Spice up your fall with a loaf of this easy gluten-free pumpkin bread! This gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin bread recipe is as delicious as it is healthy, made with whole grain flour, less sugar than most, and no xanthan gum.
Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post!
Procrastibaking My Way to the Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Prior to sharing a preview of this recipe on Instagram Stories, I didn't realize what a *thing* pumpkin bread is. I love pumpkin desserts as much as the next person. But over the years I've tended toward baking pumpkin into muffins, cake, brownies, pudding, tart, and pies of all stripes. The thought of pouring the batter into a loaf pan never occurred to me.
Until last week, when I found myself procrastibaking rather than working on more pressing deadlines. This is undeniably when I do my best baking. I wanted – nay, needed – to see whether my gluten-free carrot cake recipe could be morphed into a gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe. My gluten-free carrot cake has the most lofty, pillowy texture kissed with gentle spices. When I envisioned my ideal gf pumpkin bread, I wanted it to be a close carrot cake cousin.
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pumpkin Bread
The carrot cake formula is unusual because it uses an extra egg where dairy (buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream) would normally be. The protein in the eggs makes the batter bake up extra fluffy, helping the cake form a lofty crumb. This means the recipe is naturally dairy-free in addition to being gluten-free.
So I swapped pumpkin puree in for the grated carrots and adjusted the spices to make them more pumpkin spice-friendly. I added a touch more flour after whisking together the batter because it seemed slightly too thin. I poured it into a loaf pan and popped it in the oven.
The scent of warm, baking spices was sheer torture. I could hardly wait for the loaf to cool before cutting into it. I think I lasted about 20 minutes. What greeted me was the loftiest, fluffiest, lightest, featheriest pumpkin bread I've ever tasted.
I shared a quick snap of the recipe on social media and people got REALLY EXCITED about it. More excited than I expected anyone to get about a plain-looking loaf. But the flavors were anything but. Not only did my kitchen smell like pumpkin spice heaven, there was also a fall flavor party happening in my mouth.
I tested the recipe 5 more times, making the gluten-free pumpkin loaf a bit more dense and moist, and playing with the amounts to form a tall, handsome loaf that wouldn't overflow a standard size bread pan.
So by popular demand, I'm thrilled to share my best gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe today.
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
- A trio of gluten-free flours – millet flour, oat flour, and sweet rice flour – work together to create a fine, sturdy crumb like you might get from a blend of white and whole wheat flours. I use Bob's Red Mill flours which are milled in a certified gluten-free facility. Each flour plays a specific roll. For my celiac readers who can't tolerate oats, try trading the oat flour out for sorghum flour by weight.
- Tapioca flour makes the crumb extra plush and pillowy.
- Baking soda and baking powder add lift.
- A good dose of fine sea or kosher salt pops the flavors of sugar and spice. If iodized table salt is all you've got, dial it down by half. Table salt has finer crystals meaning you get more in a teaspoon than irregularly-shaped fine sea or kosher salt crystals.
- Close to a whole can of pumpkin puree goes into this gluten-free pumpkin bread. I use an organic brand from my co-op that is always thick and bright orange. You could definitely use homemade squash puree if you preferred; see down below for instructions!
- Four large eggs help this gluten-free pumpkin loaf bake up extra fluffy. The protein in the egg whites creates a cakey crumb while the egg yolks add tenderness. For an egg-free and/or vegan pumpkin bread, try my recipe for GF pumpkin muffins, which has egg-free and vegan versions.
- Granulated sugar works better than brown sugar here as it keeps the color bright. I use organic granulated sugar, which is blond in color with a hint of molasses still in the crystals. Just seven-eighths of a cup makes this gf pumpkin bread perfectly sweet to my taste. For a refined sugar-free option, try using coconut sugar or maple sugar instead. Or try my GF pumpkin muffin recipe which uses maple syrup and coconut sugar.
- A neutral oil (I prefer sunflower or suncoco oil) makes this gluten-free pumpkin cake divinely moist. Unlike butter-based cakes, this one stays soft even when refrigerated.
