Harvest Loaf with Pumpkin, Apples and Carrots

A hearty harvest loaf with pumpkin, apples and carrots. Sweetened only with maple syrup and using whole grain flours - the perfect fall treat!

This harvest loaf is pretty much your kitchen sink of fall ingredients and flavors; apples, squash, carrots, maple and cinnamon just to name a few. It’s pretty much all of my favorite things in one bite. I used butternut squash puree because in a country that doesn’t celebrate thanksgiving finding canned pumpkin puree is basically impossible (believe me I’ve tried) – so needless to say I have been roasting a lot of gourds lately. Turns out the flavor is so much better when roasted fresh, but a tad more time consuming – so feel free to substitute pumpkin puree instead.

Little oil, and sweetened only with maple syrup makes this a pretty healthy snack. The squash puree makes for a extremely moist loaf, so wait until it has almost cooled completely before slicing, even though the smell will make that tough. Be patient – a beautiful piece of fall loaf is just waiting to be  enjoyed along side a cup of coffee.

A hearty harvest loaf with pumpkin, apples and carrots. Sweetened only with maple syrup and using whole grain flours - the perfect fall treat!A hearty harvest loaf with pumpkin, apples and carrots. Sweetened only with maple syrup and using whole grain flours - the perfect fall treat!


HEARTY HARVEST LOAF

Ingredients

1/3 cup melted coconut oil, plus a little extra to grease the pan
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash puree*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 each ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves, or 1/2 teaspoon all spice
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 small carrots, grated
1 medium apple, grated
1 + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Raw sugar and extra cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C) and grease a loaf pan

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and maple syrup. Add the eggs and continue whisking

Stir in squash/pumpkin puree and vanilla, then salt and spices. Stir in the flour until just combined, and add in the grated carrot and apple.

Combine baking soda and hot water, and stir into batter in until evenly distributed – then stir in the vinegar.

Pour into loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar if your like

Bake in the oven for about an hour. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top no longer giggles. Let cool in the loaf pan for a few minutes, then remove and let cool for half an hour on a cooling rack before slicing

*To make your own puree preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice whatever squash/pumpkin you have in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the skin is soft and the flesh is easily removed from the skin. Depending on the size of your squash, anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Scrape all of the flesh off the skin and puree in a food processor or with a submersion blender. Let cool, drain out any excess liquid and use however you want!


Let me in on your kitchen creations – tag your photos #happyheartedkitchen and share the love!

5 Comments

  • Reply
    Jackie
    October 24, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Wow! This sounds amazing, thanks for sharing!

  • Reply
    An Nuyen
    October 24, 2012 at 9:27 pm

    I just made this today, and when I tried it, I was initially put off by how little sweetness the loaf has compared to the norm, but this is surprisingly addictive. The crumb/texture is exactly what I wanted in an autumn loaf cake and this one is tender and moist.

    and I don’t feel bad about grabbing another slice since it’s dairy free and only has natural sugars. I know I’ll be making this again someday. awesome recipe, thanks so much!

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      October 25, 2012 at 5:18 am

      Oh great – I am so glad you liked it, An! You’re right, there is definitely not a ton of sweetness in this loaf and you could always increase the maple to 1/2 cup – but I find 1/3 to be just the right amount here. I often find myself going back for seconds too ;) Thanks for posting!

  • Reply
    Amelia
    October 28, 2012 at 3:19 pm

    Finally a recipe without a ton of sugar! I am always a fan of quick breads that rely on natural sweetness. I love to add a tiny dab of almond butter or Earth Balance to a warm piece of bread for a little extra sweetness.

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      October 28, 2012 at 7:14 pm

      Me too, Amelia! The other day I mixed in a touch of cinnamon and a dash of honey with my almond butter for a little something special – I highly recommend it! Glad you liked the recipe – thanks for the comment :)

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