Healthy Recipe, Pumpkin Bread

Holidays aren’t the only time to enjoy pumpkin bread. This recipe, lightly adapted from Julia Turshen’s “What Goes with What,” will satisfy sweet cravings with more than empty calories. Canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling, which contains other ingredients) is chock-full of fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Since it’s naturally sweet, it can replace some of the sugar. It also acts as a binder, so there’s no need for eggs, making it an excellent choice for vegans. Makes 1 loaf (8 to 10 slices). – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• Nonstick baking spray (or shortening and flour for greasing and dusting the pan)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or ¾ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and ginger plus ½ teaspoon nutmeg)
• ½ cup water
• ½ vegetable oil or other neutral oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with baking spray or grease with a little shortening and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. (For easy removal, line the pan with a strip of parchment paper with enough overhang at each end to serve as “handles.” 
2. Place the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. With a wooden spoon, stir in the water, oil, pumpkin, and brown sugar. Stir in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spoon or rubber spatula, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the bread cool to room temperature before removing it from the pan and slicing.
4. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap for several days, or frozen for up to 3 months. 

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