- Spices: I like my pumpkin desserts heavy on bright spices like ginger and cinnamon with a backbone of allspice and nutmeg to bolster them up. I also add a little turmeric to enhance the golden hue of this loaf. For ease, you can make a batch of my homemade pumpkin pie spice and substitute it for the same volume of spices here.
- A touch of vanilla extract adds floral notes.
How to Make Moist Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
This easy gluten-free pumpkin bread comes together with just one bowl and a whisk. Simply whisk together the wet ingredients, whisk in the dry ingredients, pour into a loaf pan, and bake!
Maple Glaze for Pumpkin Bread (and Donuts, Bundt Cakes, and Other Desserts)
Also called maple syrup glaze, maple butter glaze, and maple icing recipe, this buttery maple glaze reminds me of old-school doughnuts. And you could certainly use it as such. Drizzle it on this gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin bread or just lick it off the spoon – I definitely did.
This maple glaze recipe uses just three ingredients:
- maple syrup (the darker the better)
- powdered sugar
- butter (vegan if you like)
I use Miyoko's vegan butter here to keep the loaf dairy free and it works beautifully. To make the glaze, whisk together the ingredients until smooth. Let the glaze cool if needed to thicken so it doesn't run right off the bread – it should be thicker than you think it needs to be. Test a little on the loaf before dumping it all on in case it's still too thin.
I like to place the pumpkin loaf on a wire rack and then a plate to catch the drips. We scoop up the extra glaze from the plate and slather it on slices of pumpkin bread. No maple glaze left behind!
Healthy Pumpkin Bread with Gluten-Free Whole-Grain Flours
This gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin bread is healthier than most. It gets fiber and nutrients from a good dose of whole grain flours (oat and millet). It doesn't need any xanthan gum to hold it together – the protein in the eggs take care of that along with some sticky sweet rice and tapioca flours.
While this gluten-free pumpkin loaf definitely tastes like dessert, it has less sugar than most at seven-eighths of a cup of granulated sugar for the full loaf. Some recipes this size contain twice as much sugar. The maple glaze adds more sweetness, but you can leave it off if you want to cut the sugar content even more. I enjoy slices of plain pumpkin bread slathered with a little crème fraîche or plain yogurt. Or if you're looking for a refined sugar-free pumpkin bread, try my gluten-free pumpkin muffin recipe which uses maple syrup and coconut sugar.
This recipe uses oil instead of butter. I usually use sunflower or suncoco oil (sunflower + liquid coconut oil) but you can use any neutral cooking oil that you like the taste of. Mild olive oil will work too.
This recipe uses a hefty 1 1/3 cups of pumpkin puree. Pumpkin is high in fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients. Its natural sweetness means you can dial down the refined sugar in recipes such as these. It also adds moisture that keeps the crumb of this gluten-free pumpkin bread soft and tender.
Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Bread
This recipe relies on eggs to fluff up and set the batter, and I don't recommend subbing them out here. BUT! I recently developed a gluten-free vegan pumpkin muffin recipe. It's a bit more delicate than this pumpkin bread, but it's every bit as delicious. I haven't tried baking it in a loaf pan yet, but I think it would make a fine gluten-free vegan pumpkin bread.
How to Keep Pumpkin Bread Fresh
Store leftover GF pumpkin bread covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. I like to slice the bread and layer the slices with parchment paper in a large container. Since it's humid where I live in San Francisco, I refrigerate my pumpkin bread after a day. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let the slices come to room temperature before serving to bring out the flavors.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Bread?
You can! I found that the glazed loaf is tricky to defrost because the icing melts if you try to defrost a slice in the toaster oven (my preferred method). But here are two options for freezing pumpkin bread that work well:
- Bake an extra loaf, but don't glaze it yet. Tuck the whole loaf into a large freezer bag and freeze until needed, up to a month or two. When you're ready to enjoy, defrost the loaf (either in the refrigerator or at room temperature) then glaze the loaf, slice, and enjoy.
