Anti-Inflammatory Pumpkin Banana Bread Makes 12 rounds or 12 muffins Ingredients: Spice Blend (makes 1 cup) 6 tablespoons ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons ground ginger 2 tablespoons turmeric 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Caramelized Base 1/2 cup grass-fed unsalted butter 3/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (anti-inflammatory) Dry Mix 2 cups almond flour 1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal, finely ground 3 tablespoons psyllium husk, finely ground 1/4 cup coconut flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon spice blend (from above)* Remaining Wet Ingredients 4 eggs 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée** 3 teaspoons banana extract (not artificial) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Optional Add-ins Walnuts (anti-inflammatory) *** 1 ripe banana, sliced in half lengthwise for topping * I love spice, so I add 2 tbsp of pumpkin spice. ** If you cannot find unsweetened pumpkin, use baked butternut squash. Do not resort to buying sweetened pumpkin pie filling. It defeats the purpose of this recipe. *** You can fold walnuts into the batter and/or sprinkle them on top. Or substitute pecans. Food & Drink Instructions 1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8.5×4.5” or 5×9” loaf pan. 2. Make spice blend: Whisk together all spice blend ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 3. Caramelize butter and sweetener: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter completely. Add monk fruit sweetener and whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant and slightly deeper in colour. The mixture should bubble gently and develop a nutty, caramel-like aroma. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. 4. Mix dry ingredients: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Set aside. 5. Mix wet ingredients: Beat eggs for 2-3 minutes until light. Slowly pour eggs into the warm (not hot) butter mixture while continuing to stir. Add pumpkin purée, banana extract, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar. Mix until well combined. 6. Add: dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix together. 7. Combine: Fold in nuts (if desired). 8. Bake: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan lined with parchment (or use silicone loaf pan) and smooth the top. Place banana halves cut-side down on top of the batter. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. 9. Bake for 30 minutes: Cover bread with foil and bake another 20 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean. 10. Cool: Let rest for 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing for best texture. Notes • The caramelized butter-sweetener mixture will add deeper, more complex flavours reminiscent of brown sugar. • Make sure that the caramelized mixture has cooled slightly before adding to eggs to prevent scrambling. • The gentle cooking process helps to develop the nutty, caramel notes even with monk fruit sweetener. Beer & Wine Suggestion: Once cooled, I enjoyed a slice of Anti-Inflammatory Pumpkin Banana Bread with a glass of non-alcoholic beer (zero sugar). The beer’s delicious bitterness nicely offset the sweetness of the bread, while also complementing the pumpkin spice. Perfect match! As for wine? This sweet-tasting bread demands a white wine with some sweetness. But, since we are on an anti-inflammatory journey, let’s choose a dry wine and add a pinch of monk fruit sweetener to the glass! Yes, you can create an off-dry wine by adding a pinch! Choose a bone-dry Canadian Riesling singing with bright acidity and add a pinch of sweetener to the glass. Mix well. Taste your wine creation against a bite of the bread and decide if it needs more sweetness. Remember, the wine needs to be sweeter than the bread. Otherwise, the sweetness in the bread will make the wine’s lovely acidity taste like paint thinner. CSANews | FALL 2025 | 53
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