Whole Wheat Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

Last week I lamented the end of summer, and you'll still have to drag me kicking and screaming into decorating for fall. (Its only September 5! Let's not put out the jack-o-lanterns quite yet.)

But I cracked and decided to share a fall recipe today. I really love fall for the flavors and smells, and this quick bread has my favorite flavors from fall - apple and pumpkin! 
And since I actually made this recipe for the first time over the summer, I've actually been saving this recipe for such a day as this. This recipe actually came about by accident. I was going to make some of my favorite applesauce bread, until I discovered I didn't have quite enough applesauce. Rather than open a new jar of applesauce, I pulled out the last half-cup of pumpkin puree I had frozen last fall. With a few tweaks on the spices, Whole Wheat Pumpkin Applesauce Bread was born!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger 
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted (could substitute with melted coconut oil or vegetable oil)
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs

 Directions:

1. Blend together all dry ingredients
2. Stir in the butter, applesauce, pumpkin, and beaten eggs.
3. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans.
4. Bake loaves for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. 
5. Remove bread from pans after 5 minutes, and if you have enough self-control, wait until loaves are completely cool before slicing.

This quick bread can be easily frozen, by wrapping it in plastic wrap and popped into a gallon freezer bag. I usually make four loaves at a time and freeze the extras for later. Since we have four loaf pans, it makes sense to make a extra loaves while the oven is already hot. :)

What is your favorite fall flavor? Do you love pumpkin everything? Or are you more of an apple person? I'd love to hear from you!

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