Persian Spice Pumpkin Bread
Do you have a favorite spice or ingredient? You know – the one you try to work into everything from cookies to a marinade to cocktails? Well that’s cardamom for me. It’s like cinnamon’s pen pal from an exotic land. It brings warmth, spice and smells amazing to whatever you add it to. So when I set out to make an amped up spiced pumpkin bread, I knew some of my beloved cardamom was going right into the mix! That’s as far as the ‘Persian’-ish goes for this recipe – the maple syrup is Canadian and the Pumpkin Pie Spice came from the Indian store. Maybe I should call this United Nations Pumpkin Bread!
Persian Spice Pumpkin Bread
This bread smells amazing, tastes warm and complex and is probably the moistest bread I’ve ever had. Turns out the secret to moist bread or muffins is using oil as your fat instead of butter! Most recipes call for a full cup of oil, but I replaced 1/4 of the oil with maple syrup and it came out fantastic.
Persian Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
The other great thing about this recipe is that it’s super versatile. Use your favorite spices or even turn them into muffins (it makes 24 muffins – bake for about 20-25 minutes). I added 1/2 cup of chocolate chips because… chocolate. Make sure you eat one straight from the oven. It’s the only way.
Persian Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 3 cups of all purpose flour
- 3 cups white sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup of maple syrup
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- Butter and flour 2 loaf pans or 1 loaf plan and a muffin tin and preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Add the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, water, maple syrup, eggs to a stand mixer and mix until combined.
- Sift the flour into a separate bowl and mix in the pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, salt and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until it all comes together.
- Pour the batter into the pans.
- Bake the loaf for about 60-70 minutes - until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
United Nations pumpkin bread – love it! Looks really moist. I’m setting this one aside for a brunch menu during Thanksgiving weekend.
Thanks Elizabeth 🙂 It was a subtle play to my new neighborhood as well – I can see the UN from my apartment! 🙂
Ahu, this looks so amazing! Love the combination of flavors! Maple syrup, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice! So appropriate for the season! Pinned!
Thanks Julia – appreciate the pin! 😀
Pumpkin bread is one of my faves and this looks awesome!! Your bread is like a Benetton ad with all those nations involved.
I try! Thank you!
Cardamom: It’s like cinnamon’s pen pal from an exotic land. love that! Great description.
The bread looks really MOIST! 3 cups of sugar??? Really?
Angie – I know, it seems shocking, but this recipe makes a lot of batter. It’s really a double recipe. It makes two loafs!
Great recipe and pictures! I wonder if you have heard this:
America’s a dandy place:
The people are all brothers:
And when one’s got a punkin pye,
He shares it with the others.
Happy Halloween, Ahu!!
WHG
Hahha united nations bread! Love it!! This is just too good looking 🙂
It’s cardamom for me too! It works equally well in sweet or savory. Plus I love the way it lingers in your nose. That sounds weird, but it’s true. GREG
That is awesome! I need to try it in more savory dishes. Thanks Greg!
While this may be Persian-ish, there is no “ish” on the deliciousness! Can’t wait to try this! (Without the chocolate chips, though… Mark would never stand for that!)
Hahaha good one! Love a good food pun 🙂
I love baking with spices, but I’ve never baked with cardamom before. Love pumpkin bread and this looks super moist and comforting!
I don’t use cardamom as often as I should…love this pumpkin bread!
What a great spice to work into everything! This must smell amazing as it bakes. I can’t decide which I want to taste first, the bread or a muffin with chocolate chips!
It smells great! Well since the recipe makes a double batch of batter – you can hit two birds with one stone 🙂
My favorite spice is allspice. I have never actually tried cardamom! This looks like the perfect bread 🙂
Perfect pairing with your Yam soup.
This is one of my favorite sweet bread recipes, and I definitely add the chocolate chips. I have a loaf in the oven right now, and this time I put pepitas on top! I’m going to make French toast out of it for breakfast tomorrow, so it will be even more international!!