Vegan + Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

A crisp fall afternoon is much more delightful with a freshly baked pumpkin loaf in the oven. This recipe comes from the delicious stacks of goodies at Minimalist Baker, with a couple of Ingrid's mods. She uses coconut sugar (the original calls for brown sugar), and she adds a handful of dark chocolate chips.
Vegan + Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 batches flax eggs (1 1/2 Tbsp (10 g) flaxseed meal + 4 Tbsp (60 ml) water)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp mashed ripe banana (primarily for binding)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 heaping cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 heaping cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend*
- 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
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3 Tbsp raw pepitas or pecans
Instructions:
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Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
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Prepare a loaf pan by lightly greasing or lining with parchment paper.
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To flax eggs, add pumpkin, mashed banana, agave or maple syrup, and olive oil and whisk to combine.
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Next, add brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk.
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Add water and whisk again.
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Add oats, almond meal, and gluten-free flour blend, and chocolate chips, and stir. If it appears too wet, add in another couple Tbsp of oats or GF flour blend. It should be semi-thick and pourable (see photo).
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Scoop into loaf pan and top with raw pepitas, pecans, chocolate chips.
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Bake for 40-47 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Remove from oven and let set in pan for at least 20 minutes and then gently transfer to a plate to cool.
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Let cool completely before slicing gently, preferably several hours. Otherwise, it can be a bit crumbly.
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Once cooled, store in a covered container or cover with plastic wrap at room temperature to keep fresh.
*Recipe from Minimalist Baker.