This pumpkin loaf is everything you want in a fall treat. Packed with pumpkin flavor, sweetened with just maple syrup, tahini and brown butter for some depth. The loaf itself is moist and addicting, and the maple brown butter cream cheese frosting on top makes this dish a true winner.
It’s no secret that I love to bake. Recently I’ve been especially interested in concocting desserts without refined sugar. Sure, alternatives such as pure grade A maple syrup or honey still contain sugar. But they still feel healthier than regular white cane sugar, and are definitely more natural. So here we are! Pumpkin loaf sweetened with just maple syrup. (Note: make sure to use Grade A, pure maple syrup!)
Pumpkin loaves are my favorite way to prepare this staple fall ingredient and we do not shy away from the pumpkin pie spice here!Topped with a cream cheese frosting? Nothing better.
I love to play along with the flavor of pumpkin, by adding maple and brown butter for extra richness and depth.
Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions
I’ve found that tahini can replace some butters and oils, also providing more depth. In a pinch you can replace the ¼ cup of tahini with ¼ cup of butter or neutral oil.
The pure maple syrup cannot be substituted by the processed stuff. I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but the texture is different and I don’t think it would work well. Honey or date syrup would be a better replacement.
📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Maple Tahini Pumpkin Bread (No Refined Sugar!)
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup grade A maple syrup 340g
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter browned
- ¼ cup tahini 60g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 15 oz canned pumpkin puree
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon cups all-purpose flour 265g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup grade A maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter browned
- Optional: salted or candied pecans or pumpkin granola to top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Brown the butter: add the 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a pan on medium heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, start stirring occasionally. Take off the heat as soon as the sizzling stops and you see dark dark bits form at the bottom. Remove from heat. Set aside 1 tablespoon of browned butter for the frosting.
- For the loaf: add the remaining 4 tablespoons of brown butter, 1 cup maple syrup, tahini, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin puree into a large bowl. Whisk until combined.
- To the bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix the dry ingredients together on the top of the batter before stirring it all together.
- Add the dough to the loaf pan and bake for 55-70 minutes. Check every 5 minutes if not done at 55 by inserting a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, its done!
- For the frosting: mix the room temperature cream cheese, the maple syrup, and the tablespoon of browned butter until combined. If using a hand whisk this will take about 2mins.
- When the loaf has cooled, top it with the frosting and optional pecans. Enjoy!
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Brown the butter: add the 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a pan on medium heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, start stirring occasionally. Take off the heat as soon as the sizzling stops and you see dark dark bits form at the bottom. Remove from heat. Set aside 1 tablespoon of browned butter for the frosting.
- For the loaf: add the remaining 4 tablespoons of brown butter, 1 cup maple syrup, tahini, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin puree into a large bowl. Mix until combined.
- To the bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix the dry ingredients together on the top of the batter before stirring it all together.
- Add the dough to the loaf pan and bake for 55-70 minutes. Check every 5 minutes if not done at 55 by inserting a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, its done!
- For the frosting: mix the room temperature cream cheese, the maple syrup, and the tablespoon of browned butter until combined. If using a hand whisk this will take about 2mins.
- When the loaf has cooled, top it with the frosting and optional pecans
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