Since it feels like it’s about 40° here in Seattle on June 14th, and it has been raining for DAYS on end, I think my body started to think it was November.  So, instead of pulling out my holiday decorations, I made some pumpkin bread.

In an effort to be a little healthier, I cut out the fat in this bread and replaced it with applesauce.  Still very yummy.  Not quite as yummy as bread filled with delicious, fatty, oil, but still yummy enough where I felt like I was cheating and having a treat.  I used my basic pumpkin bread recipe and just modified it a bit. Even without the oil, still an incredibly moist and delicious version of this bread.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
8oz canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, or an angel food cake pan.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.