Quick Bread

Name: Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup vegan butter; 1/3 cup sugar (white, brown, or coconut); 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour; 3/4 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/2 cup coconut sugar; 2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs if vegan - see note); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup pumpkin puree; 1/3 cup plant-based milk; 1/3 cup melted coconut oil

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread (DF)

September 20, 2019 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

It’s probably safe to say that if you’re here then you’re as into warm quick breads topped with butter (or, in my case, vegan butter) as I am. This perfectly spiced pumpkin bread is moist, extra sweet with a swirl of cinnamon sugar, and seriously delightful with a melty spread of butter. I’ve been snacking on it all week, and it does not disappoint!

I find quick breads like pumpkin loaves and muffins to be such an easy snack/dessert to whip up. This loaf is no different. The cinnamon swirl mixture is easy to get together, and then you’ll only need to layer it within the batter before baking. I topped my loaf with about half of the mixture (pre-bake), which yields a crunchy, sugary top to the bread. If that’s not your thing, feel free to mix all of the cinnamon swirl mixture into the batter!

Since this recipe calls for melted coconut oil, it’s important that all other ingredients be room temperature to prevent the oil from solidifying into little oil balls. You can warm your eggs up in a glass of warm water and simply pop your plant-based milk into the microwave for around 20 seconds. Oh, and if you’re looking for a recipe to use up your leftover pumpkin puree, check out my other pumpkin recipes!

Other pumpkin recipes you may like:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (DF)

Pumpkin Chai Spice Rice Krispie Treats (DF)

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins (DF + V option)

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Whole wheat pastry flour makes for the softest quick bread! I love using it in my loaves and muffins. For an extra fluffy loaf, you can use all WWPF and no AP flour.

Coconut oil brings moisture to this loaf. Feel free to use refined or unrefined.

Coconut sugar is my go-to low GI, unrefined sweetener. It’s a perfect 1:1 replacement for refined white sugar, and it tastes nothing like coconut!

Yield: 8 Thick Slices

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread

Soft and moist pumpkin bread with a delicious swirl of cinnamon sugar! Topped with a crunchy layer of cinnamon sugar, a warm piece of this bread is irresistible!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl + Topping

1/4 cup vegan butter
1/3 cup sugar (white, brown, or coconut)
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Loaf

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs if vegan - see note)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup plant-based milk
1/3 cup melted coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x4" loaf pan: spray generously with non-stick spray (you can also line with parchment paper after spraying).
Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the cinnamon swirl ingredients: vegan butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Heat up until vegan butter is melted, and then mix ingredients together; set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree, plant-based milk, and coconut oil until well combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.
Add half of the batter to your prepared loaf pan. Drizzle with half of the cinnamon swirl mixture. Add the remaining batter and top that with the remaining cinnamon swirl mixture. Use a chopstick (or knife) to swirl the the two together, making sure to go all the way to the bottom of the pan.
Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Allow bread to rest in loaf pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges and gently remove the loaf by flipping it upside down. Allow bread to cool, or slice into thick pieces to enjoy it warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

For vegan bread, use 2 flax eggs (mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water; let thicken for 5 minutes)

Gluten-Free Healthier Banana Nut Bread

March 7, 2019 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

Ever since my GF Zucchini Choc Chip Muffins, I have been shook at how simple it can be to create a delicious and moist quick bread with the texture of a regular glutenous bread. I’m sure we’ve all had at least one bad experience with a gluten-free muffin or cookie that just didn’t live up to our expectations. Well, this bread. This bread! It’s good. It’s moist. It tastes just like the real deal. And it’s better for you than other sugar loaded banana breads!

I took my favorite Healthier Banana Nut Bread and simply swapped out the flour for my own GF flour/starch blend! Once you have all of your ingredients compiled, this recipe is so easy! I like to bake this bread at a lower temperature for a tad longer just to make sure it comes out nice and moist – as I think a banana bread should be. Feel free to omit the walnuts and add in your favorite mix-ins – white or dark chocolate chips, blueberries, poppy seeds, etc. And as always, happy baking!

Gluten-Free Healthier Banana Nut Bread
Makes one 9×5” loaf

1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs*, room temp
3 ripe bananas (~1 1/3 cup mashed banana)
1/2 cup almond milk, room temp
3 Tbsp applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup oat flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a loaf pan with olive oil and then line with parchment paper, making sure you a couple of parchment “tabs” overhanging the sides to make for easy removal of your baked loaf. It’s very important to make sure all four sides of your pan are lined with parchment (and not just non-stick spray) as the almond flour will cause the loaf to stick. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2.) In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and honey. Whisk in the eggs and then the mashed banana, almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla until totally combined; set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, tapioca flour/starch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients and gently mix until nearly combined. Add in the chopped walnuts, mixing gently until no flour pockets remain. Feel free to get creative with your mix-ins (add chocolate chips, poppy seeds, or other fruit!).

4.) Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 300°F for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out with crumbs. The lower temp + longer cook time yields a moist banana bread.

5.) Allow your baked loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently using the parchment paper to lift it up and onto a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.

*you can use 2 flax eggs if vegan: 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water, mix and allow to thicken for a couple of minutes

Healthier Banana Nut Bread (dairy-free and oil-free!)