- Bake the loaf, but don't glaze it yet. Cut the loaf into slices, lay the slices on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy clean up. Layer any overlapping slices with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Freeze the slices. Tuck the frozen slices into a freezer bag and freeze until needed, up to a month or two. When you're ready for a slice, pop one into a toaster oven and toast until defrosted and warmed through. Enjoy a warm slice with a scoop of ice cream. Or make a batch of glaze to drizzle over the slice as you toast them.
- If you're freezing slices of pumpkin bread that have already been glazed, let the slices defrost slowly at room temperature so that the glaze stays firm.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake or Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
This pumpkin "bread" is really just pumpkin cake in a loaf pan. You could absolutely bake the batter in cake pans and slather the layers with my less-sweet cream cheese frosting, vegan cream cheese frosting, or paleo cream cheese frosting. I think you could use two or three 8-inch pans or two 9-inch pans, decreasing the bake time as needed. If you try this, please let me know!
This pumpkin loaf can easily be baked into gluten-free pumpkin muffins. Divide the batter among 16 muffin cups lined with paper liners, filling them two-thirds full. Decrease the bake time to 20-30 minutes.
Or try my new gluten-free pumpkin muffin recipe! It makes 12 muffins, is refined sugar-free, and includes vegan and dairy-free options.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Fresh Pureed Pumpkin
I actually prefer making squash puree for gluten-free pumpkin bread and other pumpkin desserts from butternut squash. Butternuts tend to be more consistent than culinary pumpkins which can sometimes be watery and bland.
To make your own squash puree, cut a butternut in half lengthwise and leave in the seeds for now. Place the squash cut-side down on an oiled rimmed baking sheet and roast at 375ºF until collapsing and super tender, 45 minutes or as needed. Let cool, scoop out the seeds and strings and discard (this is way easier to do post-baking). Scoop the flesh into a food processor, and blend until super smooth. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.
What to do with extra pumpkin puree?
You'll have a scant 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree leftover after making this recipe. (For the record, I tried putting the whole can in the loaf. Trust me, this version is much better!) Here are some ideas on how to use it up:
- make an easy vegan pumpkin spice latte from Minimalist Baker
- put it into your favorite oatmeal recipe, or try this pumpkin oatmeal from Bakerita
- cook it into pumpkin butterscotch pudding
- make GF pumpkin pancakes from Snixy Kitchen
- whip up a batch of easy pumpkin granola from Salted Plains
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin bread, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Pumpkin Bread:
- 1 teaspoon softened vegan butter or coconut oil, for the pan
- 1 1/3 cup (300 g) pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (190 g) organic granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (125 g by weight) sunflower oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (110 g) Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oat flour
- 2/3 cup (105 g) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour
- 2/3 cup (95 g) Bob's Red Mill millet flour
- 3 tablespoons (22 g) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional, mostly for color)
- ½ teaspoon packed freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Maple Glaze:
- 4 tablespoons (55 g) vegan or dairy butter, melted
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- big pinch salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºRub a 9x5 loaf pan with the butter or coconut oil and line the bottom and sides of the pan with two pieces of parchment paper cut to fit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Place a mesh strainer over the bowl (or over a different medium-sized bowl) and sift in the oat, sweet rice, millet, and tapioca flours along with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric (if using), nutmeg, and allspice.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the pumpkin bread until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes. Check the loaf after 45 minutes and rotate if it’s browning unevenly or move it to the lower rack if it’s browning too quickly.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
Maple Glaze:
- While the loaf cools, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, and maple syrup until the mixture is smooth. Let cool until thickly pourable, about 20 minutes.
- Place the pumpkin bread still on the wire rack on a large plate. Pour the glaze over the pumpkin cake letting it drip down the sides. We like to scoop up extra glaze that collects on the plate and slather it on slices of pumpkin bread.
- Let the glaze set until firm (you can pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed this up). Slice and enjoy.
