Raise your hands if you’re excited about fall! I’m looking forward to pumpkin treats, cooler weather and dusting off my favorite boots. The leaves on the trees outside look tired, so I think we’re in for a show soon.
I’m satisfying my pumpkin cravings with my favorite pumpkin bread while we wait for those magnificent red and orange trees. This recipe is a simplified and perfected version of my old honey-sweetened pumpkin bread.
It’s made with pumpkin purée and spices, of course, plus honey (or maple syrup), white whole wheat flour (which is more neutral-flavored than regular) and coconut oil. Combine all of those in one bowl and you’ll get some seriously amazing pumpkin bread.
If you’re a fan of my banana bread, you’re going to love this recipe, too. This recipe is highly adaptable to special diets, and I’ve added notes for adjustments under the recipe. Pumpkin bread for everyone!
Watch How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Bread
I’ve been making recipe videos with my brother. We’ve gotten into more arguments than I’d like to admit, but we’re in a great rhythm now. Let us know what you think of our pumpkin bread video, will you, please? It’s short and snappy, and I hope you love it.
Please let me know how this bread turns out for you in the comments! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Craving more pumpkin treats and wholesome baking projects? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Healthy pumpkin muffins (just like this pumpkin bread, but in muffin form!)
- Pumpkin pecan scones with maple glaze
- Pumpkin pancakes
- Pumpkin waffles
- More pumpkin recipes here!
Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
This amazing pumpkin bread is naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup, and made with whole wheat flour. It’s so moist and fluffy, no one will ever guess! You can easily make this pumpkin bread vegan and/or gluten free—check the recipe notes for details. Recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup milk of choice or water
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit…
- Pinch of ground cinnamon, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together together with a whisk. Add the eggs and whisk until blended. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice, baking soda, vanilla and salt, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey whole wheat pumpkin bread and healthy banana bread.
Storage suggestions: This bread is moist, so it will keep for just two or three days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for five to seven days, or in the freezer for up to three months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by letting them rest at room temperature or lightly toasting them.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
Make muffins: Here’s my pumpkin muffin recipe.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill’s all-purpose gluten-free flour blend works well. Or, substitute 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour instead. Do NOT substitute coconut flour.
Flour alternatives: An equal amount of all-purpose flour can be used in place of the whole wheat flour.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
Recommended equipment: I love my Fiesta Loaf Pan in Turquoise (affiliate link).
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Karen
Can I use oat flour? Or spelt flour? Or anything other than gluten-free, whole wheat or all purpose?
Kate
Hi Karen, I don’t recommend oat flour or spelt flour. If you are interested, you can search through the comments to see if others may have tried a different variation (ctrl + F) Sorry!
Donna M Wilson
I use a combination of organic spelt and freshly ground organic oat flour in the muffin version, and my kids love it! :-)
★★★★★
Jill
Love that Pumpkin bread video, now off to make the bread!
Katharine
Second week running with a loaf of this lovely pumpkin bread. It’s so nice shared with the family on a Sunday.
★★★★★
Kate
Perfect thing for a Sunday!
Danielle Gose
I just made this and it came out excellent! I used nonfat Greek yogurt instead is milk and it came out super moist and fluffy. Next time I will probably add a little more honey. I don’t think I did the full 1/2 cup and I like it a tad sweeter. I will probably add more of the spices too. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Geoffrey
Kate. The recipe was great! I used olive oil instead of coconut oil because I was out. I used 1 cup of white whole wheat and 3/4 cup of Spelt Flour. We have bees and chickens so I used our girls’ honey and fresh eggs. It was really moist and delicious. I added some chopped walnuts and a scattering of choc chips. I served it warm with a dollop of real whipped cream for dessert after our Valentine’s Day dinner.
