Pumpkin Bread
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 2/3 cup flour or 1 2/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour or 1 2/3 cup of your favorite GF flour blend + 1¼ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour already contains)
1¼ cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
Optional:
½ cup candied cherries, chopped
½ cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
Lightly spray bread pans with GF baking spray. (2 - 7.5 inch x 3.5 inch or 3 - 6 inch x 3 inch or 1 – 7.5 inch x 3.5 inch & 1 – 6 inch x 3 inch) *See notes
Whisk together flour, xanthan gum (if using), sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Set aside.
Thoroughly mix together vegetable oil, eggs, water & pumpkin. (You can do this by hand or with a mixer.)
Gradually beat flour mixture into liquid mixture until well combined. Then beat on medium for about a minute. (This makes it a little fluffy, so it’s a little lighter.)
Stir in cherries &/or nuts, if using.
Pour mixture into prepared pans
Bake at 350° for about 1 hour. It should be golden brown & springy to the touch. And a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Remove from pan & cool on wire rack.
This bread is really nice when served warm! But it also keeps well & doesn’t dry out too quickly. Spread a little butter or cream cheese on it, dust it with a little powdered sugar, or just eat it plain – whatever your favorite is! You can also cut it a little thicker & treat it like a slice of cake & top with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
Notes:
My family is not a fan of candied cherries, so I don’t add them. The nuts add a nice flavor, but I have nut allergies in my family, so I don’t add those either.
For tips on preparing your pans, please refer to my blog post “A guide to preparing pans for baking quick (dessert) breads”
The size bread pan you use depends on your preference. I am usually giving them away, so then I will make 3 small loaves. But sometimes I make 1 big to give away & 1 small to taste test!