- Store this pumpkin bread covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pouding Chomeur (baked pudding cake)
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Buttermilk Pie
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Butterscotch Pumpkin Pudding
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread (from Alternative Baker via Foolproof Living)
- Somewhat Fussy Pumpkin Tart
- Pumpkin Challah
- Brown Butter-Glazed Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Coffeecake
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes:
- Coconut Flour Lemon Cake with Paleo Cream Cheese Frosting
- Gluten-Free Apple Cake with Brown Butter & Hazelnut
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffeecake
- Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake {all-natural}
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Gluten-Free Upside-Down Cake with Poached Quince
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Gluten-Free Pound Cake with Lemon and Berries
- Gluten-Free Pear Cake with Chai Spices
- Gluten-Free Peach Cake
- Gluten-Free Plum Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Cake
Debbie Feely says
I need to try this. It really makes me miss eggs, but I’m eating similar muffins recreated from your Chai Nectarine Skillet cake in your book. Half a cup applesauce and half a cup sour cream in place of the eggs here. I’m sure these proportions would be even better. Maybe some day I’ll be brave and try Just Egg but soy and chickpea allergy make that a scary and expensive test.
Alanna says
Those muffins sound so good! I can't imagine that applesauce and sour cream would be bad here - that's what I love to put on my blintzes! Please let me know if you try an egg-free version of these. I would start with a half-batch in case you need to experiment some more. Such a bummer about your soy and chickpea allergy too - that sounds really challenging!
Debbie Feely says
Alanna! I made this into muffins and they are delicious! I did sub applesauce and sour cream for the eggs. The flavor and crumb are exceptional. Thank you! You make my life more enjoyable.
Alanna says
Oh amazing! I'd love to see a photo of the cake crumb because I'm so curious, if you still have a slice left?
Debbie Feely says
I can’t figure out how to add a photo here.
Larraine says
Banana squash has the richest flavor if you want to substitute. Great recipe . Thx
Alanna says
I've never tried that one - thanks for the tip!
Theresa Balchus says
Hello,
I would like to thank you for this recipe as I have a horrible allergy to gluten. I also have the same horrible allergy to rice, so what would be a good replacement?
Just FYI - rice has a protein in it that reacts with the body like gluten.
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-mimicking-foods/
In gratitude,
Theresa A Balchus
Alanna says
That's awful! I know some celiacs who are NOT sensitive to rice, but I know that it can effect people differently, with some preferring grain-free. Are you good with oats and oat flour? To sub for the sweet rice flour, you could try a blend of sorghum flour with a little more tapioca added in. That would be my best guess! Coconut or almond flours could also work, but they absorb moisture differently so you'd need to experiment. Coconut flour soaks up moisture like a sponge so you'd only want to use 1/4 or 1/3 cup in place of the sweet rice flour. Please let me know if you experiment.
Alison V says
I saw this post on instagram and COULD NOT WAIT to try it, and I am so glad I did! I used a mild and buttery-tasting extra-virgin olive oil for the oil, and it works well with the pumpkin and spices. Very light and lofty, but the crust does have a bit of an eggy taste. Next time I will try one less egg but add some vegan egg replacer for the extra lift and stick-um. I think the glaze is necessary for the extra hit of sweetness, but doesn't overpower. I wonder if it would work as a banana-bread, with a little less sugar......
Alanna says
Aw thanks for trying my recipe! I'm so glad you liked it despite the eggy taste of the crust. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it with some egg replacer. And I love the idea of turning it into banana bread! Such a good idea.
Alison V says
Update: the eggy taste dissipated after a day or so, and the glaze also helped with that!
I haven't yet tried it with egg replacer, but I did try it with banana: I used 350 g banana (it was frozen, so easiest to measure this way), and subbed 130g brown sugar for the granulated sugar to allow for the banana's sweetness. I also added a quarter cup of uncooked millet for texture. Turned out great! Beautiful crumb and not too sweet, so I don't feel like I'm eating cake for breakfast. :)
To be completely transparent, I started with just 300 g banana, but found this didn't taste "banana-y" enough for me, so I added a few more chunks. Yes, I tasted the raw batter--I live on the edge.
