Amazing Vegan Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Bread

What do you do when you're stuck inside during Hurricane Sandy? Make pumpkin bread! While the wind is whipping around outside, my apartment is cozy and smells of pumpkin spice deliciousness. But my prayers are with those who are at great risk during the storm. I've witnessed firsthand what horrible damage hurricanes can cause, so I don't take this lightly. Stay safe everyone!

 This is a deliciously dense bread with complex spice flavors coming from the garam masala. You can most definitely use a pumpkin spice blend (usually cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger) and it would be fantastic. The bread is vegan and made with whole grain spelt flour, but you can adjust the recipe to use butter, eggs, and whole wheat flour if you'd like. It's super moist and oh-so-tasty. This is my fourth time making it already this season!

Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Bread

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, plus more for the pan (or use butter)
1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour or whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup  coconut sugar or rapadura sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons chia seeds (or 2 eggs)
6 tablespoons water (omit if using eggs)
1 cup well-pureed roasted winter squash* (pumpkin, kabocha squash, butternut squash, etc.)
3/4 cup pecans
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the top 1/3 of the oven. Rub 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter) inside a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

2. Melt the 1/2 cup coconut oil in a small pot over low heat. Set aside and allow to cool but not set.

3. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, garam masala, and sea salt into a large bowl. Set aside. In a smaller bowl whisk the sugar, maple syrup, chia seeds, water, and squash. Whisk in the still melted coconut oil. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in most of the pecans, reserving 1/4 cup or so for the top of the cake.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with remaining walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup, and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the edges have browned and the center of the bread is well set.

*To make pureed winter squash: Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down in a rimmed baking pan with about a half inch of water. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until it is fork tender. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then scoop out the squash flesh from the skin. If it needs it, you may then puree the squash with a hand blender or food processor to make it extra smooth.

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