Ooohhh! I love fall. I love the leaves, I love the weather, I love all that goes on with it. Especially the food! Most notably…pumpkin and apples. I love trying out tons of new pumpkin recipes every fall, but I need to make sure I don’t overload on cider doughnuts, apple pies and rich pumpkin desserts. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I would looooove to overload on that sort of stuff, but that just wouldn’t be good for me at all.
This recipe works for me because it combines the sweet taste of a dessert, with healthful additions like whole wheat flour, fresh apples, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. It is moist, delicious, and the extra added crunch of the seeds makes for a perfect fall treat. We spread this with some homemade pumpkin butter and it was very much enjoyed by the whole family!
*Just a note* : This makes two 9×5 loaves of bread. I was thinking of cutting it in half to only make one, but stuck with it. After tasting this bread, I highly recommend making two loaves and popping one in the freezer to enjoy at another time. It is just THAT good! I also made muffins with this recipe too, and it makes about 2 1/2 dozen muffins.
Apple Pumpkin Sunflower Bread
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup apple cider
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
2 cups finely chopped, peeled, firm apples (I used granny smith)
3/4 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds
Spray bottom of two 9×5 loaf pans. Line with parchment paper leaving a slight overhang, and spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In medium bowl, beat sugars and oil on medium speed until well combined. Add in eggs. Beat well. Pour in cider and mix until blended. Slowly add in flour beating on low speed. Beat in pumpkin and then fold in apples and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds. Pour in prepared pans, spreading evenly. Sprinkle remaining sunflower seeds evenly over two loaves and gently press in to top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out using parchment and cool on wire racks until completely cooled, at least two hours. Slice and serve.
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