Alanna says
Ha! What a rebel you are. ;) These modifications sound delicious - I'm so glad you liked it!
Alison V says
Hey, thanks for always having such reliable recipes! I gave four copies of your book away last xmas--and made sure everyone knew it's worth it for the brownie recipe alone!
Alanna says
Awww that makes my day!! Thanks for sharing the Alternative Baker love!
Jay Doane says
I for one am not at all disappointed that you made 6 versions of this bread, and that I've been able to try each one. So tasty!
Alanna says
I'll make more if you do the dishes ;)
Vivian Drew says
And for those of us who still love regular unbleached white flour........what are the measurements?
Alanna says
You could try swapping in AP wheat flour for all of the other flours and tapioca. It's 332 grams or about 2 1/3 cups. Please let me know how it comes out if you try it!
Carole says
Made this yesterday and YUM!!! Came out just like the pictures and it made the house smell incredible. Next time, I will use this to make cupcakes! Thank you for another wonderful recipe. With your cookbook and this blog, life is good.
Alanna says
Awwww that makes me so happy! Very glad you're enjoying the book, the blog, and this pumpkin bread! :)
Meg says
Could I use just a normal self raising GF flour? Or would that not work? I live in the middle of nowhere in Scotland and all I have in my cupboard is the GF self raising flour and a bag of Coconut flour.
Also any good recipes for pumpkin thats fresh from the pumpkin ? I have a rather large pumpkin at home and would hate to throw out the innards when we carve it.
Thanks so much!
Alanna says
Hi Meg! I've never worked with GF self-rising flour before. But according to this article, it looks like you would just swap all of the flours here for an equal amount by weight (332 g) of GF self-rising flour, and also omit the baking powder and salt. Please let me know if it works, I'm very curious now!
Claire Legas says
Oh my goodness! I have friends staying with me and I needed comfort food for both GF and dairy free. Holy Moly, this hit the spot.
Everyone (even those who can eat gluten) agreed that this was delicious, just the perfect amount of spice (even though I didn't have any allspice.) and the pumpkin flavor was spot on.
I didn't have millet flour so I substituted a GF blend. And my organic pumpkin, while beautiful was a bit more watery.
Overall it turned out moist and delicious.
And that glaze! Yummy!!!
Alanna says
Awww thank you so much for trying my recipe Claire! I'm SO glad it was a hit. Thanks a bunch for the sweet note. :)
Claire Legas says
This was delicious Alanna! Even though I didn't have millet flour (and subbed a GF blend) and my pumpkin was much more liquid-y than the Libby's version, it turned out great. Both the GF and the gluten-ful around the house loved it.
And that glaze! Oh wow. How delicious.
Well done!
Ruthie says
I did find organic brown rice flour but not organic sweet rice. Since I only purchase organic flours, can I substitute brown rice flour for the sweet? Grazie
Alanna says
I feel you - I prefer organic flours myself. But I don't know that brown rice flour will work as well here, since it's the stickiness of the sweet rice flour that plays a large role in the crumb of the cake. You could try adding in more tapioca flour if you try it with the brown rice, but I'd recommend making it as written first if possible.
Trish says
I love your recipes! This is soooo good! Tender, gently spiced - just perfect, and a big hit at our house. I also took some to a meeting this morning and they loved it! It makes a very generously sized loaf which means there’s a lot to share. I love that because otherwise I’d eat way too much and sharing it makes me a popular person! ;-)
Alanna says
I feel that! Thanks a million for trying my recipe and for the sweet note!
TBG says
This is soo delicious! I have been looking for a DF GF pumpkin bread recipe that has the right texture. You would have no idea that this is GF. I did not make the maple glaze even though I am sure it is delicious- instead I used large chocolate chunks in the batter because I LOVE chocolate chip pumpkin bread. I will try the maple glaze soon. Making this again today- twice this week
Alanna says
Aw I'm so glad you're loving this recipe! How much chocolate did you use in the batter? I'd love to add that as a variation for fellow chocophiles like myself! :)
Cindy love says
I’m doing keto so I replaced flours with 2 cups almond and 1/3 cup coconut flour. Then I replaced the sugars with swerve granulated and swerve powdered. Sugar free maple syrup. And olive oil for the veg oil. I only had the smaller pan so I used the leftover batter to make 6 donuts. Both turned out great !
