Description
This Healthy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze is a moist, flavorful quick bread made with wholesome whole wheat pastry flour and natural sweeteners like pure maple syrup and pumpkin puree. It’s enhanced by warm autumn spices and finished with a light, sweet maple glaze, making it an ideal fall treat that balances indulgence with nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75g) butter
- 1 (15 ounce) (425g) can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (156g) pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (198g) whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon*
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
Glaze
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (any milk will work), if necessary to thin glaze
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Brown the Butter: In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and whisk constantly. The butter will begin to foam and crackle, then start turning a golden amber color and emit a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning and transfer to a medium bowl. Let cool for 5-10 minutes until just warm to touch.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Incorporate the browned butter into this mixture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, stir together whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice until evenly mixed.
- Mix Batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure a tender crumb.
- Bake the Bread: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the Bread: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Make the Maple Glaze: In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with pure maple syrup. Add almond milk as needed to achieve a pourable consistency.
- Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bread. Slice and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices listed.
- To make pumpkin muffins, divide the batter evenly among 12 greased muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Use parchment paper to ensure easy removal and shaping.
- Let the bread cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- This recipe pairs well with a cup of coffee or tea for a seasonal treat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of loaf)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
