Integrative Nutrition Recipes

Cosy and comforting fall flavors without any scary ingredients

Fall is officially here, and that means it’s pumpkin season! If you’re going to be carving a pumpkin later in the month, you’ll be on the lookout for some recipe ideas to use up the leftovers. Look no further – this delicious chocolate chip pumpkin loaf is the only treat you’ll need.

Made with pumpkin purée, coconut flour, ground almonds, honey, and spices, this bread is high in protein and healthy fats, but low in sugar and processed ingredients.

Health benefits of everyone’s favorite fall fruit

Reap the benefits of this seasonal squash:

• Pumpkin has fewer than 50 calories per serving, making it a great option for those who are watching their total energy intake.
• Pumpkin is high in fiber, which can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, as well as being very filling.
• Pumpkin is also packed full of vitamin A, vitamin C, beta carotene, and antioxidants, which can contribute to healthy teeth, skin and bones, improve vision, and promote a healthy immune system.
• Pumpkin also contains high levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that aids sleep.

Honey is a natural sweetener, which works really well with the pumpkin flavor, as well as creating a lovely moist, dense texture when mixed with the ground almonds and coconut flour. If you’re planning to use the scooped-out insides of a real pumpkin, choose a smaller one as these tend to have more flavor. Canned pumpkin is absolutely fine, but be sure to use pure pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie mix, which can have added sugar and spice. It’s healthier and much more fun to add your own spices – we’ve used cinnamon and nutmeg, but you could also throw some ground ginger in the mix.

The sweet cinnamon and nutmeg are full of antioxidants, and have been linked to reducing inflammation and blood sugar levels. Nutmeg is also said to help with bad breath.

Chocolate chips add an extra sweetness, but if you are looking for a more savory version try dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

Quick and easy pumpkin loaf

This is super simple to make. All you need to do is mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry ingredients in another, mix together and bake in the oven. It’s a great recipe to get the kids involved with – they’ll love mixing the thick orange batter.

This version is gluten-free and dairy-free (excluding the chocolate chips), but is also adaptable for other special diets. For a vegan version, swap eggs for flax eggs or applesauce and honey for maple syrup.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

¾ can of pureed pumpkin

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp honey

2 cups ground almonds

1 cup coconut flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F / 315°F fan / Gas 4.
2. Line or grease a 9”x5” loaf tin.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
   
4. Mix the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl, and add to the wet ingredients, mixing slowly.
   
5. Stir through the chocolate chips.
   
6. Pour the batter into the loaf tin and put in the oven.
   
7. Bake for 40 minutes.
8. Allow to cool in the tin before tipping out onto a cooling rack.
9. Serve on its own or with a little butter or jam.

Recipe Notes

• For higher protein content, add 2 scoops of protein powder. You’ll need to reduce the coconut flour by around the same amount.
• Use real pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie mix. If you don’t have pumpkin, use sweet potato or squash instead.
• You can swap the chocolate chips for raisins, dried fruit, or nuts if you prefer.
• The batter will fill the loaf tin which is fine, because it doesn’t rise excessively when baking.
• This loaf is quite moist, so will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 7 days in the fridge. Store in the freezer for 3 months.

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