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My Favorite Pumpkin Bread

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Moist and flavorful pumpkin bread. This classic recipe is perfect for pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins.

My Favorite Pumpkin Bread of All Time

 

*Sometimes things need a refresh. My favorite pumpkin bread was originally posted in 2010 with some painful-to-the-eyes photos. And while my photography skills have thankfully improved, the recipe, that I’ve loved ever since I was a kid, has not changed. My mom and I both make it every year! So here we are again with my very favorite pumpkin bread from childhood and some photos that I like to think are much easier on the eyes.*

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a sweet tooth:-) I always have room for dessert, but if you can make a side dish that tastes like a dessert, isn’t that even better?  Combining that with the fact that pumpkin is one of my all time favorite dessert flavors, you can understand why I’d be a fan of pumpkin bread.

Seriously good (and easy) pumpkin bread

I’ve had lots of pumpkin muffins and breads, some are dry, some are too dense, and some just lack a true pumpkin flavor.  This recipe, however, produces a light, moist and flavorful bread that also works for muffins.

Pumpkin Muffins
Just for kicks… one of the original photos!
Pumpkin Bread
And another, ouch.

This recipe is super easy.  It is the one my mom has been making for years and she had gotten it from a friend of hers originally.  You can do all of the stirring by hand so no mixer necessary.

First, take your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt) and whisk them in a large bowl.

Set that aside and combine your wet ingredients, pumpkin, oil, water and eggs. Then add your wet ingredients to the dry. Stir until well combined. Pour into your pans and bake until bread and muffin tops are rounded and a knife comes out clean.

Perfect pumpkin muffins that are so easy to make

The recipe is originally set to make 3 pumpkin bread loaves, however I wanted a little bit of variety and made muffins too. (Sidenote: an ice cream scoop makes the perfect transfer to muffin tins). Eat it as a side dish or for breakfast.

My Favorite Pumpkin Bread
 
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Moist and flavorful pumpkin bread. This classic recipe is perfect for pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 3 regular-sized loaves; 3 dozen regular sized muffins or 6 dozen mini muffins
Ingredients
  • 460g (~3½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 635g (3 cups) granulated sugar
  • 10g (2 teaspoons) baking soda
  • 7½g (1½ teaspoons) salt
  • 4g (2 teaspoons) cinnamon
  • 2g (1 teaspoon) nutmeg
  • 425g (~1¾ cup) canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 237 milliliters (1 cup) canola oil
  • 160 milliliters (2/3 cup) water
  • 220g (4 large) whole eggs
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease pans with non-stick cooking spray and/or line muffin tins with cup holders
  3. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl and set aside
  4. Combine wet ingredients (pumpkin through eggs)
  5. Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix well until combined
  6. Pour batter into baking pans
  7. Baking times for different forms:
  8. Loaves: 45 minutes to 1 hour
  9. Regular muffins: 18 to 25 minutes
  10. Mini muffins: 16 to 20 minutes
  11. Bake until bread and muffin tops are rounded and a knife comes out clean
  12. Cool pumpkin bread out of baking pans on wire rack
Notes
Store bread wrapped in seran and muffins in a ziplock bag at room temperature up to one week or frozen up to two months
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What is your favorite dessert-like side dish?

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

You may also like:

Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Pie Glaze

Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Pie Glaze

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins

 

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

 

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

 

Pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins, what could be better?
Blog, Recipes

Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

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Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

Growing up, we didn’t eat a lot of fast food, but I do remember a few occasions when my dad would pick up KFC on his way home from work.  The thing is, I don’t remember anything about those meals except for the biscuits.  Buttery, flakey and light… they were so good.

It has been a long time since I had one of those biscuits.  I only eat fast food in acts of road-trip desperation, and even then my selections are limited to the standard but gross grilled chicken sandwich/salad options.  Blech.

And beyond that, biscuits have made very few appearances in my life.  Usually I save my butter-laden indulgences for cookies, cake, ice cream, etc.  Biscuits just take a backseat to my sweet tooth.  So when this week’s recipe selection for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off included these whole wheat biscuits, I jumped at the chance to relive my childhood food memories in a slightly healthier and more grown-up way. Win.

Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop BiscuitsWhole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
Source: Joy the Baker Cookbook
Makes 8 to 12 biscuits depending on size

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes plus 2 tablespoons for pan
4 tablespoons soft crumbled goat cheese
1 cup buttermilk, cold
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Move rack into upper third of oven; place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on rack and pre-heat oven to 400 degrees (you want the skillet to be hot)
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients
Use your fingers to incorporate butter and cheese into dry ingredients until most of the flour is in small chunks; form a well in center of ingredients and and set aside
Whisk together buttermilk and honey until somewhat combined; pour mixture into the well of the flour mixture and combine with a fork until all of the flour mixture is wet; set dough aside
Remove skillet from oven and coat with one tablespoon of butter
Drop 4-6 scoops of dough into batter using a large cookie dough scoop or ice cream scoop (about 1/4 cup each); make sure to leave a about an inch between each drop of dough
Place skillet back in oven and bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown and lightly firm
Carefully remove cooked biscuits from skillet with tongs and set aside; repeat process with remaining butter and dough
Serve warm with honey; biscuits are best stored immediately but will last up to three days well-wrapped at room temperature

Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.  I received a free copy of the Joy the Baker Cookbook but all opinions expressed are my own.

Blog, Recipes

Topped with Marshmallows

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It seems that there are two types of people when it comes to a Sweet Potato Casserole: Those who cover theirs with toasty melty marshmallows, and those who don’t.  Do you think I am biased?

sweet potatoes 12

You already know I love to sneak dessert-like side dishes onto my table.  Why wouldn’t I top my Sweet Potato Casserole with candy? To be honest, this is the way I grew up eating sweet potatoes.  Each time I see a recipe for a casserole topped with something delicious like a pecan streusel or turned savory I’m tempted to try it, but why mess with something that is just right?

This recipe is actually a lot healthier than you might think.  It is filled with nutrient-dense sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin (yes, pumpkin!), spices and and a secret ingredient:

sweet potatoes 6

I got the idea of using pumpkin butter in a Food and Wine recipe a couple of years ago.  I haven’t turned back since.

The other secret to this recipe is the roasted sweet potatoes.  Yes, you can microwave them to cut down on time, but roasting them adds so much flavor.

To begin, line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with foil and non-stick spray.  Top with your sweet potatoes and poke holes in them to prevent any oven explosions

sweet potatoes 2

Roast them for an hour or so, or until they are nice and tender to the touch

The softer they are, the easier they will be to peel.  I usually roast the sweet potatoes the night before so that I can peel them easily when they are cool, no burnt fingers required

Place them in a mixer with a can of pumpkin and combine until most of the mixture is pureed but some chunks still exist (you can also mash by hand if you don’t have a mixer)

Add in your pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin butter, a dash of salt and a bit of vanilla

sweet potatoes 7

Once well-combined, place in a large greased baking dish

sweet potatoes 8

Cover with foil and bake until hot

sweet potatoes 9

Remove the baking dish from the oven and top with marshmallows

sweet potatoes 10

Broil for a minute or two, until your marshmallows are lightly browned.  I recommend putting foil or a sheet pan below the baking dish in case you have any drippings

sweet potatoes 11
Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves 12

Ingredients:
8-10 medium sweet potatoes, about 5 pounds
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin, (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup pumpkin butter
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1-lb bag of mini marshmallows

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Line jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and non-stick cooking spray
Poke sweet potatoes with a fork and spread out on baking sheet; roast in oven for about an hour or until they are tender
Once sweet potatoes are cool, peel them; cut a slit in the skin of each sweet potato and then peel with fingers
Place them in a mixer with pumpkin and combine until most of the mixture is pureed but some chunks still exist (you can also mash by hand if you don’t have a mixer)
Add pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin butter, salt and vanilla
Once well-combined, place in a large baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes or until hot
Remove the baking dish from the oven and top with marshmallows
Put oven on broil and bake casserole for 1-2 minutes, or until marshmallows are lightly browned

Which camp are you in? With marshmallows or without?