Alanna says
Amazing! I'm so glad those modifications worked out. Thanks a bunch for the note!
Nora says
Stunning cake! My kids were absolutely bonkers for it. Worked just fine with Trader Joe’s canned pumpkin but I will use roasted honey nut squash next time. Thanks for the great recipe.
Alanna says
That sounds delicious! Thanks a bunch for the note and for trying my recipe. :)
Cindy Rice says
Beautifully moist and the glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness and maple flavor. I made it in advance and froze it for a few days before adding the glaze. After thawing and glazing, it kept really well tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3-4 days. Everyone loved it!
Carol says
Delicious and looked exactly like the pictures. I was impressed by how tall and voluminous it was; you'd never know it was gf!
Tamara says
Hi! I have a question! I am allergic to oats, and typically just use bobs red mill 1:1 gluten free flour, would that and the tapioca flour work? Or, what would you suggest as an alternative? I’m allergic to wheat, corn and coconut and oats. Thanks in advance!
Alanna says
That's my favorite GF blend too! I think it would probably work. Not sure if you'd need to add the tapioca or just swap out all the flours for the same amount of Bob's (preferably by weight). Will you let me know if you try it?
Joelle says
I made this with my girls and it was amazing. Perfectly moist and delicious and of course, the glaze was a big hit with the kids. We accidentally skipped the sifting step and beyond the tiny bite of baking soda I got, it was perfectly fine.
Patty says
Outstandingly moist, flavourful and pretty. I adorned with just a few raw pumpkin seeds :-).
Alanna says
Aw that must look beautiful! Thanks a bunch for the note and for trying the recipe. :)
Eliza says
First I made this as a loaf, and loved it. I didn't make the glaze, because the bread was so delicious. Then I followed your suggestions to make pumpkin muffins, which were equally fluffy and divine. Thank you for the great and versatile recipe!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you liked the recipe - as bread and muffins! Thanks a bunch for the sweet note. :)
Nicole Becker says
Hello! I would like to make this without baking powder. Do you think I could sub in sour cream or yogurt or buttermilk from one of the eggs/some of the oil and increase the baking soda? I live in a really isolated area and can't easily get aluminum free baking powder or cream of tartar and want to make this ASAP :).
Alanna says
That's a great question! I'd say it's worth a try. You might want to experiment with a half batch in case you're not happy with the way it turns out. Please let me know how it goes. I'm sorry it's so hard to get your hands on baking powder, that's tough!
Christina says
Can I just use 2 1/2 cups Bob's Gluten Free flour instead of blending the oat,rice,millet, tapioca flours? And I was curious about using avacado oil instead of sunflower, thoughts?
Alanna says
I think that should work! I prefer Bob's 1 to 1 GF flour as their regular GF flour has chickpea flour in it and I dislike the beany flavor it adds. Avocado oil can have a stronger flavor than sunflower, so taste yours and decide whether you think the taste will go in the bread. Please let me know what you try!
Christina says
Alanna, thank you so much for responding so quickly. And I use the Bob's 1 to 1 GF flour too!! I use the Avacado oil for my GF & dairy free banana bread, so I'll try and post here! Can't wait to make....
Alanna says
Ahh perfect! Did you try it yet??
Rich says
This is the best GF pumpkin bread I've tried - it's a keeper. I can't believe how well it rises.
My wife is sensitive to both millet and oats, so I subbed sorghum and brown rice flour, respectively, and it works great. I also use a ten inch bread pan as I was having trouble cooking it all the way through.
Overall fantastic!
