Nutmeg-Infused Pumpkin Bread

10. Nutmeg-Infused Pumpkin Bread

Cater this low-cal bread to your specific tastes: swap pumpkin for sweet potato, pecans for walnuts or cashews, cranberries for dried cherries. Monotony avoided!

Eating a slice of our moist, slow-cooker pumpkin bread may actually improve your energy, thanks to its hearty dose of potassium.

Photo: Edward Pond

By Nancy S. Hughes

Serves: 16
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 3 hours, 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 3/4 cup 100% apple juice
• 1/2 cup dried apple juice-sweetened cranberries
• 1 3/4 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup maple sugar flakes
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup canned organic solid pumpkin or cooked and puréed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 oz unsalted pecan pieces, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lightly mist an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine apple juice and cranberries. Place on high heat and bring to a boil; remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, maple sugar flakes, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and salt until combined; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, stir cranberry mixture, pumpkin, yogurt, egg whites, oil and vanilla until well combined. Add cranberry-pumpkin mixture and pecans to flour mixture and stir until just moistened but no flour is visible; don’t over-mix. Spoon into pan, gently smoothing top with back of spoon or a rubber spatula.
5. Place a rack in the bottom of a 6-qt slow cooker to elevate pan from bottom; place pan on top. (Alternatively, form 3 or 4 12-inch pieces of foil into balls and place in bottom of slow cooker to elevate pan.) Cover and cook on high for 2 hours and 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Loosen bread from pan by running a spatula around inside edges. Invert onto cooling rack and let cool completely. Slice into 16 pieces.

Nutrients per serving (about 1/2 inch): Calories: 159, Total Fat: 6.5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 21 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 4 g, Sodium: 70 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

Nutritional Bonus: The potassium found in pumpkins aids in balancing fluid levels in the body and is necessary for energy production. But a pumpkin’s health benefits don’t end there: The gourd-like squash also contains a good dose of magnesium, which promotes a healthy immune system, contributes to bone strength and helps maintain normal heart function.

OPTION:
If you don’t have pumpkin on hand, swap it for 1 cup cooked and puréed sweet potato
.