Lite Spiced Pumpkin Bread: Reader Recipe Of The Week

Cooking with Courtney is bringing you a lite spiced pumpkin bread recipe, submitted by Frances of Dublin.

"Spiced pumpkin bread is one of my favorite quick breads," she said. "I wanted to make it with less oil and sugar since my family has been enjoying this often!"

In other words: Indulge away.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or canola
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1¼ cup/300 g pumpkin purée blotted dry
• 3 oz plain greek yogurt
• 3-4 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon cloves)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1¾ cups white whole wheat flour, regular AP flour, or a mix
• Optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, chopped dried fruit…
• Coarse sugar and pinch of ground cinnamon, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

Set aside pumpkin in paper towel lined bowl to blot dry.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and spices.

In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together together with a whisk. Add the eggs and whisk until blended. Add the pumpkin purée, yogurt, and vanilla then whisk to blend.
Add flour to pumpkin mixture. Mix until just combined. Some lumps are fine. If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and coarse sugar.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Without any mix-ins, my bread is done around 55 minutes. If I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Happy baking!

Still craving pumpkin treats? Check out my spiced pumpkin pancakes or pumpkin spice latte bread.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you'd like to share with Patch readers?

Email Patch Editor Courtney Teague at courtney.teague@patch.com with your name, city, original recipe and a brief description of why you love this recipe. If possible, please include a photo you've taken of your dish. We'll consider it for Cooking with Courtney's "Reader Recipe Of The Week."

Cooking with Courtney is a new, weekly series featuring seasonal recipes by Patch Editor Courtney Teague. Want to submit your recipes to be posted on Patch or submit a recipe request? Email her at courtney.teague@patch.com.