Pumpkin Apple Spice Loaf

Autumn means pumpkin season, and I’ve been all about that lately. Pumpkin muffins, Paleo pumpkin cookies, pumpkins to decorate my front porch, romping in pumpkin patches… Yet it’s also apple season, and apples need some love. After all, apples are my trusty go-to snack, available year round when other fruits go out of season, delicious eaten unadorned or with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter or a sprinkle of cinnamon. When you put the two together, what do you get? In my kitchen, you get yourself a Pumpkin Apple Spice Loaf, a true seasonal treat.

This autumnal bread will fill your kitchen with the wafting aroma of pumpkin, apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, and delight your stomach with every bite. It’s gluten free and packed with wholesome goodness, with ingredients like Greek yogurt, flaxseed and coconut oil. You can adapt the recipe to make it dairy free by substituting goat’s milk or coconut milk yogurt (I tried both and each rendition was just as luscious and flavorful – using a Greek style coconut yogurt also packs an extra fiber punch!) Whichever you choose, every slice will be scrumptious.

This loaf is moist and dense from the flaxseed and flour base as well as the pumpkin, applesauce, and yogurt combination, and also very creamy. It’s important to check on the oven after 35, 40, and 45 minutes, because oven temperatures vary and you’ll want to remove the loaf just when a toothpick comes out clean and not too long after. In fact, if there’s just a hint of doughiness after 35-40 minutes, you can remove the loaf and let it set for additional richness. It will retain a firm softness for up to 5 days after baking if you’re careful to cover the top of the bread pan with tinfoil when you’re finished cutting a slice.

Something about baking bread really puts me in an autumnal mood and makes the whole house (or apartment) seem very homey. Have a slice smeared with peanut butter and topped with sliced apple for a hearty breakfast or snack, or pair with a mug of spice tea for an afternoon pick-me-up. You’ll feel warm and bright right away.

Pumpkin Apple Spice Loaf

Recipe Type: Bread

Cuisine: Gluten Free

Author: Alyssa

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 1 loaf

A deliciously dense, creamy, and fluffy pumpkin apple spice bread, bursting with autumn flavors and completely gluten free, made without butter or refined sugar, and adaptable to be dairy free.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup pure pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple, finely diced or grated
1/2 cup Greek yogurt*
2 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil**
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl, then add to the dry mix.
Add other wet ingredients and mix well.
Grease a 9 x 5″ bread pan with cooking oil.
Pour in batter and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, depending on oven strength. Insert toothpick and when it comes out clean, remove loaf and allow it to cool.
Enjoy a slice!

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 140

Notes

*You can use goat milk or coconut milk yogurt instead for a dairy free option.[br]**Coconut oil is a great neutral option, but olive oil or sunflower oil will also work.

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