Pumpkin Tahini Date And Nut Bread
Updated Oct 16th 2021
This tasty tahini pumpkin bread is moist, sweet, and perfectly nutty, and with just the right amount of pumpkin spice. It’s loaded with nuts and dates and topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. This pumpkin bread recipe was given to me by a friend and I have been waiting until the fall season to try it and share it. I modified it to suite my taste. And I wanted to turn it into a date and nut tahini one so I’m so happy it turned out so well. I reduced the amount of sugar and removed the chocolate chips and raisins too. I also use coconut oil and coconut sugar in the bread whenever I make it but a neutral vegetable oil and brown sugar are perfeclty fine in this recipe too. I haven’t yet tried it with flax eggs but I am sure this would be a fabulous vegan recipe if you swapped out the 2 eggs for flax eggs. Checkout the recipe notes below for more substitutions or add ins.
The pumpkin makes this the ultimate moist bread and the tahini paste although just 3 tablespoons, flavours the entire bread beautifully. I am a lover of tahini or sesame paste so if you are too, you will love this bread. I actually shared this with some who had never had tahini and they loved it, so if you’re not too sure about it, go ahead and give it a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.
I like to use my own homemade pumpkin purée which is super simple to whip up in this recipe and so many others. I make my own when I can instead of getting it in a can because it’s got no additives, preservatives, tastes a lot better, and is way way way cheaper in Trinidad to make it then to buy it canned. I usually make a huge batch and measure it out in cups and I freeze it so I always have some on hand for soup, this bread, muffins and whatever else I want to add it in. We love this bread just as it is but also toasted with more tahini over it! Hope you give it a try!
Why You’ll Love this Pumpkin Tahini Bread Recipe
- Delicious in the fall
- Smells wonderful while it bakes
- Easy to make
- Using a mixer is optional
- Extra moist
- Tons of pumpkin flavor
- Loaded with fall spices
- Studded with nuts and pitted dates for extra texture and sweetness
- Similar to banana bread, it tastes even better on day 2
If you like this recipe you will love these:
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée, canned or homemade (see below for homemade recipe)
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- ½ cup of coconut oil or any neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pitted dates
- ½ cup chopped nuts (I used a mixture of pecans and walnuts)
- ¼ cup pepitas for topping (optional)
- 1 tablespoons sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt; set aside.
- With an electric mixer or a hand whisk mix the pumpkin purée and sugar together until fully incorprated and smooth.
- Add the oil, tahini, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until incorporated.
- Fold in the nuts, and the dates with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.
- Sprinkle bread with pumpkin and sesame seeds (optional)
- Bake for approx 1 hour, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Homemade Pumpkin Purée
Ingredients
- 1 whole pumpkin 4-6 lbs or cut pumpkin pieces
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper
- Slice pumpkin open and scoop out the seeds and fibers (reserve seeds for roasting or something else at another time) and cut up into 1-½ inch square pieces removing the skin
- Arrange the pieces on baking sheet or sheets and sprinkle with salt and then roast them for 20-40 minutes until fork or knife can easily be inserted
- Let sheet cool on cooling rack until you pumpkin can be handled and then transfer it all to a food processor and process until the flesh is smooth. Store in the fridge for up to one week and freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes:
- Tahini and pumkin are fabulous together but if you prefer something different; almond butter, peanut butter or any seed butter will work too
- Make Ahead Tip: Baked bread can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Spices: You can use 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Be sure to still add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in addition to pumpkin pie spice.
- Pumpkin Muffins: This recipe makes 15-18 incredible pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes at the same oven temperature.
- This bread can easily be made gluten free by using a good quality gluten free all purpose flour in place of the all purpose flour
- If you prefer a nut free and date free bread this loaf bakes up beautifully without all the add ins - you could easily replace them with chocolate chips instead
- You can also cut the whole pumpkin in half and roast pieces whole but this takes longer to roast and more work to scrape off the flesh from the skin after. I do both and result is the same it just depends on how much time I have on hand and how lazy I am to chop and peel the pumpkin.
- you can also boil the pumpkin in water until softened and water evaporates but I prefer roasting it because it develops a unique sweetness and a nuttiness as well
