How to Bake Pumpkin Bread & Muffins

This is a continuation of the previous article on how to use homemade Pumpkin Puree, made from scratch, in your home baking. It's a great time of the year to make economical Fall treats from the large variety of pumpkins and squash available. Here are two tried and true recipes which are quick and easy to prepare with excellent results. Please note that the ingredients are for gluten free muffins and regular flour for the tea bread. ~ and remember to roast the Pumpkin Seeds for the kids! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins (Gluten Free)

This is a variation of an old Betty Crocker (1969) simple pumpkin muffin recipe and substituted the flour and honey to convert to gluten free.

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ cups Whole Grain Organic Oat Flour
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ Teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup milk (skim milk used)
• ½ cup home pureed pumpkin
• ¼ cup butter melted
• One organic egg
• ½ cup raisins

Directions 

• Heat oven to 400 F degrees Grease muffin cups.
• Mix all ingredients just until flour is moistened.
• Fill muffin cups ⅔ full (this recipe makes 10 muffins)
• Optional: sprinkle small amount sugar (or walnuts) over each muffin
• Bake 18 – 20 mins
• Remove from pan immediately

Great for breakfast, as a recess time snack or in a bagged lunch.

Here's another childishly simple recipe which was given to our eldest child when in Kindergarten and has been used, once a year for almost 30 years. This is pretty simple – like a five year old can make it – which is perfect for me!

Kindergarten Pumpkin Bread (from scratch)

Ingredients 

• ONE Cup of Oil (such as Canola)
• TWO cups of Pumpkin puree (recipe included in previous Pumpkin article)
• FOUR Eggs (organic)                                  (GF: REDUCE TO THREE EGGS)
• TWO Cups of Sugar                                    (GF: SUBSTITUTE ONE CUP OF HONEY)
• TWO Tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice
• THREE Cups of Flour                                  (GF: SUBSTITUTE ORGANIC OAT FLOUR)
• TWO Teaspoons of Baking Powder              (GF: INCREASE TO THREE TEASPOONS)
• ONE Teaspoon of Salt

Directions – as simple as 1 2 3

1. Mix ingredients in order listed above
2. Pour mixture into three small greased bread pans (or two large pans)
3. Bake at 350 F degrees for one hour or until baked

Note: This recipe was also made using organic oat flour, but the bread does not rise the same as with white flour but is still scrumptious – especially with a tad of butter!

Notes

• We bake the Pumpkin Bread in two standard tea bread pans. When cooked and cool, the top of the bread can be drizzled with a light icing and lemon zest. This bread freezes well also.
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice for the bread can be made from :

1. ½ Teaspoon ground Cinnamon, and
2. ¼ Teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, clove (powders or crushed)

• In Australia, besides making delicious pumpkin soup, pieces of raw pumpkin are often roasted with the Sunday Lamb and roast potatoes

Pumpkins are really a fun, kid friendly sort of activity!

Links & References

Please see previous Pumpkin article