Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread

FAQs:

Ingredients for Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:

• Oat flour: Oat flour is higher in protein, healthy fats, and soluble fiber. It’s better than wheat flour since it’s slower to be absorbed and more nutrient dense.
• Xanthan gum: It acts as an emulsifier and binder in gluten-free cooking. It gives dough both elasticity and viscosity. In other words, it replicates the textures we would find in foods associated with gluten. 
• Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, antioxidants, and immune boosters.
• Avocado oil: Avocado oil has a very mild flavor and is rich in healthy fats and antioxidants. It also has a higher smoke point (around 500ºF) making it a fantastic all around oil for a pantry staple.
• Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar tastes nothing like coconut. In fact, it’s flavor is closer to brown sugar or turbinado sugar. Although all sugars should be used in moderation, coconut sugar does contain more nutrients than table sugar. It also has a lower glycemic index than white sugar.
• Pecans: Pecans are a good source of healthy fats, copper, and zinc.
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is lower in calories and fat than sour cream.

How to Prepare this Healthier Pumpkin Bread:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and spray the exposed short side.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour (see notes) baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cloves. 
• In a large bowl,  whisk together the eggs and Greek yogurt until smooth and creamy. Add the avocado oil, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, and whisk until fully combined. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips if using.
• Pour the pumpkin bread mixture into the loaf pan, and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake about 65-75 minutes until the loaf is set. An inserted skewer should have moist crumbs, but not be wet. Place the pan on a rack to cool for about 20-25 minutes. Lift the edges of the parchment paper to remove the loaf from the pan, (You may need to slide a butter knife around the two exposed ends.) and place the loaf on the rack to finish cooling completely.

Serving Suggestions:

• Top with Candied Walnuts before baking.
• Brush the top of the baked Pumpkin Bread with Spiced Simple Syrup for a little extra sweetness. It also helps to keep this easy fall bread extra moist.

Ingredient Substitutions:

• Avocado oil: Use any mild flavor oil (such as olive oil or sunflower oil) you have on hand.
• Greek yogurt: Sour cream works just as well.
• Xanthan gum: If you’re looking for alternatives to xanthan gum for baking needs, check out Christine’s article from Zest for Baking: 5 Alternatives to Xanthan Gum in Gluten-free Baking.
• Pumpkin puree: You could also use butternut squash or sweet potato puree.
• Coconut sugar: For this recipe, you can substitute half white and half brown for the amount of coconut sugar.
• Spices: If you don’t have cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves on hand, try a pumpkin pie spice blend. Or, you can experiment with using your own blend of spices like cardamom and ginger with the cinnamon.
• Pecans: Try using walnuts or even topping the loaf with pumpkin seeds just before baking.
• Chocolate chips: You could just as easily use raisins or dried cranberries if you want to skip the chocolate.

Recipe Notes:

• Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips are fair trade, non-GMO, and sweetened with stevia.
• Xanthan gum replaces the gluten found in typical wheat flour and provides structure for gluten-free baked goods.
• Oat flour is gluten-free and has a light mild taste. It’s also easy to make yourself by simply grinding rolled oats in a clean coffee grinder.
• Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than typical processed sugar.
• Avocado oil has a very mild flavor and is rich in healthy fats and antioxidants. It also has a higher smoke point (around 500ºF) making it a fantastic all around oil for a pantry staple.
• Pink Himalayan salt is lower in sodium than regular table salt and contains more minerals.