Moist and tender gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe. Easy to make and loaded with pumpkin spice flavor. The recipe makes two loaves. Enjoy one now and freeze one for later.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Is this the best ever gluten-free pumpkin bread? I think so. Here’s why I love it and think you will too.
- One bowl recipe.
- Easy to make.
- Uses a gluten-free flour blend.
- Moist and tender.
- Freezes beautifully.
Simple ingredients for the BEST Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread!
Here’s what you need to make this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread. Want to swap an ingredient? I explain what the ingredients do and what to expect if you make a change.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. This recipe was developed and tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. It gives the bread a delicate crumb and moist texture. Using a different gluten-free flour blend can change the texture.
Pumpkin Pie Spice. This is a premixed blend of spices. Traditional pumpkin pie spice contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. If you want to use your own spices, individual amounts are listed with the recipe.
Baking Powder and Soda. The combination of baking powder and soda helps the loaf to rise and gives it a nice brown color.
Salt. Just a touch brings out the flavor of the bread. Use table salt (not kosher salt) for the best results.
Brown sugar. Using brown sugar adds a lovely flavor—think molasses and caramel. Plus it keeps the loaf moist. You can use either light or dark brown sugar. If you don’t keep brown sugar in the house, replace it with granulated (white) sugar.
Pumpkin Puree. One can of pumpkin puree gives this bread a great flavor and texture. Don’t confuse pumpkin puree, which is simply pureed pumpkin, with pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin pie filling contains other ingredients and doesn’t work for this recipe.
Eggs. Use standard “large eggs” for this recipe. They’re about two ounces per egg and give the bread a lovely cake-like texture. Use eggs at room temperature, not straight from the refrigerator.
Vegetable Oil. A lot of pumpkin bread recipes use butter as the fat. Not this one! In side-by-side testing, I found that oil gave the loaves a better texture and crumb. The butter-based pumpkin bread actually tasted a little dry. This has the added bonus of making the recipe dairy-free.
No Vanilla Extract? Are you sure?
You’ll notice that there’s no vanilla extract called for in this recipe. Thanks to the lovely flavors of the pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree, I found the recipe didn’t need it. If you want to use vanilla, go ahead and add one teaspoon.
Is canned pumpkin gluten-free?
It should be. But, as always, read labels. Ingredients and “may contain” warnings can change. The best way to know if an ingredient is gluten-free is to first read the label and then contact the manufacturer if you have any questions.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?
Yes but expect different results. If you cook, puree, and drain your own pumpkin, go ahead and use it. Just know that homemade pumpkin puree often contains more water than the canned variety. The additional water can affect both the flavor and texture of pumpkin bread. And since this is a loaf of gluten-free pumpkin bread, extra water can make it gummy.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
The basics: prep your pans. Heat the oven. Mix the batter and bake. It’s that easy. Here are the steps explained.
- Prepare the pans and heat the oven. Before mixing the batter, grease your pans and set them aside. This is a good time to turn on your oven. Baking bread in a hot oven helps it to rise nicely and bake evenly.
- Whisk the dry ingredients (but not the sugar!). Grab a large bowl and combine the gluten-free flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. You can use a handheld whisk or an electric mixer for this recipe. Doing this evenly distributes the spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the batter. Now it’s time to add the brown sugar and remaining ingredients. Adding the sugar with the gluten-free flour and other ingredients makes it hard to whisk the flour together. Adding the sugar along with the other wet ingredients makes for a smooth, well-mixed batter.
- Fill the Pans. Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared pans. The batter fills an 8.5×4.5-inch pan about halfway full.
- Bake. Gluten-free pumpkin bread takes about an hour to bake. After 50 minutes, test the bread for doneness. To tell when the loaf is done, use a cake tester. Insert the cake tester (or toothpick) into the center of the loaf. Look for it to come out dry or with one or two crumbs clinging to it. If you notice wet crumbs or batter, the loaves aren’t done baking yet.
- Cool in the pan for a few minutes. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. This helps the bread to set. The loaves are really delicate when they first come out of the oven! After 15 minutes, remove them from the pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.Cooling the loaves on a wire rack lets steam escape. This helps the loaves to cool quickly and prevents the loaves from being gummy in the center.
