I like a good quick bread recipe that has some healthy ingredients. This one has Greek yogurt, coconut oil and pumpkin puree. For some reason I like pecans with pumpkin-maybe it’s the alliteration thing with both beginning with the letter “P” or maybe they are just two flavors that compliment one another. Pumpkin is high in beta carotene. Beta carotene is an antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A. For all those reasons and it’s just a tasty fall snack to have on hand in the cake dome. Here you go!
Pumpkin Pecan Bread
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil (melt for about 12 seconds)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg at room temperature
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 unbleached flour
3/4 cup chopped pecan
Beta carotene gives pumpkin its bright orange color…Tenting foil over something baking/cooking keeps the item from browning too much.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter an 8x4 loaf pan.
2. In a small bowl measure out the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt (All dry ingredients except unbleached flour). Set aside.
3. Whisk in a large mixing bowl, melted coconut oil and honey.
4. Next whisk in the Greek yogurt and egg. Insure that all of these ingredients are blended well.
5. Now whisk pumpkin puree and vanilla.
6. Sprinkle in the dry ingredients in the small bowl and whisk.
7. Now add in the flour. Whisk until just blended.
8. With a spatula, fold in the pecans.
9. Pour batter into the buttered loaf pan and set timer for 30 minutes.
10. When timer goes off, tent a piece of aluminum foil and place on top of loaf pan-do not take bread pan out of the oven. Set timer for 25 more minutes. The foil will keep the top from browning too much.
11. When timer goes off, test for doneness with a toothpick. Stick a toothpick in the middle of the bread. If toothpick comes clean, bread is done. If not, set timer for 2 1/2 minutes more and check again. Do until toothpick is clean and bread is done.
12. When bread is done, let pan set on a rack for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Let bread cook on rack for about 30 minutes.
