Pumpkin Bread (Healthy, Fat Free, Vegan)

What's the date? September 25th?

Right. So it's definitely time for some Pumpkin Recipes, wouldn't you say?

This morning I was hanging around, feeling very blah and unambitious. I needed to find something to do.

Naturally, I thought of making something to eat, and lurking in the recesses of my mind was a giant can of pumpkin. (Much like it's been lurking in my pantry for several months.)

So I found my grandmother's pumpkin bread recipe. And I realized: I'm out of eggs. I'm out of vegetable oil. Darn it! So I checked in with my good friend Google, and sure enough, we can make pumpkin bread without eggs or oil - it's this new concept, to me, called VEGAN.

I admit, I can't live without steak, but I certainly don't need it in my pumpkin bread. And apparently, I don't need oil or eggs either. Yay! Saved me a trip to the store. I mean... Yay! I found a healthy low fat recipe for Pumpkin Bread.

This recipe comes from Happy Herbivore  ~ and if you go to her site - look at her - she does look happy! (Prolly cuz she didn't have to go to the store either.)

Anyway, here's the recipe, just note that I had to change the method a little bit, but I think it worked out pretty well. Not one person in my family died from my bread, yet. So you're good. Trust me.

Seriously, this is healthy, and it's delicious. Give it a shot!

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white) 
• 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 15 ounces pumpkin
• ¼ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup non-dairy milk (I used skim milk) 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Grease or spray a standard bread pan.

Whisk non-dairy milk and lemon juice together until bubbly and set aside. (I used skim milk.) 

In a medium mixing bowl, cream pumpkin, sugar, syrup and extract together. (This mixture looks exactly like baby food. And smells like it. It's not exactly delightful at this point... But stay with me!) 

In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin pie spice, flour, baking soda and baking powder together. 

Then pour both wet mixtures into the dry mixture, and stir until just combined. 

Pour into the bread pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute and smooth out the top. (To say "pour" this mixture is misleading. The mixture was thick, so I had to spoon it into the loaf pan, and even it out. At this point, it looks like what comes through a little tiny baby body. Know what I mean? Sorry, again, hang in there!)

Grab a large piece of aluminum foil and make a tent over the pan. 

Here's where I went rogue. I didn't have any aluminum foil, and we already know I was too lazy to go to the store ~ so I fashioned some parchment paper, like a diaper, around the loaf pan. (I'm sorry for all of the baby poop references! I can't help it, I have the mentality of an 11 year old.) 

Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (During the baking time the pumpkin bread smells so good, you'll forget all about my earlier immaturity!) 

After the hour, let the bread sit on a cooling rack for 10 minutes - this let's the center of the bread set.

Once the bread has cooled, but is still warm, remove it from the pan and on to a serving plate.

I know, you're wondering what to put on your pumpkin bread. I have the answer:

Mix 8 oz whipped cream (homemade, out of a tub, vegan version.. whatever) with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. 

If you're a total heathen like me, you'd butter the bread and THEN add the whipped topping. Just a suggestion...