I had leftover pumpkin puree so I made it again tonight. To experiment, this time I used apple sauce instead of oil. I didn’t have a full cup of pumpkin puree so I used half a banana. I used 1 cup of Spelt and 3/4 cup of white whole wheat (reverse of first time). And, of course, I added walnuts and chips again. This one is dairy free. I used Ripple (pea protein milk) instead of reg milk. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing what your tried! I’m glad it worked well for you, Geoffrey. I appreciate the review.
Sam
♡♡♡ this.
As most bakers do, I swapped a few things: used a 1/4 c combo of dark molasses and coconut nectar (didn’twant too much sweetness), just 1/4 c coconut oil, flax egg, fresh pumpkin puree. But the basics are all yours. The only downside is that it’s not pumpkin colored but hey, taste over looks. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Sam!
Amelia
Hi Kate, I’m from Singapore and I just baked this. It was delicious, your recipe is the simplest I’ve come across on the internet. I love it. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe. Have a good day!:)
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Amelia!
DJ
I’ve made this recipe at least 4 times now. Every time better than the last. My changes:
– I about double the amount of pumpkin (I use half of one of the big cans) and use about 2 cups of flour.
– I also up the spices. If you like more spices, put more in. I like the flavor notes they add. I add twice the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. But keep the cloves and allspice at their prescribed amount (I’m not such a fan of those… they are only ok).
– I don’t have a big bread pan, so I use two smaller pans (maybe 4″x8″). I keep the same cooktime (about 55 mins), checking them every 5 mins after 45 mins. I have yet to overbake these. If anything, I underbake them, which leaves them very moist.
– I tried two batches (2 days ago) going plant based. I had an epic fail at making flax paste. I had unsweetened applesauce on hand, so I put in about half a cup of unsweetened applesauce and a quarter tsp more of the baking soda instead of eggs. I used coconut milk vice cow milk. I used coconut oil and local honey. Turned out fantastic. Again, remember to bake them long enough, but not too long. I may have gone through a few toothpicks.
– I prefer these with pecans. If you can get the pecan parts (I can’t remember the real name right now – not whole, half, or sliced, you want the little quarter inch by quarter inch chunks). You can make them without, but they bake nicely in, they are not hard crunch when you eat them. Delicious.
– These freeze great. I double wrap them in plastic wrap. I’d love to tell you they last months in the freezer… but I eat them before that time comes. Most they’ve hibernated in the freezer is a month. I thawed them out to delicious. The thought of pre-slicing before freezing is also genius.
– I have yet to make this with another fruit (i.e., banana), but I think the consistency would be great for this recipe.
– FYI: the consistency of the batter when it’s about to go into the pan: This is not a dough like pizza dough. This is loose. Like a wooden spoon can stir it, yet its not goopy. I have to spoon it into the pan with the bowl tipped. So it’s not runny or pourable, but it’s not a dough either.
– Last, you’ve got to make this. It’s a great breakfast bread, low in fat, low in sugar, natural, and tastes good!! Great find!
DJ
I forgot to add:
– I use somewhere between one quarter and one third of a cup each of coconut oil and honey. Part of this is because my coconut oil is solidified and because after I scoop in a random amount to a pan and heat it up, it always turns out less than I expect. Further, I reduce the honey to keep this bread on the less sweet side. I figure I get enough sugars in other stuff throughout my diet, no need to add extra to this recipe. It still turns out fine.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your detailed comment on your approach! I appreciate the review.
Sally
Thank you for suggesting other ingredients. I made these muffins and found them to be dry with very little pumpkin flavor. I think the applesauce substitute and more spices would help. I felt like there was too much flour in the mix so I will reduce this.
Sally
Thank you for suggesting other ingredients. I made these muffins and found them to be dry with very little pumpkin flavor. I think the applesauce substitute and more spices would help. I felt like there was too much flour in the mix so I will reduce this a bit. Any suggestions as to what I might have done wrong would be helpful.
