Recipe: Pumpkin nut bread

Homemade pumpkin bread is easier to make than you might think. This recipe combines all of your favorite flavors of the season: pumpkin, toasted nuts and pumpkin pie spice.

Serves 18

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dried fruit of choice (cranberries, cherries, etc. Note: These may need to be chopped into smaller pieces)
• ¾ cup chopped nuts, toasted if desired (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
• ¼ cup oil (olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, etc.)
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. In a small bowl combine the flours, set aside. In another small bowl combine sugars and set aside. Place nuts and dried fruit in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat pumpkin, apple sauce, oil and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute.

Add flour mixture, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Stir in nuts and dried fruit by hand.

Spread batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for about 15 minutes in pan, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

190 calories, 6g fat, 100mg sodium, 32g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 3g fiber, 16g sugar (includes 9g added sugar)

Recipe from Cecelia Jacobson, Registered Dietitian for the Oregon Heart and Vascular Institute at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.