Sweet Spiced Pumpkin Loaf

This delightful, fragrant loaf is like a cross between my Sticky Date Cake, Banana bread and Pumpkin Scones!!

It is just perfect with an afternoon cuppa or in a lunchbox to fuel busy little bodies and brains at recess time.

Plus, no oil, no eggs, no dairy and very low sugar make it a healthier ‘cake’ option.

See below the recipe for a Coeliac friendly option too.

200g butternut pumpkin
6 medjool dates, pitted and halved
1 cup very hot water
1/4 cup coconut sugar
50g sunflower seed butter
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
2 tsp GF baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1 medium, very ripe bananas
1/4 cup pepitas

Place roughly chopped pumpkin into Thermal cooker or food processor and process until well chopped, Speed 6, 8 seconds.

Now add dates, water, sugar and bicarb in the Thermal cooker and cook at 110C on speed 2 until the mix comes to the boil (a few minutes), then a further 2 minutes.

Add in the banana and seed butter and start processing on speed 3 and working your way up to speed 5 for about 12 seconds, or until the mixture is fairly smooth and consistent.

(Do this in a saucepan over a medium heat with regular stirring and then transfer to a food processor or blender to do this without the thermal cooker)

In a large separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and spices (speed 5, 8 seconds).

Pour the pumpkin and date mix into the flour mix and fold together until all combined. Don’t over mix.

Pour into lined loaf tin and sprinkle with the pepitas

Place into a preheat 160C oven for 35mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to mostly cool before slicing. Serve on it’s own or even serve with some cream or ice cream for dessert.