I love pumpkin. Have I mentioned that already? I do. I really, really do. I wasn’t always a fan of pumpkin pie while I was growing up, but I have been converted to all things pertaining to the wonderful orange goodness that is pumpkin. I love to roast my own and puree and freeze it for use in recipes such as this. The smell of roasting pumpkin in your home is wonderful and I eat it right out of the oven with a fork. I love all squash though, minus spaghetti squash. I don’t know what it is, but those thin stringy strands just don’t do it for me. However, this is about pumpkin. No pumpkin lover’s recipe box is complete without a fabulous pumpkin bread. For that reason, I give you my made-over version of the classic.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Makeover (adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com)
3 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 T cinnamon
1 T ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp natural salt
2 1/2 c organic cane sugar
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 c apple sauce
2/3 c water
1 tsp pure vanilla
4 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 T cinnamon
1 T ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp natural salt
2 1/2 c organic cane sugar
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 c apple sauce
2/3 c water
1 tsp pure vanilla
4 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 9×5″ loaf pans and set aside.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix together sugar, pumpkin, apple sauce, water, vanilla, and eggs in a separate bowl. Mix well. Slowly combine the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.
Disperse evenly between the three loaf pans. Bake 60 minutes or until brown and a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pans by carefully sliding a knife along the edges and tipping out the loaves onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing . . . if you can wait that long!
Thoughts:
I don’t have many thoughts other than: make this bread, it was delicious. I only baked mine for about 55 minutes, so I would recommend watching it closely in the last 10 minutes or so. Fall would not be complete without a good pumpkin bread splurge, and I think I succeeded with this one. It makes three loaves which is perfect if you have someone to share with (or freeze them and eat them all yourself later). I took a loaf to my cousin and it was warmly received. My husband devoured it, my kids loved it, and I even got a few pieces to myself before it all disappeared.
yum. i'm going to make some
Ooh! That looks delish!