Alanna says
Hi Rich! I'm SO glad you and your wife enjoyed this recipe and that the brown rice and sorghum flour work well here! I can see why that version would need a larger pan as those flours tend to be a bit more coarse and less absorbent than both oat and millet flour. So smart to use a bigger pan. Thank you for sharing your variations here - I know it will be a big help to other readers too. :)
Katrine Paradis says
Hello,
What would you suggest for a vegan cake option?
Thank you!@
Katrine
Alanna says
Hi Katrine, One reader tried this with applesauce and sour cream in place of the eggs. You could try 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup vegan yogurt? I'd recommend testing a half batch to start (you can either bake a short loaf or muffins). If you have access to Just Egg (linked to in the ingredients above) that can be a good vegan egg substitute too. Please let me know what you try!
Alene says
I made this yesterday, finally. It's delicious! I added 1/2 cup total of chopped walnuts and chopped crystallized ginger but probably should have made it a half cup of each. I was being cautious about the ginger and dicing it small as my husband doesn't love ginger. I really should have diced them bigger so he wouldn't eat the bread! Once he likes something, uh oh for me. The crumb is perfect and the glaze is so good. It's hard to resist. Thank you for another delicious gf recipe!
Alanna says
This comment made me lol! I'm glad this was a hit with you (and your husband despite your attempts at ginger deterrence haha!) Walnuts and candied ginger sound absolutely divine - I'll have to try that next time!
Alanna says
Tried this out with bob's 1-1 gf AP flour and it is incredible! Not too sweet on its own and paired beautifully with the maple glaze. Big thanks for this one!
Alanna says
I'm so glad that flour blend worked well! Thanks a bunch for the note!
Heidi says
Do you think this recipe would work to make banana bread? By substituting mashed banana for pumpkin puree (about 3 bananas), and leaving out the spices? I am looking for a fairly simple, not overly sweet, but very moist banana bread recipe that doesn't use GF all-purpose flour (which I don't care for) or have chocolate, but nuts are okay. Maybe add in sour cream or yogurt, which I used to do with my old recipe with gluten flours.
Alanna says
That's a really good question - I think that might work since banana and pumpkin are both sort of sweet and starchy. You could certainly try it (or maybe try a half batch in case you don't like how it turns out.) You could also make these banana muffins in a loaf pan and omit the chocolate. This banana cake is also a favorite.
Alex says
I’m a total baking beginner, so I’m still learning :) Could I leave the sugar out or substitute it?
Alanna says
That's a great question! It's always a good practice to make the recipe once as written so you know how it works and how you'd like to change it. Omitting the sugar altogether will throw the recipe off. Sugar works like a liquid, dissolving into the batter as it bakes, and it adds moisture and tenderness along with sweetness. If you can't eat the sugar for health reasons, you could try swapping in a more natural granulated sugar, such as coconut, date, or maple sugar. There are calorie-free sweeteners out there that are designed to sub granulated sugar one to one. I've never tried them so I don't know how they taste or feel in recipes. I would not recommend subbing in a liquid sweetener (such as maple syrup) as this will also throw off the recipe.
Let me know what you try or if you have more questions!
Nancy Gandy says
Good afternoon,
I look forward to baking g-f pumpkin bread muffins for my son. Have you tried adding chopped pecans to the batter?
Alanna says
I haven't, but I bet it would be delicious! I would toast them first. :)
Jamie says
Looks awesome! Can you recommend a substitute for the oat flour?
Alanna says
You could try sorghum, teff, chestnut, or a GF AP flour - those would probably be the closest!
Julie Forster says
This bread was delicious, but mine came out very dry and crumbly. I would love to get this right. The texture in the pictures looks so lovely! Are there any suggestions as to where I went wrong?
