The Fall-Friendly Way To Give Pumpkin Bread A Protein Upgrade

We obsess over pumpkins every fall because they're delicious, and you can put their flavor into (nearly) anything successfully — from warmly spiced muffins to pumpkin hummus. Of course, a quick bread is a classic way to use this classic fall ingredient, and an easy pumpkin bread really only needs two ingredients. While typical recipes include plenty of sugar and other fixings to sweeten it, you can still pack in some extra protein. It's easy to add pumpkin seeds into your bread, which gives it a nutritional boost and a bit of crunch.

Pepitas, a type of pumpkin seed without hulls, are what you should reach for. They contain about 16 grams of protein per ¼ cup, as well as lots of iron, magnesium, and antioxidants. Couple that with the 3 grams of protein per cup of pumpkin puree and 6 grams in each egg, and you've got a sweet treat with a decent protein boost. The seeds can go on top of the bread with some brown sugar sprinkled over them to make a delightful topping, or they can go directly inside the batter for a loaf that has some crunch throughout.

Exactly how many grams of protein you'll be packing into your pumpkin bread depends on how you're incorporating the pepitas. A decorative layer atop the bread looks nice, and it will add some flair to the appearance that's perfect if you're presenting it to guests. If your goal here is to maximize the amount of protein, however, then you might be more interested in adding the seeds into the loaf itself. This will spread the seeds throughout the inside of the bread, and you'll often use more this way. You can easily mix in a cup or more of pepitas, whereas a decorative seed layer on top usually only needs about ¼ cup (unless you're packing them on very tightly).

It's not a requirement to toast the pumpkin seeds before adding them to the batter, but that extra step does make them less chewy and intensifies their sweet, nutty taste. If you have the time, toasting them is a nice enhancement — or you can buy pepitas already toasted. However, using toasted seeds on the outer layer of the bread might cause them to burn. For toppings, raw seeds are a better bet since they'll toast in the heat of the oven. Whichever way you choose to add pepitas to moist, homemade pumpkin bread, you'll end up with a pleasant crunch, deeper taste, and even more protein.