Pumpkin bread is a quick bread that is light, moist and utterly delicious. The pumpkin gives it a beautiful orange hue and a lovely flavour. Pumpkin is rich in potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, it enhances immunity and it’s good for the eyes. It is nutrient-dense and low in calories.
Pumpkin called Anyu or Ugbogoro (Igbo), Elegede (Yoruba) and Taushe (Hausa) is the fruit of the fluted pumpkin (not ugu). A part of the squash family, it has a hard green shell, orange flesh and white seeds. Most parts of the pumpkin plant can be eaten, from the fruit to the seeds the leaves and stalk, I have a recipe for Ofe Ugbogoro, a soup made with pumpkin leaves.
To make this quick bread, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed or roasted. Roasting is the best way to prepare your pumpkin for pumpkin bread. It doesn’t soak up water which will throw the recipe off balance with too much liquid. For this post, I steamed mine, it doesn’t absorb as much water as when boiled. I also put it in a sieve to drain off any excess water absorbed.
Canned pumpkin puree is easy, convenient and gives the bread a stronger pumpkin flavour. Unfortunately, it’s not sold in some parts of the world but fresh pumpkins are so cheap and plentiful, besides fresh is fresh and is good.
Pumpkin bread is excellent plain but you can also add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or banana.
To prepare Pumpkin Bread
2 cups pumpkin puree 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon Pumpkin spice* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs
*Pumpkin Spice 1 tablespoon Cinnamon 1 teaspoon Ginger 1 teaspoon Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon Cloves 14 teaspoon All-spice (optional)
Wash and peel your pumpkin.
Roast, Steam or boil for 20-25 minutes until soft.
Place in a bowl and mash using a fork or potato masher until smooth.
If you steamed or boiled, place in a sieve to drain some of the liquid it absorbed while cooking.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C, brush an 8×4-inch loaf pan with butter or oil. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
In another bowl, whisk sugar, oil and egg, until smooth.
Stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined.
Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin and mix gently until just combined.
Fill the loaf pans up to two-thirds full.
Bake for 65-75 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Relish your Pumpkin bread with a drink eg. beetroot juice, Zobo, tea, coffee, Cashew fruit juice etc.
Pumpkin bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin spice*
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
Pumpkin Spice
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Cloves
- ¼ teaspoon All-Spice (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and peel your pumpkin.
- Roast, Steam or boil for 20-25 minutes until soft.
- Place in a bowl and mash using a fork or potato masher until smooth. (If you steamed or boiled, place in a sieve to drain some of the liquid it absorbed while cooking.)
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C, brush an 8x4-inch loaf pan with butter or oil. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk sugar, oil and egg, until smooth.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin and mix gently until just combined.
- Fill the loaf pans up to two-thirds full.
- Bake for 65-75 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Relish your Pumpkin bread with a drink eg. beetroot juice, Zobo, tea, coffee, Cashew fruit juice etc.
If you enjoyed my Pumpkin Bread, you will also enjoy my Sweet potato muffins, Cinnamon muffins, Plantain Bread and Healthy Mango muffins with Coconut crumbs.
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I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food...