Pumpkin Tea Loaf

Just in time for October! This Pumpkin Tea Loaf recipe will infuse your kitchen with delicious aromas, while also nourishing you with many of the joyous ingredients of fall. And boy does it ever feel like fall out there (well, at least here in Ontario). Best of all, this loaf is gluten-free!

Enjoy!

PUMPKIN TEA LOAF

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unadulterated maple syrup or Yacon syrup

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups pumpkin flesh, mashed (you can use canned, just be sure it's unsweetened)

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

2/3 cup coconut oil

3 organic whole eggs

1/3 cup kefir

3 2/3 cups almond flour (this makes the loaf gluten-free!)

1 1/2 tsp organic baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon (I used an organic variety that tastes beautiful)

1 tsp ground nutmeg  (I went a little heavier on this because I love nutmeg)

1 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (yes!)

2 tsp good quality vanilla

1 cup chopped raw walnuts

1 cup raisins (optional - I left them out and the loaf was delish)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare loaf pan by coating lightly with a bit of coconut oil and dusting with almond flour.  This helps the loaf come out.  You can bake one large loaf or two small ones.

At medium speed, combine and beat together the first 7 ingredients.

In a medium prep bowl combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.

In small batches add dry ingredients to wet in mixer and mix until just combined.  If your mixture looks too wet add another 1/2 cup almond flour and mix again.

Fold into prepared loaf pan and bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.  I had to add 10 minutes to my baking time because it is a hefty loaf.  

The smell is delicious.