Pumpkin Oat Loaf

Words by Jo Hodson

Every Halloween we throw away a scary amount of nutritious and delicious pumpkin flesh leftover from carving out our creations. Here Jo Hodson gives you an idea for a recipe to put all your pumpkin innards to use.

I originally used the flesh from a Halloween pumpkin for this loaf, but since then I’ve also made it with canned pumpkin- so take your pick! Squash or even sweet potato would also likely work (but don’t quote me on that).

This loaf is moist and dense. Don't go looking for a light and fluffy afternoon tea cake, here you've got a robust and autumnal, gently sweet, slab of goodness. Perfect to spread some nut butter or smush a banana onto.

Eat it for breakfast, brunch, afternoon snack, halfway up a mountain… yeah, you get it the idea.

Recipe: Pumpkin Oat Loaf

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 heaped cups oat flour (I used ground up oats)

1 ½ cup scooped out pumpkin flesh- packed (approx. 1 cup puree)

½ cup chopped dates

½ chopped nuts or seeds of choice

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp flax

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp vanilla powder

Optional- pumpkin seeds or cacao nibs on top.

Method:

Blend the pumpkin, dates, spices and syrup together in a food processor until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl and add the dry ingredients. mix through well.

Taste test for sweetness, and if desired add a spoon or two of unrefined sugar (such as coconut sugar), adding extra syrup may make the batter too wet. It should be thick and loosely dollop of the spoon.

Spoon the mixture into a small loaf pan pie dish and sprinkle with toppings if desired.

Bake at 180C for approx 50 minutes, loosely covering the top with foil for the final 15-20 minutes when the top looks golden.

Best serve warm with smushed banana or a slather of nut butter. But cold is also good for a road trip! Tastes good stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Jo is the health and mindset coach who works with the ‘square pegs’ trying to force themselves into ‘round holes’. Her passion was born from a personal journey of plant-based nutrition being the gateway to stepping away from convention and conformity into a deeper connection with her true sense of self. When she’s not whipping up incredible dishes in the kitchen, you can find her sharing her recipes and words of wisdom over at www.includingcake.com and on Instagram @johodson

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