The Best Ever Spelt Pumpkin Loaf

The Best Ever Spelt Pumpkin Loaf [Dairy-free Recipe]

Nostalgia is delicious, and this recipe fondly reminds me of my four long years at Naturopathic medical school. The cafeteria on campus made the world’s most delicious pumpkin loaf, and I indulged in a sweet little slice almost everyday during our mid-morning lecture breaks. I’ve been trying for years to recreate the recipe myself and I finally nailed it with this easy and delicious recipe.

While not gluten-free, I find most of my gluten ‘sensitive’ patients do well with a little spelt in their diets (I include myself in this category, wheat does not sit well but spelt is totally fine). Although spelt and wheat are closely related, they are two different species; spelt is Triticum spelta while wheat is Triticum aestivum. Researchers have discovered that the gluten in spelt is more soluble than wheat gluten, making it easier to digest than wheat. We’re also not exposed to spelt in our diets as often as wheat; most people have had much less prior exposure to spelt resulting in less opportunity to become sensitive to spelt. Food sensitivities, as opposed to true allergies, develop over a number of years with repeated exposure to a specific food or protein. This means that if you frequently rotate the foods you’re eating you will be less likely to become intolerant to them. I typically recommend that my patients switch their wheat for spelt, rye, almond, coconut or buckwheat flours in baking when possible. Spelt is a really excellent replacement for wheat flour since it reacts very similarly when mixed into a batter and baked. Start with this delicious pumpkin spelt loaf and I promise you will not miss the wheat!  

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Spelt Pumpkin Loaf

This Halloween you'll find us curled up on the couch waiting for trick-or-treaters and munching on this delicious pumpkin treat. This pumpkin loaf recipe is dairy-free and delicious, the perfect fall treat. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp nutmeg 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbs maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 tbs pumpkin seeds + 2 tbs chopped walnuts to garnish (optional) 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the spelt, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla and maple syrup and mix until smooth (you may want to use a whisk for this part). Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until well combined and top with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and walnuts - if using. Pour your batter into a lightly oiled loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes until cooked through.

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5824670/