Gluten-Free Chai Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries

Chai Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries Recipe

Recipe posted November 2008.

Reader Maya gave me the idea to chai it up- with chai inspired spices (thanks, Maya!). If you're not a fan of ginger and cloves, sub your favorite pumpkin or apple pie spice combo or keep it simple and use only cinnamon. Other options include nuts or no nuts, chocolate chips or golden raisins- or both.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil the bottom of a standard bread loaf pan or 8x10 baking pan and dust with gluten-free flour.

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 cup packed organic light brown sugar- or 1/2 to 2/3 cup raw agave nectar, to taste
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract
2 organic free-range eggs, beaten, or Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/3 to 1/2 cup apple juice, cider, or orange juice (start with less, add more as needed)
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I used GF buckwheat/sorghum/tapioca starch)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice or cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or more ginger

Add-In Options:

3/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup golden or dark raisins (I used dark but wished I'd had golden)
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips- if you like pumpkin + chocolate

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl beat together the pumpkin, oil, brown sugar, egg, and apple juice. Add the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and stir until smooth. If the batter looks too thin and wet, add more gluten-free flour, a tablespoon at a time, to thicken the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf or baking pan and bake in the center of a preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour, until the loaf is firm to the touch, and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean.

Cool the loaf on a wire rack.

Slice and wrap each slice in foil; bag and freeze for easy future yumminess. Thaw at room temperature or zap in a microwave till warm.

Makes 8 or 9 slices.

This vegan recipe is blissfully gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and easily egg-free and nut-free.

Karina's Notes:

No Ener-G Egg Replacer? Use 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and increase liquid by three tablespoons.