Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
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– raw, vegan, gluten-free –
Whenever I make raw bread, it brings out the “gramma” in me. I am not a mom, let alone a gramma, but I have that gene in me. I LOVE taking pictures of raw bread, so much that I am tempted to create a brag book and carry it in my purse. Haha “Hello Ethel, how are you? How are the kids? Oh, I am fine, thank you. Here let me show some of the latest pictures of my raw grand-bread-babies. Oh, I love this photo; they are leaning to the left, oh-oh, and here, they are leaning to the right.” LOL, I crack myself up.
My favorite part of making this bread is after it has dehydrated at 145 degrees for 1 hour, and I remove the loaf to cut it into slices. That first slice, as the blade glides through the bread and as the slice falls to the side… it always put me into the state of awe, it gives my heart a holiday! I never knew I could get so emotional over a piece of bread.
Now might be a good time to warn you that this bread is not light and fluffy as one might imagine when the word bread pops into your mind. Nor, is it loaded with chemicals, unpronounceable ingredients, gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, or soy. It is heavier in weight and leans toward the denser side of things. It smells warm and inviting.
It is known to cause a full stomach to rumble with hunger and cause drool to weep unknowingly from the corner of your mouth. This is not a bread that you just slap a little jam on and eat unconsciously as you check your emails. No, this bread requires, no, it demands your undivided attention. Quiet your mind, close down your computer, set the table, light a few candles, turn on some soft music, prepare your piece of bread, and savor each bite. Give thanks for its nourishment and enjoy it.
Be sure to try the Maple Pumpkin Butter Spread along with it. A match made in heaven.
Ingredients:
Yields 9” loaf
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup (95 g) rolled, gluten-free oats, soaked & dehydrated
- 3 Tbsp (37 g) flaxseeds, ground
- 3 Tbsp (30 g) raw coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp (8 g) pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp (7 g) Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 cup (65 g) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup (60 g) raw pecans
Wet Ingredients:
Topping:
- 1 tsp (4 g) raw coconut crystals, powdered
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) hot water
- 2 Tbsp (16 g) pecans, crushed for topping
Preparation:
- In the food processor fitted with the “S” blade, place the following ingredients: oats, flax, coconut flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse together until combined. Place the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and add the cranberries and pecans. Set aside.
- If you already have ground flax seeds on hand, you will use 1/3 of a cup.
- In the same food processor bowl, combine nut pulps, pumpkin puree, date paste, maple syrup, honey, and lemon juice. Blend till everything is well incorporated.
- Depending on how dryer moist your almond pulp is, you may need to add water, so the dough sticks together nicely. If you this, add 1 Tbsp at a time.
- If you don’t want to make walnut pulp, you can use more almond pulp in its place.
- Combine both the wet and dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and with your hands, mix all the ingredients together. This helps to keep the batter “fluffy.”
- Shape into a loaf and place on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator.
- If the batter seems too wet for some odd reason, let it rest for about 15-30 minutes so the flax can do its binding action.
- Have fun with the shaping process. Try to visualize what a baked loaf looks like and sculpt the loaf.
- Score the top of the loaf with a knife. I later use these score marks as a guide in slicing my pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the coconut crystals and water, stirring it until it dissolves. With a pastry brush, coat the surface of the bread.
- This will add a pleasant sweetness to the crust.
- It will also give the bread that baked appearance, which is kind of fun.
- Sprinkle the 2 Tbsp of crushed pecan on top and gently press them in a bit.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hour. This will create a crust on the outside.
- Remove from the dehydrator, place the loaf on a cutting board, and slice pieces to the desired thickness. Don’t slice the bread on the mesh; you don’t want to risk cutting it.
- I did mine at about 1 inch thick.
- When slicing the bread at this stage, be sure to use a serrated knife (blade has small teeth, this helps to cut through nice and smooth) Also, see-saw back and forth with downward pressure as you cut the slices. This will prevent the dough from squashing down.
- Return the bread to the mesh sheet laying the pieces flat.
- Decrease the temperature to 115 degrees (F) and continue to dehydrate for 6-10 hours.
- As an indicator, if it is dry enough, touch the center of the bread slices. You don’t want it to be doughy, but you also don’t want the bread to dry out too much.
- Shelf life and storage: My personal recommendation would be to store this bread in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for 3-5 days.
- The more moisture that is left in your bread, the shorter the shelf life. Therefore, shelf life will vary with your drying technique. Whenever I make this bread, it never lasts very long enough to spoil.
- Keep in mind, the whole purpose of eating a raw diet is to eat foods at their peak of freshness, so don’t expect this bread to have a long shelf life.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- Raw Coconut Crystals add a “brown sugar” flavor to a recipe. Read about it (here).
- Dates are a fantastic ingredient for raw food recipes, click (here) to read why.
- Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon? Click (here) to learn why.
