Honey-Walnut Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin...will I ever get tired of it? I don't see it happening, at least not in the foreseeable future. I've made the typical pumpkin quick bread many times in the past, but this year I wanted to find a more healthy, but no less tasty, version. And here it is! As is typical with most of the baked goods I make these days, this recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour but with an added nutritional boost from wheat germ and flaxseed meal. This bread is sweetened with a combination of honey and turbinado sugar instead of granulated sugar, which adds flavor instead of just sweetness, and the walnuts provide omega-3s and a nice texture contrast in this extremely moist bread. This bread is hearty enough for breakfast or a snack, but sweet enough for dessert as well.

Honey-Walnut Pumpkin Bread
adapted from Whole Foods
serves 8 to 10

Canola oil cooking spray
1 3/8 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
1/4 cup oat bran or wheat germ
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cups fresh or canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a second large bowl, combine sugar, oil, honey, milk, pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in walnuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack then remove from pan and set aside to let cool completely.