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    Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free Muffins and Bread Recipes

    Gluten Free Pumpkin Loaf Recipe

    Aug 30, 2022 · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Pumpkin Loaf recipe is perfect for a breakfast on-the-go or a mid-afternoon snack - both with a coffee of course☕ This Pumpkin Bread is a delicious, dense loaf - with less sugar than most. It's packed with pure pumpkin and simple ingredients like eggs, olive oil and dark brown sugar to name a few. This pumpkin loaf is the perfect way to get you in the mood for all things fall🍂

    You guys: hit that button up there for "Jump to Recipe" and go and make this recipe recipe for pumpkin bread right.

    NOW.

    Seriously.

    a loaf of pumpkin bread topped with pepitas with a gold knife beside

    This pumpkin loaf recipe is made with simple and wholesome ingredients and it's ready in about an hour.

    There are a ton of pumpkin bread recipes out there but I wanted to (as usual) figure out a way to get you a pumpkin loaf that had LESS sugar than most WITH keeping that pumpkin-ness taste😋

    Finally figured it out and here it is😄

    No overly fluffy loafs here, the moistness really comes through in this recipe.

    Say "good-bye to dry" (pumpkin loaf, that is) thanks to the combo of the olive oil, a smidge of milk and of course, a generous amount of canned pumpkin.

    If you love gluten-free and healthy recipe for baked goods, then you'll definitely want to check out this recipe for Healthy Zucchini Bread (Delicious and Gluten Free), or this Healthy Gluten Free Banana Bread with White Beans and let's not forget about these Healthy Chocolate Muffins with Greek Yogurt (Gluten Free).

    Jump to:
    • 📝Ingredients for this pumpkin loaf recipe
    • 🥣Instructions for pumpkin bread
    • 🥡Storage and Freezing
    • 🔄Substitutions
    • 🔪Equipment
    • ❓How do you moisten dry pumpkin bread?
    • 🚫Why is my pumpkin bread gummy?
    • 😢Why does my pumpkin bread not cook in the middle?
    • ✅How do you know when pumpkin bread is done?
    • 📹Top Two Tips
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    A loaf of pumpkin bread top with pepitas on parchment paper
    Raw pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) give a nice texture on top of the pumpkin bread.

    📝Ingredients for this pumpkin loaf recipe

    • Gluten-free all-purpose baking flour - Bob's Red Mill is my go-to
    • Baking soda and baking powder
    • Salt
    • Cinnamon
    • Nutmeg
    • Dark Brown Sugar - regular brown sugar will work just fine too
    • Olive oil - using olive oil keeps this loaf of pumpkin bread suuuuper moist
    • Milk
    • Pure canned pumpkin - do NOT substitute with pumpkin pie filling
    • 1 lemon (for the zest)
    • Raw pumpkin seeds - also know as "pepitas"

    See recipe card below for quantities and instructions.

    slices of pumpkin bread with a gold knife beside

    🥣Instructions for pumpkin bread

    Nice and easy, for this loaf of pumpkin bread, here's what you'll do:

    • Pre-heat your oven and get a large mixing bowl to combine all the dry ingredients.
    • Then, in a medium bowl, you'll beat the eggs with the brown sugar, olive oil and milk. You'll stir in the pumpkin and lemon zest. Add the pumpkin
    • To get the batter into hte loaf pan, use a spatula (it's a thick batter - don't worry, it's supposed to be.)
    • Then sprinkle the top with the pumpkin seeds and bake for about 50 minutes

    See below for more tips and the recipe card for full instructions.

    🥡Storage and Freezing

    On the counter in an air-tight container, this pumpkin loaf will keep for about 3 days on the counter.

    To freeze this pumpkin bread, follow the instructions below for baking and then let the loaf cool.

    Slice the loaf and wrap it up to freeze for up to 1 month.

    A loaf of pumpkin bread topped with pumpkin seeds

    🔄Substitutions

    Alright, I don't want you makin' a bunch of swaps and then the recipe ends up not turning out (eek) so take these as possible but untested variations:

    • Egg-free - instead of the eggs you could try a flax egg substitute
    • Dairy-free - an almond or oat milk would work just as well instead of regular milk

    🔪Equipment

    Ok that's a strong word for such an easy recipe.

    Get out a few mixing bowls, some measuring cups and spoons, a spoon and/or spatula and a standard loaf pan and you're set to go.

    ❓How do you moisten dry pumpkin bread?

    If you find this or any pumpkin bread dries out, you can warm it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds on high and it tends to release some moisture.

    To prevent dryness, keep the loaf sliced, wrapped in parchment paper in the freezer in an air-tight container.

    Take out a slice and defrost as you need.

    Three slices of pumpkin loaf on parchment paper with a gold knife beside them

    🚫Why is my pumpkin bread gummy?

    Gummy or undercooked pumpkin bread is usually caused by 1 of 2 things:

    1. Undercooking - not enough time in the oven, or
    2. Too much pumpkin, applesauce or other "wet" ingredients. To get a yummy (not gummy) loaf texture, you need the right balance between the wet (pumpkin, applesauce, oil, egg, etc) and dry ingredients (like flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, etc.)

