Grain Free Pumpkin Bread

Ah, yes: Grain free pumpkin bread. This is one of my family’s most favorite treats this time of year. Ok, really any time of year! What I love about this recipe is that is it completely grain free. As many of you know, I DO recommend a healthy dose of pure whole grains in most people’s diets. But I recommend that people eat them in their whole, unprocessed form: long cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley etc. The more processed they become (into flour, pasta, bread), the less nutritious and digestible they are for our bodies and they are more prone to creating dampness and causing weight gain. This recipe focuses on healthy fats like almond meal instead of flours to create a moist, delicious bread or muffin.

It also calls for either butter (try to get organic and grass fed-very good for your body) or coconut oil. Good quality, cold-pressed coconut oil has a number of health benefits. Unfortunately, neither my son nor I like how it flavors baked goods. As much as I try, I am simply not a coconut fan. If you are, try the coconut oil in this recipe and let me know how it comes out! If you are like me, I can vouch that it is delicious with the butter.

I also used turbinado raw cane sugar and cut it back to just under ½ cup. It was plenty sweet. I suspect this recipe would taste delicious with some real maple syrup as a sweetener, but I haven’t tried that yet. You can make either muffins or a bread with this recipe. I have made it with chocolate chips and without. I have also made it with nuts and raisins. It is delicious any which way. I usually make it into muffins and make a few varieties to keep everyone happy. Yes, chocolate chip is the most popular!