Spiced Pumpkin Banana Bread. Vegan. GF.

I’ve been craving pumpkin banana bread but honestly haven’t had the time with finishing up training and recipe/blogging jobs to create/test a new recipe. I wanted something different – something adding banana so I hit the web to search out a recipe.  I found this recipe from Minimalist Baker but tweaked it a bit.  The recipe came out great without that weird gluten free texture.  I find vegan baking very easy but gluten free does get a bit tricky.  This makes one large loaf of heavenly bread and my family has pretty much eaten all but one slice in 2 days.  The flavors scream fall and have a deep flavor with my changes.  The aroma in your kitchen… yep!  That needs to be bottled.

Thinking this bread would be phenomenal for Thanksgiving morning for breakfast.  It was sturdier (not typical of gf bread) too.  Yum!

Ingredients:
1.5 flax eggs (1.5 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 4 Tbsp water)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 of a medium ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup of coconut sugar – you can sub brown sugar but the coconut sugar gives it a deep, rich flavor
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1 cup + 1 Tbsp gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
1 1/4 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Redmill)
Optional: Topped with pepitas and walnut pieces

Directions:

Prepare flax eggs in your large stand mixer bowl.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line your loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with coconut oil and set that aside.

After about 5 minutes of your flax egg sitting add pumpkin, banana, maple syrup and oil.  Whisk to combine.  Then add your dry ingredients.  Coconut sugar, soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon and whisk again.  Stop and scrape down the sides as necessary.  Then add water – whisking afterwards.  Add oats, almond meal and flour. Blend again.  Gently pour into your prepared pan and place in the preheated oven.  If topping, add sprinkle with your choice of nuts etc.  Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.  My baking test stick was still showing some crumbs on it after 50 minutes but I removed it and let it rest.  After about 10 minutes, I lifted the parchment paper/bread out and place to finally cool on a rack. Don’t slice until completely cooled.  Store in an airtight container.

Tapering craziness is real.  Now if you’ve never experienced it… well consider yourself lucky.  Seriously, I’ve gotten in such a rhythm of running 50-69 miles per week that when you instantly drop – your mind go nuts.  My world seriously is crazy.  The strangest things have happened to me in a few short days leaving me thinking that I may need to bubble wrap myself and sit on the couch.  First, my pug’s leash got wrapped around my leg and slit through the back of my knee. That left a lovely 5 inch slit in my leg.  On Tuesday, after my daughter’s game, (while driving home) I rubbed my eye and tore my contact. No biggie however half got stuck in my eye and I couldn’t get it out.  On the upside:  I’ve spent all of my time scrubbing my house from top to bottom.  Floors, furniture, kitchen and tons of laundry/bedding etc.  I feel like I’m nesting.  I even ordered my Christmas cards.  Laughing trying not to cry.  Taper crazies are a battle.

Sunday: Road/trail run
Monday: Treadmill run/weights/core/balance work
Tuesday: Outdoor run
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Outdoor last longish run that I cherished (needed my runner’s high)

Happy Fall!

— Knead to Cook