- What is Himalayan pink salt, and does it matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
- Are oats gluten-free? Yes, read more about that (here).
- Are oats raw? Yes, they can be found. Click (here) to learn more.
- Do I need to soak and dehydrate oats? Not required but recommended. Click (here) to see why.
- Learn how to grind your own flaxseeds for ultimate freshness and nutrition. Click (here).
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.
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Shaping the loaf…
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Brushing the glaze on top…
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Pressing the nuts on top…
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Getting ready to slide the loaf into the dehydrator for one hour set at 145 degrees (F).
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Remove the loaf after an hour, slice, lay flat on mesh dehydrator tray, and dry for roughly four more hours at 115 degrees (F).
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You can control how moist or dry you want the bread. If you leave more moisture in it, it is more like a cake bread.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar free
WOW ~ going to make this ASAP! Thank you!!!
Good morning Villarosa,
I am pretty positive that you are going to love it! I had a non-raw foodie ask for some to take home to his family after he had 2 slices. hehe
i’m not really sure how you can classify this as truly raw. rolled oats are processed at a very high temperature and steamed/(cooked, in essence). the bread looks delicious, but it’s certainly not made with all raw ingredients.
Good morning Lisa,
You can order raw oats…
http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/organic-oats-raw-fresh-rolled-1-lb.html “100% Organic Fresh rolled oats. These oats are cold rolled in small batches using special equipment to retain nutrients and flavor. You can make great raw oat cookies, especially pleasing in colder weather and as holidays treats. Very suitable to serve to cooked foodists.”
http://www.naturalzing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=386 “100% Organic Fresh rolled oats. These oats are cold rolled in small batches using special equipment to retain flavor. You can make great raw oat cookies, especially pleasing in colder weather and as holidays treats. Very suitable to serve to cooked foodists”
This looks INSANE!!! It looks like “real” pumpkin bread! How amazing! I am making this for Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend for my own special treat. Do you think brazil nut or hazlenut pulp would work just as well for the almonds? I am allergic to almonds but can have pretty much any other nut – just wondering the best flavor combination for the bread. I can’t wait to try this thank you!
Good morning Christine,
Being a person who hasn’t had glutenous bread for 5 years now… this bread is INSANELY good. hehe It will be perfect for your gathering this weekend! I am sorry to hear about your nut allergies, they are becoming so common. I think substituting the almonds with either Brazil or hazelnuts will be just fine. Because it is the pulp, it imparts a small part of the flavor profile…
Brazil nuts are earthy tasting and so good for you! They have about 2,500 times as much selenium as any other nut. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant which has been proven to protect against heart disease and cancers. They are high in fat so make sure that they are nice and fresh. Much like the macadamia nut, they can be prone to going rancid if not handled and stored properly.
Hazelnuts are also known as filberts… they work as a sub for almonds just fine. Again, make sure they are fresh and don’t have a funny odor to them. If they have a lot of that brown “skin” around them try to get as much as that off as possible because it can make them taste a bit bitter.
Have fun with it Christine and let me know how it turns out…blessings on your Canadian Thanksgiving! amie sue
Hi there – this looks DELICIOUS…but I don’t have a food dehydrator…any chance there’s a way of doing this in an oven?
Hi Laura,
Were there is a will, there is often a way. :) But with that being said… I am not sure of what the outcome would be. I haven’t tried it. It won’t be raw if you do but not sure if that is a goal of yours or not. I can only recommend that you give it a try and if you do, please keep me informed how it turns out. Blessings, amie sue
hmmm….I had wondered if it would work if I put it in the oven at the same temp… I really don’t know anything about doing this as I am *brand new* to raw eating….not even necessarily going raw 100% but wanting to do more.
Good morning Laura… does your oven get as low as 105-115 degrees (F)? I know that some people who don’t have dehydrators will use their oven. Then set the temp on the lowest setting and keep the door ajar. But it is very hard to regulate the temp to make sure that the food stays “raw”. Dehydrators are a wonderful tool to have in the kitchen… raw or not. It is worth the invest as the pocketbook allows. I have often found them on Craigslist for a fraction of the price so keep that in mind. Good luck and do keep in touch. amie sue
Holy wowza-ness…I’m in love! Just found your site thru Fragrant Vanilla and I am so making this…glimpsed quickly at your most recents AND I see glorious pumpkin ga-lore <3
Glad that you are enjoying the site Robyn. :) What is “Fragrant Vanilla”? I hope you love the bread as much as I do…!! amie sue
Good morning! Hopefully I’m not leaving too many comments here…*cue bashful face*… You’re right – my oven only goes as low as 170! Ok, so there seems to be a very wide price range for dehydrators out there. What would be a reasonable amount to expect spend on a decent one? I should let Santa know.
