Apple Pumpkin Spice Bread with Caramel Sauce

Oh, delicious "SOMETIMES" treats! Key word: SOMETIMES.

Apple and Pumpkin do not have to be mutually exclusive Fall flavors. Combined, they pack a huge Autumnal punch!

I love pumpkin as much as the next person. I also love apples. Growing up, I remember fondly school and family trips to the apple orchard to pick apples, enjoy cider and yes, even chow down on those caramel apples! Apples say "Fall" to me just as much as pumpkin. I wanted to combine the two flavors, but didn't see any sweet Paleo recipes that did that, so I set out to make my own!

Three trials later, I think I have finally nailed the recipe for this bread. It is the moistest Paleo bread I have ever eaten. And the caramel sauce is the first I've had to rival that of the refined sugar world. The bread is delicious on it's own--but CARAMEL! I mean, why not?

I will be the first to say that the caramel sauce will take time and patience. There are quicker recipes out there, but the flavor and texture will not be as authentic. Keep in mind, it is difficult to get a Paleo caramel sauce that gets as thick as traditional while keeping true to the flavor, so this is a sauce and will be a bit runnier--especially when heated. But, my goal here was authentic flavor. 

Apple Pumpkin Spice Bread

Ingredients:

5 eggs separated
2 Granny Smith apples peeled and grated
1 c pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
1/2 c pure maple syrup
3/4 c coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt (fine)
1 & 1/2 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Separate eggs putting whites into a bowl in the refrigerator (I find they whip up better if cold--especially in warmer climates). To the yolks add apple, pumpkin, & maple syrup. Mix well. Sift together & add remaining dry ingredients. Mix well. I prefer using a wooden spoon or spatula to mix as this portion of the batter is thick.

Remove egg whites from the fridge and with an electric mixer on high whip until stiff peaks form. Add thick batter to the egg whites and gently fold together until whites & batter are completely blended. It is important that you take your time with this.

Oil & flour a bread pan (I use coconut oil & coconut flour). Pour in batter & spread evenly in the pan. Place in the oven and cook for 45-55 minutes. Mine cooks for 45 minutes exactly. Remove and allow to cool in the pan before removing. This bread is moist, so you must let it cool quite a bit before removing. Or, if you get impatient like me, just eat it right out of the bread pan!

To remove, gently run a butter knife around the edges between the bread & the pan to make sure it separates easily. Gently tip the pan over allowing bread to rest in your hand.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c coconut sugar
3/4 c water
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 Tbs ghee (or grass fed butter, I prefer OMGhee's brand)

*Note: Ghee/butter is optional if you are dairy sensitive or choose not to consume dairy, however the sauce may be a bit runnier when at room temp or cold.

Directions:

In a medium non-stick sauce pan over med-low heat stir together water and coconut sugar. Stir continually until mixture begins to bubble. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to bubble for 15 minutes. RESIST THE URGE TO STIR! The mixture will thicken which is what you want.

Meanwhile, heat up the coconut milk (I do this in the microwave, but you can also do it on the stove-top). Heating the milk before adding to the the sugar/water mixture is not entirely necessary, however it will speed the process up significantly.

After the water/sugar mixture has bubbled for 15 minutes add the hot coconut milk while stirring. The sugar/water mixture might clump a bit, but that is ok. As it continues to heat up & as you stir, any clumps will melt down. Continue stirring until caramel reaches a bubble. Stop stirring and allow the  caramel to bubble for 10 minutes. Again, RESIST THE URGE TO STIR! After it has bubbled for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and stir well. Add ghee and stir until melted and well blended.

At this point, I like to transfer the caramel into a separate bowl/jar (I re-used this stunning OMGhee jar for mine). Caramel can burn easily, so removing it from the hot pan helps prevent that.

Slice up the bread, drizzle (or completely drown it) in caramel sauce & ENJOY!