Gluten Free Pumpkin Spiced Loaf Recipe

This is the easiest pumpkin spiced loaf recipe you’ll ever make and all you need is one bowl.

There is nothing I love more than anything pumpkin spiced recipes. This love affair started when I first travelled to Canada of October 2010. I was so excited to be travelling to this part of the world during the month of what they call Fall (Autumn) and of course for Halloween.

I expected plenty of decorations, pumpkins and more, and Canada came through with the goods. With nurseries and gas stations decorated with carved out pumpkins, hay stacks, multigrain corn hobs and fantastic statues of ghastly beasts scattered throughout.

I was literally in heaven.

By chance, and unknowingly we happened to be in Canada when it was their Thanksgiving as well. And this is when I first tried pumpkin pie. My very first pumpkin spiced recipe.

Whilst wandering the very quiet streets of Vancouver, wondering why nothing was open, my late mother asked a man walking his dog nearby if there was a public holiday, and why the street were so quiet. He answered with this very heavy Canadian accent; ‘why yes ma’am, it’s Thanksgiving’.

We found a cute traditional diner server a delicious turkey dinner, with an optional glass of wine, fizzy drink or beer, and of course pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert. SOLD! We were in and excited to be celebrating Thanksgiving with the locals in the local diner.

Dinner was delicious, the wine was sweet and perfectly matched with the turkey and cranberry. And when the giant slice of pumpkin pie was served up next with freshly whipped cream. I was absolutely beside myself. All those years growing up, watching American television and seeing people eat pumpkin pie, and here I was, finally eating it myself. And it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.

And thus began my love affair with all things pumpkin spiced.

If you feel the same way, or perhaps you haven’t really tried anything that’s pumpkin spiced, this is the recipe you’ll want to introduce yourself to the concept with. It’s easy to make, incredibly moist, not too sweet and can be eaten fresh, toasted and even with some butter.

I happened across the recipe on instagram, and wanted to make it right away. However, I was missing a lot of the ingredients. So, I had to alter the recipe and make it suited to what I had available.

Here’s what you’ll need and how to make it:

Preheat the oven to 185 degrees and line a loaf tin with some baking paper.

Then, mix the following wet ingredients in a bowl and stir to blend well.

• 1 cup of mashed pumpkin (I used butternut, as it’s creamy and a little sweeter than other pumpkins)
• If you are making a larger loaf, then use 2 cups of mashed pumpkin so the loaf doesn’t dry out.
• 1/4 cup of greek yoghurt (or for the vegan option, then use coconut yoghurt)
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted if you are using hard oil)
• 2 eggs (or for the vegan option, 2 flax eggs)
• 1 cup of coconut sugar (I used a brown sugar replacement made from monk fruit as it’s very low in sugar)
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Once you have blended all of these ingredients, you can then add in the dry ingredients, which are:

• 1 cup of almond flour (I was out of almond flour, so I used gluten-free flour)
• 3/4 cup of gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Mix well and until all of the ingredients are blended well and there are no flour clumps.

Pour into your loaf tin and then top with chocolate bits. I used Noshu No Sugar Dark Chocolate baking drops.

Place into the oven and cook for at least 40-45 minutes. Checking regularly to make sure it doesn’t burn or over cook.

I took mine out after 45 minutes and although when I placed a knife in to check if it had baked through, the bottom was still be a little wet. However, I find when you take it out of the oven and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. The heat of the tin continued to cook the loaf, so after 30 minutes, it was cooked right through and super moist and delicious.

This also prevents you from burning the loaf if you bake it for too long. But make sure if you do this, that the bottom of the loaf is not runny, just a little wet at the bottom is enough to know it will continue to cook when you take it out of the oven. If it’s too runny, you will break the baking process and ruin the recipe.

Slice it up and enjoy with a coffee or tea.