Pumpkin season has arrived! It seems like we see pumpkin every where we go this time of year! There are so many pumpkin recipes, items, coffee, lattes and the displays and advertisements seem endless! I am a huge fan of pumpkin, however, sometimes it can be overwhelming! I can be skeptical and I truly only want genuine delicious recipes and pumpkin items.
If that sounds familiar, look no further! This recipe has been tested and approved by my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and teachers! I love to make this recipe for fall, holiday food trays and its great even further into the Winter holidays. It is versatile and you can make bread loafs, mini bread loafs or mini muffins!
This month, my son’s “family homework project” involved baking a family recipe… but as a family! SQUIRREL!
I asked myself, “Would be better than Mom’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe?!” This was a family affair!
Ingredients:
- 3.5 C Flour
- 2 C Sugar (3 if you want it to be sweeter)
- 2 t Baking Soda
- 1.5 t Salt
- 1 t Cinnamon
- ¼ t Nutmeg
- 1 C Chocolate Chips
- 1 Can (15oz) Pumpkin
- 4 Eggs
- 1 C Applesauce
- ¾ C Water
- 1 C peanut Butter
Let’s get to work!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350’. Spray two regular size bread loaf pans with a nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust them with flour.
Step 2: In a larger bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, sugar and chocolate chips. Mix all ingredients together well. (Dry Ingredients)
Step 3: In a medium size bowl, add the pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, water and peanut butter. Mix all ingredients together well. (Moist Ingredients)
Step 4: Add the moist ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and mix them together. Split the mix up evenly into two bread loaf pans. Bake for 60-70 min.
Mangia!
Tips and Tricks:
- You can use butter to grease the loaf pans, but I found that using the cooking spray and lightly flouring the pans works best.
- You can add up to 3 C Sugar, but that will add another 774 calories! Yikes!
- I substitute all vegetable oil for applesauce to save calories! You can try that one to one ratio in all of your baking recipes!
- If you bake this recipe in muffin tins, bake at 375’ for about 28 min. Yields about two dozen muffins.
- If you bake this recipe in mini muffin tins, bake at 375’ for about 12 min. This recipe yields about 75 mini muffins.
** Remember the baking time may fluctuate- always check to ensure the bread/ muffins are done baking!**
Secret Squirrel Moment 