Healthy Pumpkin Bread
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This healthy pumpkin bread is made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened. It’s delicious, perfectly moist and makes for the perfect fall treat.
If there’s one thing I absolutely love making during the fall months, it’s this healthy pumpkin bread!
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.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Pumpkin Bread
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!
- This loaf is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar.
- We’re using fiber-rich whole wheat pastry flour instead of traditional all-purpose flour.
- Coconut oil and applesauce are used in place of butter.
// ★★★★★ Review //
“This is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe of all time! I make it so much during the fall and even other times of the year as well. I love it so much. I wish I could leave it 10 stars!” – Kate
Ingredients Needed
- whole wheat pastry flour – whole wheat pastry flour works better than regular whole wheat flour if you’re looking for that light texture 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.
- pumpkin pie spice – you can make homemade pumpkin pie spice with just cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg or use a store-bought spice blend.
- 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. I’ve tested this with and without eggs, and the eggs really help the bread hold together.
- maple syrup – a natural sweetener that pairs perfectly with the spices and pumpkin. I recommend pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup, for best flavor.
- 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!
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
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!
- 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: I haven’t tested this recipe with GF flour, but if you do I’d love to hear how it turned out! 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.
How to Make
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Step 2: In a medium bowl whisk together pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, oil, applesauce and vanilla until smooth and combined.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well until just combined.
Step 4: In a small bowl mix together coconut sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
Step 5: Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with coconut sugar cinnamon topping and place on the center rack of oven.
Step 6: Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing.
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-mix: One of the key steps to achieving 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.
- 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 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
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Better Than Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Icebox Cake
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
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
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ⅓ 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Followed the recipe except for the coconut oil which I replaced with applesauce and used whole wheat flour. I had to add around 15 mins additional cooking time, and the bread didn’t rise all that much. There’s a nice crack in the center, but the texture is chewy and rubbery with no crumb. Any idea what went wrong?
Oh no!! So sorry to hear that. Did you add the baking soda and baking powder?
I’m making this recipe for the third time! It’s great for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. I like to heat up a slice with some vegan butter.
I make a few alternations: For the spices, I do 1+ teaspoons cinnamon and 1+ teaspoons ground ginger (it’s what I have). I do a little less than 1/4 cup maple syrup to make it less sweet. And I do 1/4 cup avocado oil instead of coconut oil. 50 minutes in the oven seems to be the best baking time for my oven.
I’m so glad you’ve been loving this recipe, Tricia. Thanks for coming back to share the subs you made – it’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it!
I omitted the coconut oil because I wanted it to make even healthier, so I added some more milk and it turned out great! It wasn’t dry at all, it was the perfect snack to get me through the week!
So glad this pumpkin bread turned out for you, Bo! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂
Absolutely delicious!!!
Made one with King Arthur gluten free (one to one) Added 1/3 c chocolate chips
The other used part Einkorn part unbleached all purpose and the chocolate chips.
Perfect!!!💕💕💕
Love all your recipes I’ve tried
Ahh yay!! So good to know this bread turned out with the different flours you used. 🙂 I’m so glad they’re a hit! Thanks for making this bread and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
This is a great recipe! Healthy and tastes delicious! Thank you for such great recipes!
You’re so welcome, Lan! So glad this bread was a hit. 🙂
I’m really excited to try this! I’m just wondering if I can use regular ol flour instead of ww pastry flour? And also do you have any subs for applesauce?
Thanks!!
Hey Anna! Yes, you can totally use purpose flour to replace the ww pastry flour. For the applesauce, you could do an extra 1/4 cup of coconut oil or 1/4 cup mashed banana. I haven’t tried either of these so I can’t say for sure but I think they should work just fine! Let me know if you try the recipe.
If I only have a 9.5 in loaf pan, what should the baking time be?
Hey Summer, with the 9.5 inch pan the bread might be done faster. I would check it around the 40/45 min mark and add more time if needed.
Wow! Just made this. 1) I am not a baker and ruin everything. 2) I am also not a vegan. BUT wow! Super easy, quick and soooo stinking good. I will be making this atleast once a week!
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad this bread turned out for you. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
The recipe looks great and I love that they are low sugar. Do you think I could use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes! I think honey should work just fine.
Just make it. It’s delicious and not overly sweet! I love toasting it and putting some butter on top.
So glad you loved this pumpkin bread, Hillary!! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