Gluten Free Thanksgiving :: Pumpkin Bread

Some recipes go beyond just good food, they reach back to our history and taste like home. One of those recipes for me is pumpkin bread. My dad would save coffee cans all year, and come holiday season, he and my mom would bake endless loaves of pumpkin bread in the can, attaching a recipe card to round out the gift. They can be served as the perfect container for gifting and created ridges in the loaf for cutting slices. When the weather turns cold, I can practically smell the pumpkin bread baking.

With the diagnosis of celiac disease, many baked goods immediately came off of the table. For the most part, I didn’t care. But pumpkin bread struck a different chord. So I set out to convert the family recipe into a gluten-free version. And the best part is that it is SO easy.

Is it really Thanksgiving without pumpkin bread?

Ingredients
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 tsp nutmeg (Pumpkin spice also totally works)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 14.5 oz canned pumpkin
4 eggs
⅔ cup water
1 cup oil
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda).
  3. Add the wet ingredients (canned pumpkin, eggs, water, oil, chopped nuts, and vanilla).
  4. Combine well (stand mixer makes this a breeze).
  5. Grease and flour 4 loaf pans (or 4 coffee cans or a decorative bundt pan!)
  6. Bake 1 hour.

And just like that, you will have a classic Thanksgiving dish, a perfect hostess gift, and a wonderful gift that will make people feel like home. (The gluten free chocolate pie still in progress.) Happy Thanksgiving!

Jess
Jess Allain is a mom of two, an attorney, a triathlete, and a yoga teacher. She is a member of the Junior League of Lafayette and serves on the board of The Family Tree. When she isn't swimming, biking, running, reading, practicing yoga, litigating, or cooking something up in the kitchen, you will find her playing with her two beautiful girls. Adventure is out there!