Khadijah
I made the pumpkin bread with the recipe and i found it to be dry as well even when it came to muffins. I just finished making my second attempt at pumpkin bread with adjustments to the recipe to increase the flavor. You can add more pumpkin puree if you love pumpkin more; that’s what i did. Although, i would keep in mind that adding more pumpkin puree requires you to add a little more milk to maintain the proper thickness. If you end up adding more pumpkin i would put in very little amount of milk, fold it into the batter and repeat until the thickness of the bread or muffin is where it should be. I also added in some nutmeg, a bit more milk to adjust to the consistency of the batter, and bit more than 1 cup of pumpkin puree. In addition to these changes i also only used 1 egg, i substituted the second egg for more coconut oil, and i added 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour and dry ingredients bowl. All these changes actually made the pumpkin bread significantly better. You sound like you followed the directions well but it may have just been the cooking time in the oven that may need to be adjusted for you. Personally my oven is an older model; it is hotter than a newer oven so i have to be careful to watch it and not let it burn. You may have left your pumpkin muffins in too long if it became that dry. When i made the pumpkin muffins I made sure to set a timer that was well below what the recipe said so i could check in with how it was baking when it was needed. The applesauce substitute you mentioned may not have been thick enough to help keep it moist, unlike the consistency of the pumpkin puree. I hope this helps!
★★★★★
Sally
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I reread the recipe and I am thinking for me it might be the whole wheat flour I used. Also I remember using the beaters when I probably should have hand mixed it. I wonder how whole pastry flour would work. My issue with pumpkin baked goods has always been that it is not spicy enough for me. I like your idea for the nutmeg. I will try it again with the changes in the fall. Than you again.
Sally
Dhanya
Omg! I made this today! Turned out perfect. Moist and tasted soooooo yummmy! Thanks a lot.
I used applesauce and flax.egg, also cake was perfect in 45min!
I will definitely make this a 100 time! It’s perfect recipe
★★★★★
Kate
Great, Dhanya!
Cindy Gardner
Kate, I think I love this recipe as much as you do. I finally cut up my beautiful cinderella pumpkin that had been sitting on my kitchen counter since Oct. I’ve made about six loafs in the last month. This recipe is perfection! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved this recipe, Cindy!
allegra
Didnt know where to post this but just letting you know that the link for healthy banana bread doesnt seem to be working these last few days, tried accessing it from different places but just goes to the picture! :)
Kate
I’m sorry for your experience with Cookie and Kate this weekend. My website hosting made a big mistake and I’ve worked with them to resolve the issue. All should be working now. Let me know if you have any issues!
allegra
Cant wait to make this recipe but its impossible for me to find white wholewheat flour here! Is wholemeal flour the same/can i use it instead?
Kate
I believe they are one in the same!
Denise
So I took some of the previous comments into consideration when I made this recipe for the first time…and loved the results. I used buttermilk instead of regular milk which made a thicker batter and helped the bread cook more evenly, especially in the middle. I added twice the amount of pie spice and a bit extra maple syrup. Since I used my own pumpkin puree, I needed to add some extra flour so the batter wasn’t too runny. I grind my own wheat, which makes an amazing wheat flavor. Fresh ground always has a lighter texture and flavor. The results were amazing. The bread was moist, flavorful and hard to resist. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad the comments were helpful.
Rita
How do you do your pumpkin puree please
Denise
I cook the pumpkin squash style. When it is finished cooking, I simply puree it in the blender. It can be used right away, frozen, or canned. If you use frozen puree it will have more liquid. It can be strained before using, but will also need a little more flour to balance out the extra moisture.
Rae
Great recipe! I’ve made this bread twice this week already! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Rae! Thanks for your review.
Bella
I really, really love making this pumpkin bread, Kate! Everyone whose tasted it loves it, too. I’ve been using store bought pumpkin puree but am challenging myself to make my own. Do you have a recipe for it? :) Thank you so much!
Kate
I don’t have a puree specific recipe, but you could try adapting this soup with the roasted pumpkin: https://cookieandkate.com/creamy-vegan-pumpkin-soup
Michelle
So good! Used Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour because I have celiac. Turned out amazing. Served it at a dinner party, everyone lived it!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Michelle!
