With the busyness of the holidays and the coldness of winter creeping in, this is the perfect time of year to bake some spicy pumpkin bread for a quick breakfast or snack. I created this recipe for my sister and brother in law. They loved the recipe that they were using but felt like it was too high in fat and calories, especially since they loved to make it so frequently throughout the fall and winter months. The recipe that I made for them has all the spices that they love without all the calories and fat. In fact, this recipe has about 14% less calories, 50% less fat, 100% less cholesterol and 46% more fiber than the original one.
Save yourself some time this holiday season and bake a batch of this bread. It makes two loaves so you will have one less thing to worry about on busy days. And since you are saving yourself some calories and fat too, that leaves a little more room in your diet for those yummy holiday treats!
Pumpkin Bread
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. olive oil, not extra virgin
1/4 c. unsweetened, natural applesauce
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. whole flaxseed (or 3 tbsp. milled flaxseed) + 1/2 c. water (click here for directions)
2/3 c. water
1 15oz. can of pumpkin (or about 1 3/4 pumpkin pulp)
Combine the flours, baking soda, salt and spices in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugars, oil, applesauce, egg whites and flax seed mixture; mix well.
Add the flour mixture and water, alternating, adding one then the other in three batches. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to mix in all the flour. Stir in the pumpkin until it is incorporated.
Pour the mixture in two greased 9x5x3 loaf pans. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 60 minutes. Let the bread rest in the pans for 10 minutes then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 loaves (32 slices).
Nutritional information per slice:
137 Calories
2 g. fat
0 g. saturated fat
0 mg. cholesterol
153 mg. sodium
30 g. carbohydrates
1 g. fiber
19 g. sugar
2 g. protein