Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin and Persimmon Bread

Spice up your baked good with this delicious Gluten-Free Pumpkin and Persimmon Bread recipe! This perfectly moist loaf is full of fall flavor and is a breeze to make.

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Easy-to-Make Loaf

Who doesn’t love a seasonal baked good? From pumpkin bread to sweet potato muffins, there’s so many delicious recipes to choose from during autumn! Well, allow me introduce you to your new favorite! This Gluten-Free Pumpkin and Persimmon Bread is so easy to make and comes together in less than an hour. Not only is it moist and delicious, but it’s the perfect sweet to make for breakfast or as a cozy snack.

One of the unique aspects of this recipe is it’s a flavor combination of pumpkin and persimmons. The seasonal persimmon may not be a fruit you’re overly familiar with. That being said, prepare yourself to fall in love with this beautiful piece of produce! The pairing of the persimmon and pumpkin purees yields a bread that is moist, packed with fall flavor, and unlike anything you’ve tried before. Are you ready for the recipe?

What is a Persimmon?

Unlike pumpkins and bananas, persimmons aren’t utilized nearly enough when it comes to baked goods. Although they should be! Their sweet interior and gorgeous color makes them the perfect addition to any recipe! In fact, their taste is often described as “honey-like”. Who could resist that?

The persimmon originated in Asia more than a thousand years ago. It was first grown in China and later introduced to Japan and Korea. Today, they are commercially grown in California. Persimmons are in peak season from October to December. While they’re a seasonal fall fruit, not all local markets carry them. If you’re struggling to find persimmons, try a speciality store or Asian grocery store.

Starting on the Bread

Would you believe me if I told you that this pumpkin and persimmon bread takes on 15 minutes of preparation? Well, you best believe it because it truly is that easy! First things first, start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a bread pan. I like to grease the bread pan with butter before laying down a parchment paper and securing the sides with a clip. I’ve found that this is the best way to prevent the bread from sticking to the sides or bottom of the pan. As well, it makes for easy removal!

Next, it’s time to prepare the dry ingredients. For this recipe, we’ll be using a blend of gluten-free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and ground cloves. Note, that note all of the baking powder allotted in the recipe card will be used in the dry ingredients. Half a teaspoon will be used for the persimmon pulp, but we’ll get to that later. Also, I recommend using the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. It yields the best consistency for baked goods and already has xanthin gum in the blend.

Now, you may be wondering why we’re using a spice blend instead of pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin spice usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and all spice. In our blend we use cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. We don’t use the pumpkin spice blend because pumpkin spice seasoning can be overpowering. As well, this way, you know exactly how much of each seasoning is in your dry ingredients. I personally prefer using the spice blend in this recipe versus a store bought pumpkin pie spice. It allows the other flavors, such as the persimmons, to shine!

The Wet Ingredients

Before we can marry the wet and dry ingredients together, we first need to cream the sugar and butter. In a large bowl, add three fourths cup cane sugar and half a cup of unsalted butter. The butter should be room temperature and softened. Then, use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar and butter together on medium-low speed for two minutes until combined.

Once combined, the mixture should be fluffy and light. Next up, we’re going to add two room temperature eggs. You don’t have to add them separately and mix between. Instead, we’re going to add the eggs in here at the same time. Mix on low speed to incorporate the eggs. Then, add a splash of vanilla extract. Mix one more time before setting to the side.

There is one more step, and arguably, the most important step of this process that must come first before adding in the dry ingredients. This step is adding in the persimmon pulp and pumpkin puree. In the next step, you’ll discover how to extract the persimmon pulp. As well, learn the best way to get the pulp to the desired consistency!

Making Your Persimmon Pulp

The persimmon pulp is much easier to make than you’d expect! Start by removing the skin from two persimmons. Once peeled, dice them up into small pieces. If you have a food processor, this will make the process a lot easier! Use the food processor to pulse the persimmons until smooth. If you do not have a food processor, you may opt for a blender and do the same. If you are working without equipment, using a muddler works as well! Although hand muddling the persimmons until smooth will take a little longer.

Once your persimmon pulp is nice and smooth, we are going to add the pulp to a small bowl and sprinkle half a teaspoon of baking soda over. The reason being that the baking soda will reduce the astringency and ensures the tannins in the persimmons cause no reaction in the baking process. This is simply to get the best outcome possible with our bread. Mix your persimmon pulp and baking soda, then set aside.

Persimmon and Pumpkin Combination

Now it’s time to add the persimmon pulp and the pumpkin purée into the wet ingredients! But first, you might be thinking about the nature of this specific combination. An interesting pair and not a commonly used one, however I believe it to be extremely underrated! Combining the two yields a blend of perfect fall flavors. You have the sweetness from the persimmon and the spice from the pumpkin. When combined, in creates a complex flavor profile that is so warm and comforting.

Furthermore, one of the reasons why the two work so well together is that they both are complimented by similar, if not the same, spices. Persimmons and pumpkins both are typically spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg making them both agreeable in combination. As well, the blend of sugar and vanilla brings out the sweet notes in both.

Finally, it’s time to add the persimmon pulp and pumpkin purée to the bowl. Go ahead and add each to the bowl of wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer to combine until the batter takes on an orange hue. Remember to mix it on low speed. It will combine fairly easily, so no need to use a higher speed and risk overworking the batter.

The Final Touches on the Pumpkin and Persimmon Bread

Now that you the pumpkin and persimmon have been mixed in and the batter has beautiful orange hue to it, it’s time to add the dry ingredients. I like to add half the dry ingredients at a time, but you can even add a fourth and mix between. This ensures that the dry ingredients are being distributed evenly. I found that this yields the best outcome with the most consistency.

Once your wet and dry ingredients are combined, it’s almost time for baking! Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top of the batter. As much as possible, try to level the batter so that it is even. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. At 45 minutes, check our bread by sticking a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven. Allow the bread to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

What About Toppings?

This part is completely optional! Personally, I love this simple recipe but a few toppings never hurt. If you want to add extra style or texture points to this bread, I have a few options that I find pair well with the gluten-free pumpkin and persimmon bread.

• Sliced persimmons: Adding sliced persimmons on top of the bread before baking is a beautiful topping idea! This will accentuate the notes of persimmons in the bread and add a nice texture element. This is a great pick for those who want to add a bit more sweetness to the loaf.
• Pumpkin seeds: Also known as pepita seeds, this nut will add a mild crunch to the bread and is a great pairing with the persimmons! These salty seeds will compliment the sweetness of the bread seamlessly. I recommend topping the bread with them before baking.
• Walnuts or pecans: This addition will yield a superior crunch and texture to the bread. Walnuts or pecans are often added to recipes, such as pumpkin and banana breads, and for a good reason! They add a perfect crunch and a bit of saltiness as well. You can opt to fold them into your batter before baking, too!

Either of the toppings mentioned above are perfect parings to the persimmon bread. Now all that is left to do is enjoy and share! Should you have any leftovers, I recommend storing this bread in an air tight container. You can use a Tupperware or wrap it foil before placing it in a gallon size ziplock bag. Be sure to keep it at room temperature to prevent it from drying out.