Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

Delicious healthy spin on a Gingerbread loaf filled with whole wheat flour, yummy spices, and topped with white chocolate & pistachios!

Before trying this loaf out, I was apprehensive it would't taste as good as it looked, but WOW I was wrong! This loaf is naturally sweetened and you never would guess it! Who knew mild molasses, sweet maple, and buttery pistachios pair very well together!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour 
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled to warn
1/4 pure maple syrup
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (any milk will work)
optional: coarse sugar or sparking sugar, for sprinkling on top
For the glaze:
2 tbsp white chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
For the topping:
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp shelled pistachios 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line an 8x4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, add coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses, egg, vanilla, and almond milk. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
5. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour better into loaf pan. Sprinkle with little coarse sugar (this will create a beautiful loaf and delicious crunch on the outside). Bake loaf for 35-45 minutes until tester comes out clean. Leave in pan 10-15 minutes before removing and to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
6. To make topping: Add white chocolate chips (or regular chocolate chips) and coconut oil to a small bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate is smooth and melted. You can also melt it in small saucepan over very low heat. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and top with dried cranberries and pistachios. cut into 10 slices.

Notes
To make gluten- free: Use 1 cup almond flour, 1 cup gluten free oat flour, and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar instead fo the whole wheat pastry flour. Bake as directed above.
To make vegan: I think using a flax egg (1 flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water) would work well!

*Recipe from Ambitiouskitchen.com*