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.

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.