Fall brings cooler, crisper weather and shorter days as well as a beautiful host of seasonal fruits including pears, apples, pomegranates and my favorite, persimmons. This bread uses Hachiya persimmon, which are great for baking because as they ripen, their flesh turns very soft and purée-like, which is easily incorporated into your batter, adding sweetness and a rich dark color to your finished bread. Dates and walnuts are perfect companions to the persimmon in this delightful fall quick bread, perfectly suited with an afternoon cup of tea. The bread is moist and sweet but not too sweet with the nuts and dates adding the perfect amount of texture. Persimmons are high in fiber, provitamin A beta-carotene, and potassium.

Walnuts are rich in antioxidants and omega 3’s and may reduce some cancers, lower inflammation and blood pressure. And dates, as sweet as they may be, may actually lower blood sugar, assist in digestion and offer brain protection. I also have read over and over again, that if you are pregnant dates may facilitate in easing natural child labor. I am so curious about that. 

This bread is paleo and low in sugar and in this recipe I do use traditional dairy butter, and eggs but feel free to supplement with vegan butter (I use Melt) and flax eggs to make it completely plant based. Instructions for the flax eggs in the recipe below. I hope you enjoy this bread as long as we have persimmons on our plates.

Makes 1-9 inch / 23 x 13 x 7 cm loaf/ preparation time 20 minutes/ cook time/ 60 minutes/ total time 1 hour 20 minutes

Gather

2 cups / 240 grams Paleo flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup. 118 ml avocado oil

1/2 cup/ 113 grams butter, softened

1/4 cup/ 25 grams monk fruit

1/2 cup/ 50 grams coconut sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large Hachiya persimmon, the flesh scooped out and mixed till pureed

4 eggs beaten together or flax eggs (see instructions below)

1 apple, peeled and grated

1 cup/ 100 grams dates , chopped

3/4 cup/ 75 grams walnuts, chopped

**** flax eggs: for 1 flax egg. In a small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon flax meal with 4 tablespoons of warm water. Allow to sit 3-5 minutes.  For this recipe you will combine 4 tablespoons flax meal with 1 cup warm water and then incorporate into the recipe where you would the eggs.

Make

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 177 C. Prepare your loaf pan with oil and then parchment paper, leaving some overhang at the ends and then oil the parchments paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the paleo flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger powder, and salt till well blended. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together the oil, butter, monk fruit, and coconut sugar. Mix in the vanilla, the persimmon purée and then the eggs until well mixed.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the apples, dates and then walnuts until just combined. Careful not to over mix. Transfer to the prepaid loaf pan and then into the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 60 minutes. Check at the 50 minute mark. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 30-40 minutes. Using the parchment over hang you can lift the bread out of the loaf pan, once cool enough and slice. Or just cut slices directly from the loaf pan (smeared with butter if you like) and enjoy with tea or coffee or simply on it’s own.

Recipe Developed by Anna Getty

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