Jeannette
I love this recipe and so does my toddler! I’ve made this one, the banana version, and I’ve also used sweet potato in place of pumpkin! It’s been a success every time and between the fruit/vegetable and the whole wheat flour, she’s happily eating something I can feel reasonably good about!
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thanks for sharing, Jeannette!
Elizabeth
Hi Kate! I have made this bread about 15 times now — absolutely love this recipe and how it tastes!! Thank you so much!
I’ve made it with GF flour + almond flour + oat flour before to make it GF but the last two times I made them with whole wheat flour. I noticed that when I bake with whole wheat flour the bread is much more dense. Is it supposed to be like that? Is there a way to make it less dense and more fluffy while still using whole wheat flour?
Also, every time I bake this my bread looks really nice in the oven but once it cools it looses volume and sinks down quite flat. What am I doing wrong and do you know how to prevent this from happening?
Thank you so much for your response in advance!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad they are working for you with so many variations. I appreciate the review!
Ashley
Followed it exactly and it came out great! I love that there’s no refined sugar and the amount of sweetness of the bread is perfect. This is my new favorite pumpkin bread recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Ashley!
Jill
I love your Healthy Pumpkin Bread recipe. I’m going to try your
Honey whole wheat banana bread next.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it! Let me know what you think, Jill.
Leslie
So you have any suggestions for substitutions for the maple syrup/honey. Trying to make this with less sugar so my 9 month old can try a little.
Laura
This recipe is so delicious. I can barely tell the difference between this and my usual pumpkin bread recipe filled with butter & white sugar! Thanks!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Laura! Thanks so much for your review.
Rebecca McGregor
Hi Kate and Cookie …tonight I have made for the first time your pumpkin bread … my goodness so delicious , flavoursome and super spongy . I tried it with all spelt flour and it came out really well .
Served it warm with a dab of ricotta and drizzle of maple syrup !
Love love … thank u Kate
Bex and Bruno ( my cavoodle) we are kiwis living in Fiji and loving cooking your recipes !❤️
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Elle
I made this bread yesterday and it smelled amazing, though it’s didn’t rise much. The bread seems very dense. The taste is there, but it is only about 1 1/2 inches tall? I used maple syrup and almond milk. My grandmother told me I should have used baking powder, but I prefer to follow recipes exact the first time I make them (hence I used baking soda like the recipe says, and it was brand new baking soda too). Any tips?
Hannah
Your grandmother was right. Baking powder is necessary for this recipe because there’s no acid for the baking soda to react with to rise (unless you were to use buttermilk). Making this now with baking powder instead, in the mood for fall!
Caroline Lewis
I thought the same thing when I read the recipe. Baking soda needs an acid. Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try this recipe with my girls this afternoon!
Hope
This pumpkin loaf turned out great. It is very tasty. My only complaint that it doesn’t taste like pumpkin very much, more like banana bread. I would definitely add more spices or even pumpkin puree to bring out the flavor more. Still a great recipe though!!!
★★★★
Kath Walker
Hi,love to see your recipes. I have a problem ,I would like you to help me with, if possible. My daughter is gluten intolerant, some of her school friends have nut allergies or dairy intolerance.. We would love to bake a cake for Halloween, that they can all enjoy.is it possible ,can you help.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Kath! I try to provide substitutions as much as I can at the bottom. Check-out my monster cookie recipe. I believe some have used a sun butter and it has worked well!
Katie Swanson
Hi, I made this recipe tonight. But I substituted sprouted grain whole wheat flour for the flour. It ended up not coming in the middle even though I baked it over an hour and it sank in the middle:( according to things I have read I should be able to substitute the flour the way I did. But now I’m secondguessingthat? Or is there something else I did wrong?
Thank you for your time!Aww
Kate
Hi Katie, My experiences is that most flours do differ, unfortunately.I’m sorry this substitution didn’t work for you. Without trying it with this flour, I don’t have much guidance. It might need more leavener or possible liquid.
