Yes, You Can Still Eat Pumpkin Bread on a Gut-Healthy Eating Plan
No need to opt out of pumpkin season if you’re eating for a healthy gut, this gluten-free pumpkin bread swaps flour with almond butter for a better-for-you treat.
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If you’re one of those people who marks the beginning of the fall season by the influx of pumpkin products at your local TJ’s or Starbucks then you’re not alone. More often than not, though, many of our favorite pumpkin treats come in sugar-filled formats like lattes, pies, jams and breads. Enter our contribution to the season’s pumpkin mania: a lower-sugar, gluten-free and Paleo pumpkin bread made with an almond butter base.
Nut Butter Baking
Many Paleo or gluten-free quick breads use alternative flours in their recipes, but in this gluten-free pumpkin bread, we did something entirely different: we removed the flour entirely. Instead of flour, we opted for heart-healthy almond butter. You might be surprised to learn that baking with nut butter can yield amazing results, both in taste and texture. (Read all about our famous cookie recipe that uses almond butter here.)
We’ve added a little arrowroot starch to help bulk it up along with warming spices and of course, pumpkin puree. If you have freshly made pumpkin puree, you can use it here but the canned variety works just fine. Just make sure you look for an unsweetened variety and avoid the cans marked as pumpkin pie filling. For a sweetener for our gluten-free pumpkin bread, we selected coconut sugar for a rich, molasses-like flavor with a slightly lower glycemic index than regular cane sugar. If you prefer to use pure maple syrup, it will work just as well.
The result? A gorgeous, richly flavored pumpkin bread that is gluten-free, Paleo and can fit into a gut-supportive eating plan. Try it on its own or serve it warm smothered with a little organic butter or ghee. We love it for a light breakfast, snack or even dessert. And it freezes beautifully too – you can make a couple of loaves and freeze them sliced to enjoy pumpkin bread throughout the season.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with Almond Butter
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut sugar (or pure maple syrup)
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup arrowroot starch
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease then lightly dust an 8½- by 4½-inch loaf pan with arrowroot.
- In a large bowl, combine almond butter, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend with a hand mixer on low until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together arrowroot, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend on low until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe courtesy of Paleo Magazine