From Sweet, Savory, and Free by Debbie Adler (BenBella Books, 2017)
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, cut
1 ¾ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix
¼ cup cacao powder
¼ cup hemp seeds
1 ½ teaspoons sodium-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon guar gum
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup applesauce
1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract
2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup black coffee, at room temperature
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 5 x 2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Add the pumpkin seeds to a small skillet over medium heat. Toast until they start to snap, crackle, and pop and turn a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. After the pumpkin seeds cool, give them a rough chop.
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cacao powder, hemp seeds, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, salt, and roasted pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle.
Add the coconut sugar, applesauce, vanilla, mashed bananas, and dates, and stir to combine. Add the coee and stir to incorporate.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Rotate the loaf pan from front to back halfway through baking.
Transfer the loaf pan from the oven to a wire rack, and let it sit for 20 minutes before removing the loaf to cool completely.
Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.