Healthy Pumpkin Bread
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Published Oct 05, 2023, Updated Feb 08, 2024
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This healthy pumpkin bread is made with fiber-rich whole wheat flour, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and packed with warm spices. It’s moist, fluffy and makes for the perfect fall treat. Plus, it can easily be made vegan.
This healthy pumpkin bread is one thing that I absolutely love making during the fall months! It’s loaded with pumpkin flavor, warm spices and tastes so good with a cup of hot coffee on a crisp fall morning. Pair it with my pumpkin spice latte for the ultimate fall experience.
That said, most pumpkin breads are far from being a health food. They’re loaded with sugar and lack fiber, so I set out to create a pumpkin bread recipe that’s lower in sugar and made with a higher-fiber flour, but still tasty and satisfying. And I finally nailed it!
What Makes This Pumpkin Bread Healthy?
As I mentioned above this pumpkin bread recipe is relatively healthy in comparison to traditional recipes…
- I used fiber-rich whole wheat pastry flour instead of traditional all-purpose flour.
- I used coconut oil and applesauce instead of butter
- It’s naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar.
Ingredients Needed
- whole wheat pastry flour – whole wheat pastry flour works better than regular whole wheat flour if you’re looking for the light and fluffy bread that regular all-purpose flour provides, but still want the nutrients of whole wheat flour. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.
- baking powder and baking soda – to help the bread rise.
- cinnamon – the perfect spice pairing for this bread.
- pumpkin pie spice – you can make homemade pumpkin pie spice with just cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg or use a store-bought spice blend.
- sea salt – to bring all of the flavors together.
- pumpkin puree – use canned pumpkin or make your own pumpkin puree. If you use canned pumpkin from the store, make sure the ingredient list is just pumpkin – don’t accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling! It’s loaded with added sugar.
- eggs – gives the loaf structure.
- maple syrup – a natural sweetener that pairs perfectly with the spices and pumpkin.
- vanilla extract – a delicious flavor enhancer.
- coconut oil – helps bind the wet and dry ingredients together and add some richness.
- unsweetened applesauce – keeps this bread moist without adding extra oil!
- cinnamon sugar topping – optional but highly recommend adding a coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture before baking to create a delicious, sweet crust!
How to Make
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your loaf pan by spraying it with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, oil, applesauce and vanilla until smooth and combined.
Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well until just combined.
Make topping: In a small bowl mix together coconut sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
Bake: Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with coconut sugar cinnamon topping and place on the center rack of oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from pan.
Substitutions & Notes
Flour – If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour you can also use white whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose and 3/4 cup regular whole wheat or 1 3/4 cup all-purpose. Lots of options!
Coconut oil – Melted butter or any neutral oil like olive oil or avocado oil will work as a substitute for the coconut oil.
Maple syrup – Feel free to swap the maple syrup with honey or agave.
Vegan – Swap 2 flax eggs for the regular eggs to make this loaf vegan. Just a note that if you use flax eggs the loaf might not rise as much.
Gluten-free – You can try using a gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. I haven’t tested it myself, but Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour would be a good option. The bread might not rise as much, but I’m sure it will still taste delicious! I also have a couple grain-free pumpkin options for you! These flourless pumpkin muffins are made with almond butter and SO amazing. Or this quinoa flour pumpkin bread with chocolate chips is another delicious, hearty option.
Optional Mix-ins
I didn’t add any extra mix-ins to this recipe because I love the texture and flavor without but if you want to take this pumpkin bread to the next level, feel free! Here are some ideas:
- chocolate chips – an obvious first choice! I recommend adding Lily’s chocolate chips to keep the sugar and carbs down while still adding decadent chocolate flavor.
- chopped nuts – if you like nuts in your quick breads, add a handful to this batter! I recommend walnuts or pecans, but any nut will do.
Tips For Success
- Don’t over-mix: One of the key steps to achieving fluffy, tender bread is to avoid over-mixing the batter otherwise you’ll end up with pumpkin bread that is dense and gummy. Stir until just combined for the best texture. It’s okay if there are a few streaks of flour left.
- Line your loaf pan: Don’t forget to line your loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal. I also recommend spraying the sides of the pan with cooking spray so the sides don’t stick to the pan.
- Don’t skip the topping: The cinnamon sugar topping is the best part, IMO! It results in a crispy, crunchy sweet topping that is simply irresistible!
- Test for doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf to check if it’s done. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the loaf is ready to come out of the oven.
- Let cool completely: I know it may be tempting to dig into this loaf right away, but trust me when I say you’ll want to let your loaf cool completely before slicing. The loaf continues to bake as it cools and if you cut it too soon it might seem undercooked or fall apart.
