Protein Breakfast Bread (Gluten-free)

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If you're like me, you often crave something sweet and starchy with your warm cup of coffee/tea in the morning, especially in winter.  But if you're following a Paleo diet, this can be challenging as you know a high-protein breakfast is going to serve you best.  From 6 months of tinkering and experimenting in Covid lockdown, I've come up with a protein-packed pumpkin bread recipe that I think checks all the boxes; starchy, sweet, high-protein, paleo-friendly, grain free, gluten free, delicious... oh and super easy to make!   

• 1.5 Cups Protein Flour (Almond, Coconut)

       my favorite is Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour

• 2-3 Scoops Protein Powder

       my favorite is Designs for Health Pure Paleo Protein

• 1/3 Cup Organic Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar
• Sugar Free Option: Sub Maple Syrup, Monkfruit Sweetener or a 2nd brown banana
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 tsp Clove and/or Nutmeg
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Cups Canned or cooked mashed Pumpkin
• 1/2 Browned Banana
• 1/3 Cup Olive or Coconut Oil (liquified)
• 1/4 Cup Water or Almond/Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Unsweetened Pure Vanilla Extract 
• Optional: 1 Cup chopped Walnuts

 
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

All liquid ingredients should be at room temperature, (if your coco oil/milk is too warm it will cook the eggs).  Wisk the eggs together then mix all wet ingredients together including the pumpkin and banana.  Using a mixer on low, blend until smooth.  

In a separate large bowl, wisk all the dry ingredients together.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry, using a mixer on low blend until you have a thick batter.  Add more water if the batter appears very thick.  

Pour batter into a greased brownie pan, square casserole dish, or bread pan.  Bake on 350 degrees 40-50 minutes.  Check the inside of the bread at 40 minutes with a butter knife.  If the knife doesn't come out clean, leave in oven until it does.  (The protein powder listed above will make the bread "stickier" than usual).

The bread keeps up to 5 days on the counter or in the fridge and it freezes well too.  Let me know how it goes and if you suggest any tweeks to the recipe. Wishing you happy and healthy eating!