Vegan Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

I love Christmas and the foods and flavors that come along with it — but I am a fall girl at heart. 

I was born in October and year after year, I spend my summers waiting for the chilly, red and orange leaf-streaked days of fall. 

Pumpkin spiced baked goods may or may not also have something to do with this love though...

You'll find warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, in most pumpkin-based recipes, and these my friends are my favorite. I used them in as many recipes as I can, including my morning oatmeal, coffee and banana bread, and I never get sick of them.

Now that it's December, I guess it's time to transition away from all things pumpkin and move toward peppermint- and gingerbread-flavored baked goods. But I'm not quite ready for that kind of commitment yet, and I'm sure many of you aren't either.

This morning, I thought, why not have the best of both worlds? I took my pumpkin bread recipe and threw it together with bits and pieces of my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe, and violà, the perfect blend of both.

A nice transition from fall to winter, this Vegan Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf recipe will help you happily keep one foot in each season.

Vegan Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 3/4 cup coconut oil (softened at room temp)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs nut butter or 1 flax egg
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (Add 2+ tbs depending on sweetness preference)
• 6 tbs molasses
• 1.5 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Spice blend (1 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp allspice)
• 3-4 tbs milk of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease loaf pan(s) or muffin tins.

2. Add all wet ingredients (except milk) to a large bowl and mix with hand mixer or whisk. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, and add milk one tbs at a time, as needed. Dough should be moist yet slightly thickened.

4. Bake for 25-30 min if using mini loaf pans; about 40-50 min if regular loaf pan; and 15 min if muffin tins.