How to Serve Pumpkin Bread
This healthy pumpkin bread is arguably delicious for any part of the day! I would eat this for breakfast, a mid-day snack or even dessert! I love putting a slice in our toaster oven to reheat and topping it with a little nut butter. Here are more ideas:
- toast the pumpkin bread and spread on coconut butter or traditional butter
- cream cheese – plain, vanilla or cinnamon cream cheese would be delicious spread on top a slice of this pumpkin bread
- warm up a slice and top with apple butter or pumpkin butter
- toast a slice and serve with a spread of butter and drizzle of honey on top
How to Store Leftovers
After allowing your pumpkin bread to cool completely, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, store in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
If you freeze this loaf I recommend slicing it into individual pieces before freezing so you can easily pull one slice out at a time. To defrost, place the bread in the fridge overnight to thaw.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
More Quick Bread Recipes
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Vegan Apple Bread
- Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Healthy Lemon Loaf (Starbucks Copycat)
Be sure to check out the full collection of pumpkin recipes and all my quick bread recipes here on EBF.
Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
- â…“ cup melted coconut oil
- â…“ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 1 regular sized loaf pan (8.5 inch) by spraying it with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt).
- Combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, oil, applesauce and vanilla) in a medium-sized mixing bowl and blend well.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry and stir well until just combined.
- In a small bowl mix coconut sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
- Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with coconut sugar cinnamon topping and place on the center rack of oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before removing from pan.
- Bread should keep at room temperature for at least 3 days. For longer storage, keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Video
Notes
- Whole wheat pastry flour: If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour you can also use white whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose and ¾ cup regular whole wheat or 1¾ cup all-purpose. For a gluten-free option, you could try a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.
- Eggs: Flaxseed eggs can be used to replace the regular eggs to make this loaf vegan.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good Evening,
Just curious if you feel almond flour would be ok to substitute?
Thanks!!
Hi Brooke – I would not recommend almond flour. If you are trying to make this bread gluten-free, you can try using a gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. I haven’t tested it myself, but Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour would be a good option. The bread might not rise as much, but I’m sure it will still taste delicious!
I really wanted to like this bread since I love so many of your recipes, but I was disappointed! It’s very dense since it didn’t rise at all in the oven. I followed the recipe exactly and it’s not very sweet at all and just too dense and dry for my liking. Oh well!
I am so sorry to hear that this recipe did not turn out as you had hoped, Joanna. It could be that the batter may have been over mixed since it was so dense. Did you use a mixer or did you hand blend everything?
This pumpkin bread is my new favorite way to use up all my frozen pumpkin puree. I made it with robin hood gluten free all purpose flour, and I added chopped pecans and a generous dollop of blackstrap molasses, Everyone couldn’t believe healthy bread could taste this good! Thank you!
Excellent! I am so glad that you are enjoying this recipe and that it turned out great for you, Ashley. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
Whisk together ground flaxseed with water in a small bowl with a fork and let it sit for a few minutes until an gel like consistency forms.
How much. Not in the recipe
Hi Lynne – If you select the Flax Egg in the recipe list, it will take you to the full recipe, you will want to use 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Great flavor!! I pulled it out after 55 minutes and it was a little too done. I’ll definitely try again and bake less.
Hi Brittany – Glad to hear you’re enjoying this recipe. Every oven it different so your’s must cook a bit quicker than mine, thanks for this feedback, it is good to note. I appreciate your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Hi
I was just wondering, is it possible to substitute whole wheat pastry flour in your recipes for any other flour?
Thank you!
Hi! It would definitely depend the recipe, but for this recipe specifically you can use white whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose and 3/4 cup regular whole wheat or 1 3/4 cup all-purpose. Hope that helps and you enjoy this recipe!
I substituted the wheat flour with half oat and half 1-to-1 gluten free blend and its perfect. This is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe!
Ah this is great, Charlene. I am so glad this recipe turned out great for you using the subs. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
I was among the first to comment and beg for the recipe when you shared the YouTube short of you baking it. I finally got around to baking it and O.M.G, its fantastic. I followed the recipe closely with the only exception being that I did not have applesauce on-hand, so instead, I finely grated up two Gala apples and incorporated that into the batter. Fantastic. Delicious. Such a great treat without being overly sweet. most of all, I loved that the ingredients were clean enough that I felt comfortable serving it to my 14month old too. Thanks so much!
Ahh I am SO glad you gave this recipe a try and it worked out for you with you additions, thank you for your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
It looks so short. How can I change it to be higher-rising?
Hi Becki – Not sure what you mean, this recipe is baked in a regular loaf pan and it rises all the same. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
This bread was delicious and perfect for our tea time. I like that it wasn’t overly sweet and the spices were perfect. I used spelt flour and the loaf turned out light and fluffy. Thanks for the recipe!
Ah yay! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out fabulous for you, Mary. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!