The Pan: The Key to Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Success
For quick breads (and my gluten-free sandwich bread recipe.), I like to use an 8.5 x 4.5-inch pan. It gives gluten-free breads a nice height and helps them to bake evenly all the way through.
If you don’t own an 8×5 x 4.5 pan, use a 9 x5-inch loaf pan. you can still make this bread. The loaves will turn out a bit shorter than ones made in an 8.5×4.5-inch pan and might bake quicker. Check for doneness after 50 minutes.
How long does Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread stay fresh?
This bread stays fresh for about four to fives days. The exact time depends on your area. Humidity and other factors impact how long baked goods stay fresh. Store the bread on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap or in a covered container.
How do you freeze gluten-free pumpkin bread?
This recipe makes two loaves of pumpkin bread. To freeze, allow the bread to cool completely. Once cool, wrap the bread with plastic wrap or place it in a freezer bag. If using plastic wrap, it’s a good idea to wrap the loaf in foil too.
When ready to eat, remove the loaf from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature.
Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Moist and tender gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe. Easy to make and loaded with pumpkin spice flavor. The recipe makes two loaves. Enjoy one now and freeze one for later.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour (15 ounces; 425 grams)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, see note
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces; 212 grams)
- 1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
- 4 large eggs (about 8 ounces; 226 grams out of shell)
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil, such as canola oil (4 ⅔ ounces; 132 grams)
Instructions
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Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8.5-by 4.5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
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Whisk together the gluten-free flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
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Add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix until smooth. The batter will be thick.
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Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth batter into pans with a small spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. (Internal temperature should be 206 degrees F.)
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Place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes and then turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store on the counter for up to 3 days at room temperature. To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to three months.
Recipe Notes
The Gluten-Free Flour
This recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Using a different flour or blend will affect the bread.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin pie spice can be replaced with individual spices: 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. 1 teaspoon ground ginger. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.
Katie says
Have you ever tried using egg substitutes in recipes like this? Just wondering before I delve in. 🙂
Elizabeth says
I haven’t. Sorry! But if I were to try it, I’d use a flax “egg”. Those usually do a pretty good job when used in quick breads.
Liz says
This is what I’ve changed and they taste great.
Flour: 2 cups GF flour 1 cup Almond flour (makes them less dense)
Eggs: Replace with 4 Tblsp Brown Flax Meal & 10 Tblsp water, stir together and put in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Added to mixture.
Pumpkin Spice: Replaced with 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of Ginger, 1/2 tsp Cloves, 1/2 tsp Nutmeg. Mixed together and measured out the 1 Tblsp required for recipe.
Liz says
Forgot to mention that I make muffins not the bread.
Stacy Streuli says
Just made this, and eating a warm piece! Very delicious! I halved the recipe, and used my own baked and pureed Hokkaido pumpkin. Next time I’ll reduce the sugar a bit but otherwise a very tasty recipe!
Lindsay says
I love you for using a whole can of pumpkin, being so thorough & precise & to the point, & creating awesome recipes! (& bonus for using Bobs Red Mill) ?
Lindsay says
I love you for using a whole can of pumpkin, being so thorough & precise & to the point, being willing to change up a recipe you’ve published, & for creating awesome recipes! (& bonus for using Bobs Red Mill) ?
Caroline Good says
I’m curious why you reduced the amount of spice by half? I have the old recipe, in the little purple paper booklet! [Yes, we’ve been gluten free a LONG TIME 😉 ] By comparison, I would think you would use 2 Tbls of pumpkin pie spice (or equivalent individual spices)? We like the warm spice flavor of the older recipe, so I’m hesitant to cut it in half….. Thanks!
Elizabeth says
Hi Caroline,
Excellent question! Some folks found that recipe too spicy. So I adjusted the spice level down. If you liked the level of spice, go ahead and use it. Additional spice won’t harm the recipe in any way!
Roslyn says
This looks great! Could I add chocolate chips?
Elizabeth says
You sure can!
JJ says
Wonderful bread. I made some substitutions:
1/4 c sugar = 1/4 c. maple syrup
1c. brown sugar = 1c. coconut palm sugar.