Good morning to you as well Laura. You can never leave to many comments. That is why I am here. :) When it comes to dehydrators, I HIGhLY, recommend the Excalibur. I will post a link below to the one I swear by. You are right, there is a wide range of prices for dehydrators but this is an important tool when it comes to making raw foods and spending a little bit more is well worth it. I have had the inexpensive ones that cost $60-$100 dollars and they have come and gone. I have been using the Excaliburs for 5 years now and they still run perfectly and I have bought 3 others as gifts for loved ones… so that alone is a testimony of how much I love them.
They run $299 and again are well worth every penny. They have 9 large trays that are square which are wonderful for spreading out crackers, etc. The air flows from the back of the machine rather than from the top or bottom, like the cheaper machines. This allows the air to evenly blow over the trays and you don’t have to rotate them. The model I listed has a timer too which is wonderful if you have to be away from the house and you don’t want your food to over-dry, etc. If $299 is to hard on the budget, I recommend watching Craigslist, if you live in the states that is. I have bought several for 1/2 the prices (not with timers though) for friends.
I personally have two that I use constantly. Read more on them if I haven’t convinced you. hehe Print out the info for Santa. ;)
I hope this was helpful Laura…. Have a great day, amie sue
http://astore.amazon.com/nouraw-20/detail/B008OV4FD0
https://nouveauraw.com/raw-techniques/dehydration-2/
This is the best raw bread recipe I have made so far! it is actually amazing, congratulations! Keep posting your recipes this is my favourite site, new recipes make my day each week :)
Thank you Carley for commenting. I am so glad to there that you enjoyed the bread. :)
Amie-Sue, Getting ready to give this amazing looking and sounding, (which suggesting amazing taste) recipe a try for my meditation students this Saturday. I will be using only almond pulp as I make almond milk several times a week and happen to have it readily available. I will let you know how it turns out. I will also be using dried cherries as this is a favorite and see how it goes also. Stay tuned!!! Thanks for your wonderful site. I have been eating raw for only six months but you make the raw food recipes so easy to understand and use. Thank you! diana
Oh boy, I would love to have ample amounts of nut pulp on hand. I have so many recipes that I want to try but never have enough pulp…:) I hope it all goes well and that is it well received, I can’t wait to hear about it. Blessings! amie sue
Hi Amie Sue, I’d love to try this recipe as I too have been off of gluten bread for 3+ years and honestly, it makes me a bit of a grouch sometimes. The thing is I am also unable to eat the protein in oats, avenin? It took a while to narrow that down since g/f oats were hard to find. One day I may have some tests done to confirm, but I am also one of those rare celiac negative people who have severe reactions to gluten. Would you have any recommendation for subbing for the oats? Buckwheat and me only get along in small doses, so I’d rather not use it as a base here. I’ m fine w/ nuts as long as pre-soaked. I tolerate quinoa, brown rice and millet. Custom order bread! I hope you don’t mind my asking but I consider you a tremendous resource.
All the best!
Naomi
Hi Naomi… heading to an appt. so I will respond when I get back this afternoon if that isn’t to late… Just wanted you to know that I will be thinking on the best suggestions for you and will be back… :)
Ok, I am back home now Naomi… I so identify with the “gluten-grumpies!” lol I am passed that now, but I fought them for several years. Sorry, yet glad to hear about your discovery in eating oats. Sorry that you can’t have them yet thankful you were able to do the detective work to figure out what was causing you issues. That is 1/2 the battle! For the bread I would simply replace the oats with more nut pulp! The nut pulp offers a great texture and will work just fine and dandy. No need to dehydrate the nut pulp for this recipe either. :) Or, you could 1 cup of dehydrated nut pulp in place of the oats and continue on with the recipe as is.
No sense in adding foods that you half tolerate and run the risk of it upsetting your system. If you are good with nuts… lets go that route. I hope you try it Naomi. Have a blessed New Year! amie sue
You’re so thoughtful. Later will be fine. I’ll check back later. Hope all is well!
Naomi
Hello Amie Sue,
This looks absolutely amazing, but since I have a bunch of sweet potato just wondering if you have you ever tried substituting sweet potato for the pumpkin?
Hello NL…. Sweet potato would work perfectly! amie sue
Would you recommend something to replace the oats with? I would like to try and make this grain free. Thanks!
Hello Gwyneth,
You can try using sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat. Grind it to a flour. You can also try ground nuts… do know that this will change the flavor a bit and possibly the texture of what I created. It is worth a shot… Let me know if you try it. Have a blessed day, amie sue
Hi Amie Sue! I have to pay homage to you and your wonderful site. I would be lost without you. As a raw foodist and a foodie, I thrive on your delicious recipes! I have a question. May I sub Acorn or Butternut squash for the pumpkin? I ask because I have both on my counter looking at me and asking when are we going to nourish you? :)
Good day Rosalyn, thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words. I think either squash would work. I know how demanding “they”can be… taunting us. hehe You can even steam them if you have any issues with them being raw. Have a wonderful day, amie sue