Orange Pumpkin Loaf with Dates

Are you in the mood for a change instead of making muffins?  Our children love eating muffins.  Depending what is in season, we can be making the same kind of muffin for a long time.  No, we don't get tired of eating zucchini muffins.

We currently have pumpkin purée in our freezer and my first thought was to make muffins.  This past fall we were able to purée pumpkin.  It always feels good to be able to store food for future use.  We needed a change this past week, and so I opted to bake some loaves instead.  I really don't think there is much difference in taste between muffins and loaves, maybe just the shape, maybe one is sweeter than the other.  In the past we've often taken a banana muffin recipe and baked it as a snack cake.  Obviously the baking time may increase if baking a loaf.  I've had this Pumpkin Orange recipe for a while.  I'm sorry I did not write down where it came from.  I have also adapted this recipe to ensure I was incorporating healthier food choices. Including both the pumpkin and the oranges definitely makes this loaf very moist.  I cut down on the sweetener knowing I was going to add the chopped dates.  This can be eaten plain or with a little butter.  The recipe is as follows:


Ingredients
2/3 cups of coconut oil (butter can also be used)
1 ½ cups of honey
4 eggs
2 cups of pumpkin purée
2 oranges, blended/ground
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
1 cup chopped dates

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Cream coconut oil and honey together in a mixer, add the eggs and beat lightly. Add the pumpkin purée and mix once again.
• Peel the oranges, cut and remove any seeds. Place the oranges in a blender or grinder and grind. (If you have organic oranges, the complete oranges including peel can be ground up.) Pour the ground up oranges into batter and mix.
• Combine the dry ingredients including the chopped dates. Stir in batter and mix until well combined.
• Spoon into loaf pans.
• Bake in 350 F degree oven for about one hour. Let stand for ten minutes and then remove from pan.

Makes 2 loaves. If you wish to make only one loaf, simply divide the ingredients into two.

Enjoy!

This recipe was shared with:
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS
Simply Sugar & Gluten Free at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 
Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet