How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Bread

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin purée
½ cup olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

You can substitute a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. You can also add a cup of dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins, for variety. The nuts are optional.

To make pumpkin purée, cut a small pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and strings. Lay the halves facedown on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour.

You can also cut your pumpkin into pieces and roast or boil them until tender. This makes removing the skin much easier. Cool the squash, scoop out the flesh, and mash it with a fork. Freeze whatever squash you don't use and throw the rinds away (or into your compost pile).

No pumpkin? Try this recipe with sweet potatoes, instead. You can also use butternut or acorn squash. You only need a cup of purée so smaller gourds work well.

Preheat oven to 350°F and generously coat the inside of a 9"x5"x3" inch loaf pan with your preferred cooking spray. Use a non-stick pan, if you have one.

Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Set aside your dry ingredients.

Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices thoroughly. Combine your wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, mixing lightly. Fold in the nuts and pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the loaf is browning too quickly on top, you can cover it with foil for the last ten to fifteen minutes of baking.

Turn your pumpkin bread out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Quick breads taste great warm but will crumble badly when you cut them before they have cooled completely. The bread will taste best after sitting for several hours or overnight, to allow the flavors to meld.

You can substitute ¾ cup of whole wheat flour to use half white and half whole wheat flour. If you do, add a bit of butter or extra pumpkin to increase the moisture. You may also need to add an extra ½ teaspoon of baking soda to help the bread rise.

If you would like to reduce the amount of sugar in your pumpkin bread, substitute ½ cup of Splenda granular sweetener for ½ cup of the sugar. If you do, add an extra ½ teaspoon of baking soda to help your bread rise.

You can substitute applesauce for the olive oil to reduce the amount of fat in this recipe. You can also use ½ cup of egg substitute or four egg whites instead of the 2 eggs. Add two teaspoons of oil if you don't use whole eggs, especially if you use applesauce instead of oil. The fat in the oil and eggs helps quick bread's texture and eliminating it will get you rubbery pumpkin bread.

Read more about cooking healthier by substituting to reduce fat and sugar.