Pumpkin Chai Bread with Maple Glaze
Delicious, seasonal and fast! With teenagers who seem to love anything with chai, I made a fun twist on a traditional bread. This loaf lasts only minutes in our house. Fantastic served warm and great the next day, too! Easily gluten free so everyone can enjoy.
Makes 4 mini loaves or 1 large loaf
Ingredients:
⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg, room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup flour (I used gluten free blend)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp chai tea (I use a chai tea bag and cut open, measuring out only what I need)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Glaze:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Spray parchment with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, tea, and spices). Note, make sure your chai tea spice isn’t too coarse. If it is, a quick pulse in a mini food processor would be a good step to add.
In another medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, oil, yogurt and vanilla) until smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or using electric beaters, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add in 1 egg and a time and mix until smooth.
Turn the mixer to low speed. Alternating dry and wet mixtures, add ½ of each in at a time and allow to just incorporate before adding the next. Stop the mixer when all of the ingredients just come together, being careful not to overmix. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.
Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out with few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove by lifting the parchment overhang and continue to cool.
While loaf is cooling, prepare glaze by whisking powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla in a bowl until there are no lumps. It should be pretty thick, but pourable.
Drizzle glaze over cooled loaves and serve. Note, if not eating all at once, only drizzle glaze over portion you are immediately using. To save, store glaze in an airtight container in the fridge and loaves in airtight container on counter.
