Pumpkin Bread (Egg-Free)

This is my father-in-law’s scrumptious pumpkin bread recipe, revamped to both cut down a bit on the sugar and to make it egg-free so Miss Em can enjoy it.  Something tells me he won’t mind.

I make this so often in the fall, I think I’ve set some records.  Three measuring cups, two measuring spoons, one bowl, and under five minutes prep…it’s ready to go.

Cue the giant smile on my husband’s face when he smells this in the oven.

It’s an easy one-bowl and done quick bread and even though it’s egg-free, it’s incredibly moist and fluffy.  So moist, in fact, that it’s almost impossible to over-bake it and dry it out.  My husband is always worried that I’ve over-baked the bread, as he insists on a gooey middle, but it comes out perfect every time.

We eat it for breakfast.

We eat it for dessert.

We give it away as gifts.

We even tried using it to make french toast on one occasion.  One piece each and we were done. So rich.

That deep golden orange color, that spicy smell that fills your house as it bakes…oh, yes, we love this bread.  And with fall in full swing and the trees looking ever-s0-pretty here in the city, we can’t get enough pumpkin and this pumpkin bread in particular.

Little Hands Can…

• Measure all wet and dry ingredients
• Whisk ingredients together

On the Side

“Now I know my ABCs…” is a favorite song these days in our house.  With this recipe, we’re focusing on the alphabet and more specifically, alphabetizing.  Alphabetizing is an essential skill that is important for executive functioning and even improves memory.  Putting items in “ABC order” helps us organize words in a meaningful way.  And when we organize or sequence items, that information is easier to access in our memory later on.

While your pumpkin bread is baking, try out this alphabetizing activity.

• Review the alphabet with your child.  Many children will know the alphabet song.
• Create a visual alphabet. You could write it out on a piece of paper, tape a long piece of masking tape to your counter and write it out on the tape, or use Scrabble tiles, letter magnets, stamps, or other letter tools you may have, to display the alphabet.  (For really young children, like those of Em’s age, this may be as far as you get, and that’s okay!)
• Show them the labels on all of the recipe ingredients and have them identify the first letter in each ingredient.  You can also look at the recipe.
• Now, let’s see if we can organize these words using the alphabet.

Here are the rules for basic alphabetizing:

1. Look at the first letter of the word to put the words into ABC order.  Your child can physically move the ingredient to it’s order on your visual alphabet or you can write the names of the ingredients down on a list in order.
2. When you have two or more words with the same first letter, check the second letter.  The word with the second letter that comes first in the alphabet goes first in order (ex. ball, bus).
3. Repeat this process for the third letter if the second letters are the same as well (ex. ball, bat, bus)

Older children may be able to alphabetize the entire list of ingredients.  Younger children may be able to talk about the alphabet, help you put the letters in order, and perhaps identify the first letter of each ingredient name.  With Em, I focused on A, B and C.  We looked at the ingredients with those letters and I asked her to point to which letter magnet matched the first letter of the ingredient name.

Wherever your child takes this activity is appropriate for them at that time.

(Answer Key: allspice, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, flour, oil, pumpkin, salt, sugar, water, yogurt)

Disclaimer: As with all of our recipes, my suggestions for how kids can help with a particular recipe are based on what has worked in our kitchen.  Your child may be able to help more or less based on their age and/or ability.