Badass Eats: A dessert bread you can't resist...and don't have to!

Chocolate? Check! Moist Pumpkin? Check! Cinnamon? Check! Healthy? Check! This Chocolate Pumpkin Bread has all of the above, and just so happens to be vegan. I'm not vegan, but you don't have to ask me twice to try a bread that has not just chocolate but pumpkin as its foundation.

My friend Andy sent me the original recipe, which comes from a great blog called Veg (on the) Table. Then I made a few tweaks, subbing half the white flour for wheat and adding in flax seed. I also added walnuts and subbed half the sugar for a Splenda-sugar blend. As a treat, I added in half a cup of dark chocolate-covered raisins. Yum!

This is best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream. Happy Baking!

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water, divided (see note)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• Splenda brown sugar blend, equiv to 1/2 cup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tablespoon flax seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Carob chips to make it fully vegan)
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate covered raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease an 8 inch loaf pan. Boil water in a tea kettle.
2. Put applesauce, oil and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. In separate bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking soda, flax seed and salt.
3. Measure out 1/3 cup boiling water and pour into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, mixing quickly to make a smooth chocolate sauce. Add pumpkin, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
4. Dump about half of the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture and gently stir just to incorporate, then measure out 1 tablespoon of boiling water and stir again. Now add the rest of the flour mixture and another tablespoon of boiling water and stir just until smooth. Take care not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and chocolate covered raisins. The batter will be thick.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top out with a spatula.
6. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour. Stick a steak knife into the center of the loaf to check for doneness. The knife should come out mostly dry.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and place loaf on a cooling rack to cool a bit. Slice and enjoy!