January 21, 2019 by Rachael Ng 4 Comments

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a warm slice of soft banana bread. And sometimes I have a bunch of near-black bananas in desperate need of someplace to be before they get tossed in the trash. This, my friends, is the perfect banana bread for those days when you’re craving the comfort of carbs, or when you just have too many freaking bananas. It’s tender, moist, and perfectly spiced. I collaborated with my husband, Nathan, to get this bread just right – he used to be famous amongst his friends for his delicious banana bread! I like to add walnuts to our classic banana bread, but, of course, you can leave them out or replace them with chocolate chips, dried fruit, or whatever!

I used a mix of coconut sugar (my fave, but brown sugar will also work) and honey to add a bit of moisture. You’ll need three whole bananas for this recipe and your favorite flour – I like to use whole wheat pasty flour because I find that it lends to a tender crumb in my quick breads. You can use all-purpose flour or even a mix of half all-purpose and half whole wheat. The applesauce in this recipe replaces oil, but if you have no applesauce on hand you can use any kind of vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil). We baked this loaf at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time to ensure maximum moistness (sorry not sorry if you hate that word)! As always, happy baking!

Healthier Banana Nut Bread
Makes one 9×5″ loaf (serves 8-9)

1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 ripe bananas (~1 1/3 cup mashed banana)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F and spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with olive oil. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) Meanwhile, mix the coconut sugar and honey in a medium bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3.) Mash your bananas with a fork and add to the sugar honey mixture. Whisk in the almond milk, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract until well combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl.

4.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently mix until nearly combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts or other add-ins (chocolate chips, raisins, etc) until no flour pockets remain.

5.) Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan and top with any desired toppings (extra nuts, banana slices, chocolate chips, etc). Bake at 300°F for 65-75 min or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

6.) Allow your baked loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently removing it with a butter knife and transferring it to a cooling rack. I like to turn my loaf pan on its side to shimmy the loaf out with a butter knife, so I don’t ruin any toppings. Enjoy warm and store leftovers in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins (DF + vegan option)

November 15, 2018 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

So I’ve been meaning to make a pumpkin quick bread for quite a while now, but then Halloween came and went and I was afraid everybody would be over pumpkin. Well, turns out, people are still totally into pumpkin leading up to Thanksgiving, too! Unlike gingerbread or peppermint, pumpkin basically has two holidays. Good news for me – and you 😉

When Nathan started talking about a coffee pumpkin bread that he used to bake (complete with tons of sugar + milk-filled butterscotch chips) I knew I wanted to tackle a recipe for dairy-free, healthier Pumpkin Coffee Muffins. I decided to add chocolate chips – no one is surprised – because there’s nothing better than biting into a warm, freshly baked muffin loaded with melted chocolate! I’ve been craving that exact bite for over a week, and these muffins did not disappoint. We all love them, including my toddler who couldn’t get enough. I just might be adding these to the Thanksgiving playlist.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Pumpkin puree bulks these muffins up and gives them a delightful pumpkin taste.

Instant coffee makes for a quick coffee addition to these muffins. They dissolve, well, instantly, and the flavor pairs well with the familiar fall spices.

Whole wheat pastry flour is my go-to quick bread flour (think muffins, banana bread loaves, etc). It creates an irresistibly fluffier, softer texture than regular, all-purpose flour. You may have to check your local “healthier” grocer to find my favorite version.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI alternative to white sugar. It doesn’t taste like coconut, and it gives these muffins the perfect sweetness!

Coconut oil adds moisture to these muffins!

Yield: 9 Regular Muffins

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

Delicious and moist spiced pumpkin muffins with a touch of coffee and loads of chocolate chips! A warm and cozy treat perfect for Fall!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup plant-based milk, room temp
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Notes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare your muffin pan by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with paper liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the almond milk and instant coffee until granules have dissolved. Whisk in the coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs until totally combined. Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Add the pumpkin coffee mixture and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide your batter into nine regular muffin wells, filling each well nearly to the top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing the chips slightly into the batter. Bake at 350°F for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean - be careful not to over bake as you'll have to prick around the melty chocolate chips.

5. Allow your muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Keto Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins

August 7, 2018 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

When one of my Instagram followers messaged me about high-protein, ketogenic desserts, I knew I wanted to really branch out (y’all know I love my carbs!) and attempt something that was keto-friendly and made with protein powder! I came up with these Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins after doing a bit of Googling on what kind of foods are keto-friendly. I was looking for ingredients that were low-carb and higher in fat, so I chose to use almond flour as the base and added three large eggs, protein powder, olive oil, and a sprinkling of coconut flakes – these get nice and toasty in the oven.

I’ve had a big bag of Stevia in the Raw sitting around for a while now, so I took this opportunity to finally put it to use! Yes! I’m so excited to offer you guys a yummy, keto-friendly treat in portions that are small enough for you to decide how many carbs you want to add to your daily diet. My husband and mom (who is a major sweets lover!) both love these! Happy baking!

Keto Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins
Makes ~40 mini muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup protein powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt
3 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut for topping (optional)

1.) Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350° and line your mini muffin pan with paper liners*

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the Stevia and stir until combined.

4.) Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries until no flour pockets remain.

5.) Fill mini muffin pan 3/4 of the way full (I used a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop of batter for each muffin). Top with desired toppings – I chose coconut flakes! – and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean**

6.) Allow muffins to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing to totally cool on a cooling rack until ready to eat. We actually liked these better the next day, and I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

*I highly recommend using liners when baking muffins with almond flour. I’ve found that this kind of flour tends to make quick breads stick to the pan, no matter how much oil spray I’ve used
**before using a toothpick, I like to lightly tap one muffin to see if it bounces back. If it does, I know there’s a good chance the muffins are done