Not Quite Mom’s Pumpkin Bread

My mother’s pumpkin bread is the best. I mean THE BEST. The recipe is glued to a piece of paper aged and yellowed from 30 years of use. It’s not written anywhere else. Who knows why our mom to cut this particular article out of some paper, or why this is the one she chose to experiment with. What I do know is the bread. The product I associate with dozens of memories. Dozens of moments and tastes. It’s traveled the world and has been a taste of home when shipped (by mail or via sibling) to wherever we may be at this time of year. Fall.

Sadly, giving up gluten I have not had even a mediocre bite of pumpkin bread. I finally created a variation from an Elana’s Pantry recipe. The results were delightful. Not mom’s, but delicious. And it goes really well toasted with cream cheese for breakfast. This also held up pretty well- it lasted in the house about 3 days.

Pumpkin Bread
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon*
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a food processor, blend all dry ingredients. Add all wet ingredients to processor. Blend until just amalgamated. Scoop batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

I think next time I would like to see if this could get a little browner and crisper on the top. I’d bake at 375 for 30 minutes instead. If you try that, let me know how it goes!

*I do not like cinnamon. This is a bare minimum amount of cinnamon. If you like this flavor, try 1 tablespoon instead.

About Salts Kitchen

I write. I eat. And I cook. I write about what I cook and eat. I love finding new foods, being inspired to make something I've never made, and most of all I love feeding other people things that they have never tried before. I like disproving myths about food and what it means to eat well, to eat healthy, often on a budget, and for some of us- to eat with a bunch of food allergies (and still eat well!).

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5 Responses to Not Quite Mom’s Pumpkin Bread

Ralph says:

October 26, 2011 at 3:44 pm

That pumpkin bread (the original) is an important part of family history. The recipe is closer to 45 years old and was a serious consideration before marriage was contemplated. Maybe more than a consideration…maybe a catalyst.

Amelia Saltsman says:

October 26, 2011 at 5:35 pm

True that. More than 40 years. Dad beat me to the comment on that. Heaping tsp of cinnamon sounds like a lot let alone 1 tbs. Try substituting some pumpkin pie spice blend.

Salts Kitchen says:

October 26, 2011 at 9:20 pm

Interesting. I do always say my dad married my mom for the pumpkin bread. I’m going to make it again this weekend to see if it’s as amazing the 2nd time around, I’ll try the pumpkin pie spice instead.

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