Crock Pot Pumpkin Bread

This was too good not to share. I've never made bread in the crock pot but I LOVE all things pumpkin and found this healthy, mostly whole-wheat, sugar free version that I had to try and I was pleasantly surprised. I can't remember where I found this recipe... Pinterest or a cooking magazine, on-line some place... who knows so I can't give credit where it is due but I cannot take credit because I am no where near clever enough to come up with a recipe like this on my own.

Had to make some pumpkin pie spice before beginning.

This bread was thick and plush, just the way a hearty Autumnal bread should be. We think it would hold chocolate chips in it very well without sinking to the bottom and melting. It would also give it another little shot of sweetness since it isn't as sweet as many other popular pumpkin breads. However it tasted perfect to me. I definitely ate more than one slice.

Pre-baking with the parchment paper out.

Check out my awesome set up with the transformer! Overseas life!

Besides the taste, another reason I'm keen to share this recipe is the brilliance of using the parchment paper! There was essentially not crock pot clean up at the end which can be a pain because we have a small sink and short faucet and the pot itself is heavy. So that was a baking, crock pot WIN! Also with the parchment paper lining the pot, it created a barrier between the heat of the pot and the bread. This made the bottom and side crusts just thick and crisp enough without being burnt and hard. The inside was incredibly moist, something that surprised me as I've experienced many a dry meal from a crock pot.

All done! Just lift it out. Genius!

A beautiful, perfect loaf. The right side there has some nuts in it.

It was difficult to make each slice even since it's a rounded loaf.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Bread
Serves 16

1 1/2 c flour
1 c white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
2/3 c maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 c canola oil*
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)**

1. Scrunch some parchment paper to make it pliable. Push it into the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot, leave excess on sides to lift bread out at the end of baking. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
2. Mix the flours, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, oil and vanilla in another mixing bowl. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add nuts if using.
3. Pour batter into the parchment lined crock pot. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 hours until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the lid and cook another 30 minutes on LOW. (Something to note here: with the excess parchment paper hanging over the edges I wasn't sure if I should close the lid with it inside or outside the pot. I opted to drape them over the sides, cover with the lid and then cover further with a kitchen towel to trap in all the heat since there was a small gap on both sides where the parchment paper did not come outside the pot. Worked great.)
4. Lift out bread using the excess parchment paper on the sides and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Once cool enough to handle, cut into 16 pieces with a sharp knife. Best enjoyed warm.

*I used vegetable oil since I didn't have canola oil. Both have a neutral flavor so I don't think the overall taste was affected by this change.

**I like nuts, my husband does not. I wanted to add some more healthy fats into this bread so after I poured in the batter, I chopped about 1/4 c of pecans and added them to a small section of the bread and gently mixed it in by hand. They did not cross contaminate the bread and tasted delicious.

Being enjoyed by the babe.