Super Healthy Pumpkin & Raisin Loaf

By Catherine Noonan on March 19, 2014 in Food

This recipe provides a great opportunity to use a lot of pumpkin all at once. It requires a little less than a quarter of a small Jap (Kent) Pumpkin and the finished product is for a wonderful snack for adults, children and toddlers alike.

It’s free of added sugar, with all its sweetness derived from the pumpkin (make sure you choose a ripe one with deep orange flesh) and raisins. If you don’t dig raisins, don’t panic, because you can use any sweet dried fruit such as dates, sultanas, currents or even apricots.

This recipe is dairy free, but if that’s of no concern to you by all means add butter instead of coconut oil. I’ve added a little cinnamon for flavour but you could also try a ground ginger and/or vanilla.

The flour is wholemeal spelt, so the finished product is not only hearty and nutritious, it will keep you full and content until you get that craving for a second round!

Tools:
• Vegetable Steamer
• 2 mixing bowls
• Flour sifter or sieve
• Fork and wooden spoon
• Loaf tin

Ingredients:
• 450g pumpkin, cubed (after skin and seeds are removed)
• 2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ cup raisins, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup pepitas or sunflower seeds to garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
3. Steam the pumpkin cubes until tender and set aside to cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, sift the wholemeal spelt flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt and set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, use a fork to mix the pumpkin, raisins, eggs and coconut oil until a consistent runny batter is formed.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the greased and lined loaf tin and sprinkle with pepita seeds.
8. Transfer to the oven, baking for 45-55 minutes or until firm to touch and a skewer comes out clean.

Serving Suggestions:
• Serve warm straight from the oven or toasted with butter or fresh ricotta cheese; or
• Chill and store slices for you, your child’s lunch box or your toddler’s playground snack.