Maple Walnut Gingerbread (GF)

All Images Ⓒ 2020 DMG Photo

Remember that Maple Walnut Bread you all loved so much? Well here she is, holiday edition! I added some new flavors to make it a gingerbread and gosh is it ever lovely. It still has all the wholesome goodness as the original recipe, with nuts, seeds and oats to give you all the healthy fats and omegas your body craves, but this tastes like a indulgent treat and can be eaten morning, noon or night.

What is so wonderful about this gingerbread other that the delicious taste? Here are a few of the health benefits.

Heart Healthy! Walnuts and oats are proven to help with lowering cholesterol. Be sure to use a plant based milk when making this recipe if this is a concern for you.

Iron: did you know that molasses is rich in iron? If you are iron deficient this is a great treat for you! 

Breastfeeding moms, this is a great holiday snack for you as it is full of all the goodness (oats in particular) to help with milk production, fill your belly and give you the energy you need to keep up with that little one. This is actually why I came up with the original Maple Walnut Bread recipe back when I was nursing my twins!

Baby friendly. My babies ate this at a very young age to get them used to different textures, to this day it is one of their favorite snacks!

Note: If you plan to feed this to a baby or small toddler maybe don't add the toppings as they could be a choking hazard.

Naturally gluten free! Just make sure the oats you buy are certified gluten free and you're all set.

Okay so this one is a no brainer, time to get baking! 

Maple Walnut Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup milk (plant based if you prefer, I use oat milk)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla
• zest of an orange (optional)

Toppings

• dried cranberries
• whole pecans
• pepita seeds
• hemp hearts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Add all dry ingredients to food processor and quickly blend. Be careful not to over process this this mixture, you want a coarse consistency, just enough to combine them all together while still able to tell the oats from the nuts. We are not trying to make flour. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients throroughly.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet  and continue to whisk, this mixture should be runny.
5. Transfer to a greased baking dish and let sit for 5 minutes before adding the toppings. Have fun with the arrangement of the toppings! You can make patterns like I have done in the photos above, or scatter them all around so you get a taste of each in every bite!
6. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes, use a fork to see if the center is baked though. If not return to the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. I suggest this for the first time baking the gingerbread because the consistency of your dry oat mixture makes a difference to the cooking time. If ground too fine it will cook faster than the desired rough texture I have described above. When I make this loaf i bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

If you would like to follow my holiday series be sure to check out my Instagram page grace.and.jack !