana do that job?
It doesn’t need flax egg, but it needs to cool (even a bit of refrigeration) before cutting it. If you want to have it warm, right after removing from the oven, adding a flax egg would be a good idea. Let me know how it turned out!
This looks amazing!!! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much!
This pumpkin bread looks amazing! Is there a substitute for the buckwheat flour, like oat or almond?
I think that almond meal would make a nice substitute to buckwheat. Let me know how it turned out!