Spiced Carrot Bread

I haven’t posted a recipe up in a while… and it is not because I haven’t been cooking, but because I have lacked the time. Also, many recipes I have made lately were just slight modifications from my favourite blog Ambitious Kitchen. I always like to get creative with ingredients and add or switch a thing or two here and there.

Even if summer is approaching here in Peru, it’s as if my seasonal cravings are slightly confused this year: all I want is coffee, hot chocolate, spicy gingerbread, and squash. So yesterday afternoon, in between editing and translating, I decided to make, yet another, bread. I didn’t have any bananas and my pumpkin was too frozen: so I started grating the carrots.

I always thought my mom made the best carrot cake in the world, it was almost always my birthday cake request as a kid. I didn’t want to make a whole cake, and did not have all the ingredients, but we could say that her cake was my inspiration for this bread.

I was unsure when I put it in the oven, the texture seemed too thick, but I ended up with a fluffly, spicy, delicious bread that I am really trying not to devour on my own.

So here it goes:

Spiced Carrot Bread

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
• ¾ teaspoon nutmeg (or more)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg (for vegans: 1tbsp ground flaxseed with 3tbsp water)
• 4 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (for vegans: replace with apple sauce or banana)
• ½ cup unprocessed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup chopped pecans + extra for the top
• ¼ cup raisins

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat your oven at 350F or 176C. Then , line your bread mold with a parchment paper or with pam oil or with a combination of coconut oil+ flour.
2. In a small bowl, combine your flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Beat your egg with the brown sugar. Then add the greek yogurt, vanilla, and oil. Mix in the carrots, shredded coconut, pecans, and raisins.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well.
5. Pour into your mold
6. Cook for approximately 50minutes, or until a toothpick comes out try.
7. Cool before unmolding.
8. Optional: add your favorite glaze or icing, like my ginger icing recipe here.