Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with Candied Ginger

I know, maybe you’re tired of baking with pumpkin, but I’m not!

Unlike the United States where you can buy canned pumpkin year-round, pumpkin is very seasonal in Poland. You actually have to buy a whole or part of a large pumpkin and roast it yourself to get pumpkin puree for your baking recipes.

I like buying the small, orange-fleshed Hokkaido pumpkins, also called Japanese pumpkins, at my local markets. These pumpkins have a dense flesh and are less watery than other varieties I find here.

So once I had my homemade pumpkin puree, I went searching online for some more gluten-free recipes. What I don’t like is that many of these recipes call for xanthum gum, sorghum flour or other items I can’t find here. I’ve finally found an all-purpose gluten-free flour from an Italian company, Schar, which is sold at many of the organic shops in Warsaw.

Some of the gluten-free and organic products that I use at  home for baking.

I finally found a pumpkin bread recipe that I could adapt with the ingredients that I have here at home. This pumpkin bread is sooo good that you’ll be shocked to learn that it contains ZERO fat and is gluten-free, of course! I used homemade applesauce instead of any oil and substituted Turkish ayran (or use buttermilk) for the suggested water. The ayran keeps the bread moist and adds some extra calcium.

Then, just to go one step farther, I topped off my pumpkin bread with the Spiced Streusel Topping from my last pumpkin recipe. The topping adds some extra crunch and healthy vitamins. A win-win!

This weekend, we’re heading out on a week-long road trip through the Baltic countries so I want to pack some healthy snacks. This pumpkin bread definitely will be coming along!

Smacznego!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with Candied Ginger

Yields: 2 normal loaf pans or 4 mini trays and 1 normal loaf pan

Adapted from I Am That Lady

Ingredients:

Spiced Streusel Topping

2          Tablespoons                organic coconut oil, melted

2          Tablespoons                pure maple syrup

2          Tablespoons                ground flax seeds

½         teaspoon                      ground cinnamon

½         teaspoon                      ground ginger

¼         teaspoon                      salt

½         cup                  (60 g.)  almond flour*

¾         cup                  (95 g.)  chopped pumpkin seeds or nuts

*Note:             You can substitute the almond pulp from your homemade almond milk for the almond flour. Just be sure to dry your leftover almond pulp in the oven before using.

Bread ingredients

425      g.                                             homemade pumpkin puree (or substitute one 15 oz-can)

3          large                                        eggs

1          cup                  (150 g.)            organic palm sugar (or use granulated sugar)

1          cup                  (240 g.)            homemade applesauce

6.5       oz.                   (185 ml.)          Turkish ayran or buttermilk

2          cups                 (320 g.)            gluten-free all-purpose flour

¼         cup                  (35 g.)              coconut flour, lightly packed

2          teaspoons                                ground cinnamon

1          teaspoon                                  ground ginger

1          teaspoon                                  freshly grated nutmeg

2          teaspoons                                baking soda

1          Tablespoon                              gluten-free baking powder or normal baking powder

About ¼ cup               (50 g.)              candied ginger, diced small

Preheat oven to 350F/175 C. Lightly brush with your baking pans with oil and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the streusel ingredients, tossing with a fork until you get small crumbs. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, palm sugar, applesauce and Turkish ayran or buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients, and then whisk into the wet ingredients until incorporated.

Lastly, fold in the candied ginger pieces.

Divide the batter between prepared baking pans, filling each one a little over halfway full.

Sprinkle and press the streusel topping on top of the batter.

For smaller loaves, bake for about 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Larger loaves will take nearly 60 minutes.

These pumpkin loaves can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1-2 days and then should be moved to the refrigerator. The loaves also freeze well.

***Optional: Instead of making the Spiced Streusel Topping, simply garnish your loaves with pumpkin seeds or some chopped nuts.

Small loaves with the Spiced Streusel Topping before baking.