A slightly sweet quick bread loaded with good for you functional ingredients including pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, nuts, and seeds and dried super fruits. Gluten-free, paleo, and sugar-free. A perfectly healthy and delicious way to start your day.
(Note: I received free product from the folks over at Steviva to make this recipe, as always the opinions are my own)
Raise your hand if you think an insanely delicious (and yet crazy good for you) baked good is the perfect way to start your day. ????
I just used insane and crazy in the same sentence.
This bread has everything mornings should be made of; nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, carrots, zucchini, and pumpkin. Vegetables, fruit, protein, and good fat. Zero sugar, paleo friendly, grain free, gluten free, and dairy free. It's almost hard to believe that this morning glory quick bread is all that, but it is. It's an express ticket to yum town, and I don't even care how corny that sounds.
I love when plants really rise to the occasion and prove that they are perfectly suited for every meal of the day. They can and ARE the star of the show. Carrots, zucchini, and pumpkin perfectly paired with nuts, seeds and dried fruit. All plants. All. The. Time.
Hey plants, I think you are just the best!
I tried a new product in this quick bread, a monk fruit sweetener combined with a little bit of stevia and erythritol called Monk Sweet by Steviva Brands. I have received some requests for zero sugar baked goods recently so when the friendly folk over at Steviva offered to send me some of their products to try out I was eager to get my test kitchen apron on and get to work.
Monk fruit is a natural sweetener coming from, you guessed it, fruit. The monk fruit to be exact. Monk fruit is a small green gourd that resembles a melon and is grown in Southeast Asia. Buddhist Monks in the 13th century were the first to use this fruit, hence the name, “monk” fruit.
Monk fruit contains zero calories and does not impact insulin levels, but it is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar so moderation is a necessity.
Steviva brand Monksweet combines monk fruit with stevia and a sugar alcohol erythritol. I found the blend very sweet (hence using only 2 tsps in this recipe) but I thought the flavor was overall quite good. I don't recommend straight erythritol products to anyone with digestive dysregulation as it passes through the system completely undigested. Since Monksweet is blended with monk fruit and stevia it's easier on the system. This is a great product for anyone on a ketogenic diet or low carbohydrate/no sugar protocol.
My philosophy on natural sweeteners, in general, deserves its own post but here is a quick version; even when using natural sweeteners I recommend paying attention to how sweet you are making your food. A little bit of sweet goes a long way and helps to train our taste buds to want less processed, packaged food and more real food. Alternative sweeteners like Monksweet are a great option for those on specialized protocols or removing all sugar, but still pay attention to how much you are using, 150-200 times sweeter than sugar is a LOT sweeter. Ya know what I mean jelly bean?
Morning glory muffins (what this quick bread is fashioned after) typically contain fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables and lots of them. It may seem like way too many add in's to work, but trust me, it does indeed work. Just patiently stir all the goodness into the almond flour batter until well combined. The batter will be thick. I used pumpkin puree, apple, carrot, zucchini, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pecans, coconut, and goji berries in this recipe but you can basically use any nuts, seeds, fresh or dried fruits that you want. Don't worry about my big list, I honestly just opened up all my little mason jars and started pouring in. I LOVE a recipe that allows for random ingredient creativity!
This bread keeps well in the fridge for up to one week and you can gobble it up in a number of different ways
Ways to Enjoy Morning Glory Quick Bread:
- Top with a generous smear of almond or peanut butter
- Drizzle with melted dark chocolate (oops, maybe more of a dessert now? #sorrynotsorry)
- Cover in big thick blobs of grass-fed butter (my personal favorite)
- Top with coconut yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon (don't knock it till ya try it!)
- Top with seasonal pumpkin butter and additional pumpkin seeds
No matter how you choose to top (or not) I know you will love this morning glory quick bread and make it over and over again.
Morning Glory Quick Bread
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Monk Sweet or an alternative sweetener
Wet
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
Add In
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini squeezed to remove excess liquid
- 1/2 cup chopped apple skin removed
- 1 cup nuts and seeds I used 1/4 cup each of pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup dried fruit I used goji berries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Prepare a bread pan by rubbing lightly with coconut oil and lining with parchment paper that hangs over the edge (to allow for easier removal of the bread from the pan)
- In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl whisk together wet ingredients
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients mixing well to combine
- Fold in all add in's and stir well to combine. It will be a thick mixture
- Pour batter into prepared bread pan and smooth the top to make sure it is evenly distributed in pan
- Place in a 350° oven with a loosely tented piece of tin foil over top to avoid burning.
- Bake for one hour.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool completely and store in the refrigerator. Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf when you are ready to enjoy
Notes
Ways to Enjoy Morning Glory Quick Bread:
- Top with a generous smear of almond or peanut butter
- Drizzle with melted dark chocolate (oops, maybe more of a dessert now? #sorrynotsorry)
- Cover in big thick blobs of grass-fed butter (my personal favorite)
- Top with coconut yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon (don’t knock it till ya try it!)
- Top with seasonal pumpkin butter and additional pumpkin seeds
Nutrition
Steviva Product Info:
The folks over at Steviva offers a line of natural sweeteners including the Monksweet that I used in this recipe.
Website: https://www.steviva.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steviva
Twitter: https://twitter.com/steviva
Instagram: https://www.instagam.com/stevivabrands/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stevivabrands/
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