Alanna says
Hi Julie, I'm so sorry to hear that! Are you sure you got all the measurements correct? Is it possible you overbaked it or that your oven runs hot? Did you measure by weight or by volume? Happy to help troubleshoot! :)
Katy+Ionis says
Turned out wonderfully moist and flavorful and I love that it is an easy one bowl recipe!! I reduced the sugar in the bread to 150g and used grapeseed oil as the neutral oil and it was just the right sweetness for me - but note that I tend to like desserts very lightly sweetened. I made the glaze but left it on the side and each person can spread the glaze on their slice as thin or thick as they would like - works perfectly right now as it's gotten colder and leaving the glaze in a jar at room temp makes it a great spreadable consistency. For me the glaze is too sweet and I'm not a big fan of the flavor of powdered sugar which I think overpowers the maple in this case. I have enjoyed the bread plain or slathered with nut butter. A nut butter maple coconut oil style of "caramel sauce" would make a delicious glaze actually, idea for next time!
Alanna says
I really like that idea for a healthy glaze - yum! Please let me know if you try it. I'm glad this recipe was a hit and that reducing the sugar and leaving the glaze on the side worked well. Thanks a bunch for trying the recipe and for the sweet note!
Tanya says
This is “the bomb” per my ten year old! I made it following the recipe exactly (except used avocado oil) the first time & the fluffy texture is the best! I’ve made a few more times & used coconut sugar & added ground pumpkin seeds, just trying to add a bit more healthful goodness because my kid gobbles this up. If I’m making this for something special, I’ll follow your recipe exactly. It’s perfect!
Also, just so I use the whole can of pumpkin, I’ve been multiplying the recipe x 1.42 and making two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2” loaves.
I have the pumpkin cranberry adventure bread from your book in the oven right now!
Alanna says
Hi Tanya! I'm so glad you're loving this recipe. The version with coconut sugar and ground pumpkin seeds sounds DELICIOUS and right up my alley, and multiplying the recipe to use up the whole can of pumpkin is BRILLIANT. Thanks so much for the kind note and for sharing your alterations with all of us here!
Emily says
Is it really a tablespoon of baking powder?
Alanna says
It really is :)
Michelle Noe says
This looks heavenly , Alanna!
had a thought... next? maybe persimmons? they have a great texture baked into cake. Might be time to bake!
Alanna says
Hi Michelle! YES I love that idea. Huge persimmon fan here! I have an older recipe for persimmon bread that uses wheat flour, and I've been meaning to adapt it to be GF.
Jenny says
The GF pumpkin bread of my dreams! I baked sans icing and omitted the 2 T of sugar as I like my cake breads less sweet. It was tall, fluffy, moist throughout with a delicately crispy top and warmly spicy, nutty flavor. Thank you!! It’s a keeper.
Alanna says
I'm so glad you loved it and that you sweetened it to your taste! Thanks very much for the note and rating. :)
Ann says
Absolutely loved the texture of this bread! It was moist, soft, and I didn't miss the previous gluten version. I am finding gluten-free is what my body prefers so I am grateful for all the time and energy you have put into recipe development so I don't have to guess. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Alanna says
Thanks so much for the sweet note Ann! I'm so glad you're loving this pumpkin bread and that GF is feeling good.
Gigi says
I truly appreciate the beauty of everything on your blog. Your recipes are simply exquisite. I have a horrible reaction to anything with too much sugar and am wondering how much I could reduce it in the recipe or if there is a good substitute that wouldn’t compromise the texture. Your creations are stand-outs and I can’t wait to try every gorgeous thing you design.
Alanna says
Thank you so much for the sweet words Gigi, I really appreciate that!
I'm also limiting refined sugar these days and I just developed a similar recipe for GF pumpkin muffins that uses small amounts of coconut sugar and maple sugar! You could make that recipe in a loaf pan if you like. Someone just tried the recipe and shared on IG that they omitted the maple syrup, making it even less sweet.
Alternatively, you could make this recipe using coconut sugar, maple sugar, or date sugar, all of which have lower glycemic indexes. You could also try swapping out some of the sugar in the recipe and adding in some yogurt or sour cream to add back the moisture that the sugar would create when it dissolves. For example, you could make this with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream or greek yogurt (or DF yogurt).
I know some folks have made my recipes using keto-friendly sweeteners such as monk fruit, but personally I dislike that flavor.
Please let me know what you try!