HEALTHIER PUMPKIN BREAD

Pumpkin season is in full swing, and this healthy pumpkin recipe is about to become your new fall obsession. It’s so flavorful and moist, you’d never guess it’s a lighter, nutrient-dense twist on the classic. Made with oat flour, olive oil, maple syrup, and non-fat Greek yogurt, it’s completely free of refined carbs and packed with fiber, healthy fats, and protein. The perfect cozy fall bake that’s good and good for you.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 8-10)

• 2 cups rolled oats or oat flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ¾ tsp baking powder

• ¾ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp clove

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin purée

• ½ cup 0% Greek yogurt

• ⅓ cup olive oil

• ½ cup maple syrup

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup dark chocolate, plus more for the top

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. If using rolled oats, in a blender, blend oats till they turn into oat flour. (If using oat flour, you can obviously skip this step!)

3. Mix oat flour with baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

4. In a separate bowl, add the pumpkin, yogurt, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix.

5. Pour a third of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix. When combined, add in another third and mix. When combined, add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until dry and wet ingredients are fully combined.

6. If using a bar of chocolate, chop it up and fold it into the batter. If using chocolate chips simply fold them into the batter.

7. Pour batter into a greased 9x11 loaf pan. Top with extra chocolate and bake for 40-50 minutes. When 30 minutes has passed, turn off the oven and keep the cake inside for another 10 minutes with the door closed. When the 10 minutes are up, the edges should be slightly brown, but golden.

8. Take the cake out and let it cool on a cooling rack before removing it from the loaf pan.

4Q Journaling Guide: Even though this is a healthier alternative to conventional pumpkin bread, we would still consider this an indulgence due to the added sugar content. You could reduce the servings to 1/3 slice and have it as an after-dinner treat!