    Make sure you follow this, or any recipe for pumpkin bread, as per the instructions before you make adjustments to increase the chances you'll have a delicious result.

    😢Why does my pumpkin bread not cook in the middle?

    This is usually due to not enough time in the oven. Put the pumpkin bread back in the oven for about 10 minutes and it should finish up.

    If it's still not fully cooked in the middle, your ratio of wet to dry ingredients may be off.

    Check the recipe and make sure you don't add more of anything, especially from the "wet" ingredient category (anything like pumpkin, applesauce, mashed bananas, eggs, oil, etc.)

    ✅How do you know when pumpkin bread is done?

    Use the 3s's to know when it's done: Sight, Smell and Springiness! Set your oven timer for 50 minutes and when it's getting close - take a look in the oven:

    • How does it look? Is it browning slightly around the edges? Are there some cracks in the top? That's good!
    • Can you smell the pumpkin goodness?
    • And when you take it out of the oven, does the loaf spring back when slightly depressed with a finger? If you're checking the box to all these 3 and the time is up, you're good to go

    You can also insert a toothpick - if it comes out and it's not covered in goopy loaf mixture, it's done.

    A close up of 3 slices of pumpkin loaf with a gold knife beside it

    Filled with healthy-carbs, potassium and a kick of fibre, this pumpkin bread has been my quick and healthy breakfast these days when I pair it with a couple hard boiled eggs and Nespresso, of course☕

    📹Top Two Tips

    1. Extra canned pumpkin: you'll use 1 cup of canned pumpkin for this recipe so you can either make an extra loaf or something else that needs pumpkin like these Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies or these Healthy Gluten-Free Pumpkin "Scones".
    2. Lemon from the zest: when you're done with the lemon, don't throw it out. Slice it in half and keep it. For the next 2 mornings in a row, squeeze the juice into a tall glass of water (hot in the winter; cold in the summer) and drink up! It's a great way to start the day.

    If you try this out, please rate and comment. I do love hearing from you.

    ~April

    If you like the sound of this gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe, check out these yummy and healthy recipes too:

    • Puffed Quinoa Bars with Almond Butter
    • Healthy Fall Vegetarian Curry
    • Starbucks Chicken and Vegetables Protein Box Copycat
    • Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

    This recipe was originally published on October 7th, 2021. Post copy was updated and recipe re-tested and tweaked for maximum deliciousness (it's improved😄.) Re-posted on August 30th, 2022.

    📖 Recipe

    slices of pumpkin bread with a gold knife beside

    Gluten Free Pumpkin Loaf Recipe

    This Pumpkin Loaf recipe is perfect for a breakfast on-the-go or a mid-afternoon snack - both with a coffee of course☕ This Pumpkin Bread is a delicious, dense loaf - with less sugar than most. It's packed with pure pumpkin and simple ingredients like eggs, olive oil and dark brown sugar to name a few. This pumpkin loaf is the perfect way to get you in the mood for all things fall🍂
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: fall recipes, pumpkin, pumpkin bread
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 8 large slices
    Calories: 222kcal
    Author: April

    Equipment

    • 1 Loaf pan (standard size) 8 inch by 4-inch (1.5L)

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups gluten-free all purpose 1:1 baking flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¾ tablespoon pumpkin spice
    • 2 eggs
    • ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon milk
    • 1 cup pure canned pumpkin
    • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
    • ¼ cup pepitas

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
    • In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk and combine with brown sugar, oil and milk until all the same colour. Stir in pumpkin and lemon zest. Add this bowl of wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and you don't see flour in the batter.
    • Add the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with the pumpkin seeds.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
    • Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan then take out and slice warm.

    Notes

    This makes 1 loaf. Keeps for about 3 days on the counter in an air-tight container.
    Slice and wrap to freeze for up to 1 month.
    Remember with much less sugar than regular pumpkin loafs, this will not be very sweet. If you like sweeter baked goods, this may not be for you.
    Recipe adapted from Zucchini Nut Loaf (Dietitians of Canada, 2005)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 222kcal

    More Gluten-Free Muffins and Breads

    • Healthy Breakfast Bars {gluten-free}
    • Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins
    • Baked Oatmeal with Peaches
    • Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Lee says

      October 29, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      Hi April!
      I am just about to start this recipe & see that you don’t have the oven temp on the recipe. Also there’s a typo where it still says to mix in the “zucchini” into the dry ingredients- that sent me into a bit of a puzzle for a minute, wondering if I had missed an ingredient - then I remembered that you said you had adapted a zucchini recipe. I’m going to guess at oven temp from a banana bread recipe I use. Here goes!

      Reply
      • April says

        October 31, 2020 at 12:38 pm

        Hi Mary!
        Oh gosh, you think you proof read it enough and still those errors lol
        I will fix all of that.
        Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know - yes, oven at 350F
        Let me know how it turns out for you?
        Cheers,
        April

        Reply
    2. Mary Lee says

      October 29, 2020 at 1:54 pm

      Hi April - also the egg is missing from the list of ingredients on the printed recipe.

      Reply
      • April says

        October 31, 2020 at 12:38 pm

        Thank you Mary!

        Reply

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