October unprocessed can throw you for a loop when it comes to seasonal favorites. This time every year I make my mom’s recipe for pumpkin bread. It makes three loaves and I usually have plenty to enjoy and plenty to give away. I have no idea why I haven’t shared the recipe before now but for some reason I’ve kept this one to myself until now. This year I altered the original recipe a bit, substituting whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose, using coconut oil instead of regular oil, switching regular sugar for pure cane sugar, and topping the bread with a maple glaze just for something different. Just a few changes and my sweet fall treat is completely unprocessed and still delicious.
The beauty of this bread recipe is that it’s meant to be shared. Enjoy one loaf right out of the oven, store one in the freezer if you must, and hand the other to a neighbor or friend. My mom would make several batches of this bread every year and give out to all of her coworkers and friends. I think she did this for so many years that people started expecting and even awaiting it. It’s a beauty to be known for your pumpkin bread.
“I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, in the same way that feeding ourselves is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility.” – Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet
As we enter into the season of gifting and eating around table with friends and family, I hope to share my care for others by feeding them well.
Pumpkin Bread Recipe with Maple Icing
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar, I use pure cane sugar
- 1 cup coconut oil, vegetable or canola oil would also work
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 15 ounce can of pumpkin
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2/3 cup of water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup oats, optional
- pumpkin seeds, optional
for the maple icing
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup confectioners sugar, or pulse cane sugar a few times in a food processor
Instructions
for the bread
- Grease 3 loaf pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In an electric mixer combine the sugar and oil until well combined. Add the 4 beaten eggs and pumpkin to the sugar mixture.
- In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.
- Add the 2/3 cup water alternately wiht the flour mixture while the mixer is on low speed. Once combined mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour equal parts of batter into each loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine the oats and pumpkin/pepita seeds in a small baking dish or pan and let them toast in the oven or on the stove top for just 5 minutes.
- After the loaves are finished cooking, let them cool for 10 minutes then remove them from the pans and place them all on parchment paper. Top with the oats and pumpkin seeds then drizzle with maple icing.
for the maple icing
- in a small sauce pan heat up butter and maple syrup on low until melted. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Glaze cakes while hot.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
The glaze – I can’t even imagine how good it is! And I love when it hardens like that on top of bread. It’s like candy 🙂
Thanks Heather!! And the bread is extra moist too!
Love pumpkin bread. The maple glaze makes it extra special.
Thanks Barbara!! Lets get together soon!!!
Hey, is there any way to half this recipe?
Definitely, just measure out half of the can of pumpkin – it should weight 7.5 ounces. Then half all of the other ingredients. If you do half the recipe, it would make 1 and 1/2 loaves those which may not work well. You could also try doing 1/3 of the recipe which would be 5 ounces of pumpkin and 1/3 of all of the other ingredients. Hope that helps!
Oh my gosh, you had me at maple glaze! I love the whole idea of sharing all of those loves with others too. Awesome! 🙂 Pinning and sharing on my Facebook page on Sunday. 🙂
Thanks Ashley! I look forward to meeting you in December!
*squeezing my eyes shut, wishing this maple-glazed bread was sitting in my kitchen*
sigh… if only it worked that way.
Thanks Gretchen! Hope you get the chance to make some this season!
Made some muffins with this recipe. Very tasty and easy to make. Thanks Becky.
Minita, great to hear from you!! And I’m so glad your muffins turned out good!
Great recipe and appetizing bread. I love bread all types. I am going to make this recipe the week-end and I am going to add some raisins. “Awesome”