Healthier Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

We updated this great old Maine recipe to be healthier by using white whole wheat flour, less sugar, and butter instead of oil. We also added pumpkin seeds and raisins. It’s still moist and spicy, and wonderful for healthy holiday gift giving as bread or muffins!

Original recipe makes 3 7×3-inch loaf pans

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon raw sugar for sprinkling on top

  • PREP

    15 mins

  • COOK

    50 mins

  • READY IN

    1 hr 5 mins

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3-inch loaf pans.
  2. Mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, buttermilk, and brown sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a small bowl. Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just blended. Gently stir in raisins and pumpkin seeds. Pour into prepared pans or muffin cups. Lightly sprinkle tops with raw sugar.
  3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean; about 50 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 209 kcal
Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
Cholesterol: 46 mg
Fat: 7 g
Fiber: 2.3 g
Protein: 5.1 g
Sodium: 328 mg