Vegan Pumpkin Bread

The calendar says it's been fall for weeks, but it's just starting to feel like it here. Saturday I nearly froze on the sidelines watching my son play soccer...though to not embarrass myself I won't tell you exactly how cold it was (not very) and how many layers I was wearing (too many) to stay warm.

It's back up to a balmy 80 degrees today but I can't shake the feeling that fall is finally here. I've got a cinnamon and clove candle burning, I'm on a house cleaning and rearranging kick (sorry about the rearranging part honey!) and I want to cook all those fall dishes that just feel weird when you make them in August.

This pumpkin bread is one of my standby's year round. It doesn't have an overwhelming pumpkin flavor, but is more like a spice cake with just a touch of pumpkin. It stays moist for days, and the texture is more delicate than I expect from a quick bread. The fact that it's vegan is a nice bonus, but taste wise this beats any other pumpkin bread I've tried in the last few years. This recipe makes two loaves so it's perfect for sharing...or stashing an extra in the freezer for yourself!

Pumpkin Bread
adapted from Joy The Baker


Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 cup canola oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep two loaf pans by spraying them with nonstick spray.

In one large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.

In a second bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: pumpkin, canola oil, maple syrup, and water.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry with a spatula until combined. There is usually flour stuck to the bottom of my bowls, so make sure to check before you finish mixing.

Pour the batter into the two loaf pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes then finish cooling on a rack.