Hannah
Made this yesterday morning with maple syrup, almond milk, and white all purpose flour. I also added golden raisi s. It came out wonderfully! Super moist and flavorful. My grandmother (seasoned baker) loved it. (:
★★★★★
Katie
Hi Kate,
Thanks so much for your reply. Irealized after hours of contemplating ( lol slight exaggeration) that I had put a whole can of pumpkin puree :) I somehow confused 1 can for a cup. I just made it again today. It turned out much better. Thanks for a healthier recipe :)
★★★★★
Kate
Oh boy! Thanks for reporting back. I appreciate the review, Katie.
Jade
I made it as listed and added dark chocolate chips. Took about 10 extra minutes to cook, but came out perfect and delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delicious, Jade!
Norma Rodriguez
I used your recipe for the first time when I bought 8 bags of wheat flour on sale and needed a healthy alternative to my old butter loaded recipe. I never went back. Your recipes are my only go to recipes. Thank you for being so generous!!! With these beautiful recipes! I give you 1000 stars!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Norma!
Jody
Love this recipe! The only thing I change is I half the oil for flaxseeds and bake for 60-65 minutes…
★★★★★
Hend Hasaballah
I didn’t have pumpkin so I used butternut squash instead and it turned out amazing
Thanks for the great recipes ❤️
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Hend!
Kennedy
Kate – I am allergic to corn so what would you suggest I use in place of the baking soda?
Julia
Hi!
Could you sweeten this with ripe bananas or apple sauce instead of honey?
Kate
I believe others have tried applesauce with luck, but I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Jennifer
This was delicious and a hit with my family! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jennifer!
Gee
How do the nutrition facts change with gluten free flour?
Kate
Hi Gee! You can use the sources I have noted in my nutrition disclaimer to input your specifics: https://cookieandkate.com/nutrition-disclaimer/. I hope this helps some!
Ashley
I made this over the weekend and added chocolate chips. The flavor was great and I cooked it until a toothpick came out clean but the texture was still a little gummy. I would make this again.
★★★★
Kate
Chocolate chips are a great addition! Thanks for your review, Ashley. It sounds like your bread needed to stay in just a little longer.
Ellie Magee
I subbed a g-f flour mix: 1 1/4 c almond flour, 1/2 c. Millet flour, and 1/4 c sorghum flour(1/2 tsp of x-gum). I found the bread to have a nice texture and the 1/2 maple syrup was just the right sweetness-that was my biggest concern. Used almond milk and avocado oil…also added a T. of vanilla yogurt. I used 1 1/4 c of pumpkin…also the loaf may release better w parchment on bottom of pan. It took at least an hour to bake with the addition of pecans.
I’ll make this again and sub in applesauce for half of the oil. I like best that it uses a natural sweetener and not too much of it.
Very good recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing your variation, Ellie! I appreciate your review.
M
Hi,
Can you sub applesauce for the oil?
Kate
I haven’t tried it, but I believe some others have with luck! I recommended searching the comments to see what they recommend.
Leanne
Hi
Love love love this bread, have made it as written and as in suggestions gluten free. Great! Now I would like to ake this for a friend who is vegan. have you actually tried it with the flax egg version? Thanks!
Kate
I believe from others this has worked very well with a flax egg.
Denise Hershey
Slowly phasing all my baked goods over to plant-based and using little to no refined sugars. I knew to turn to your website first as your maple-sweetened banana muffins are one of my all time faves (and taught me my go-to method for mixing melted coconut oil and maple syrup!). I used flax eggs in a ratio of 2T ground flax to 2.5T water, but next time might reduce the water a bit. I might also use baking powder in addition to soda as another reviewer commented to see if they rise more. As is, these loaves are squat, dense little loaves, but tasty, moist, healthful and (my favorite) not overly sweet! Plus, hands down, just super easy to throw together and get into the oven.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your comment, Denise!
Debbie Grady
This bread is a staple with me now and I always wanted a good pumpkin bread recipe for around the holidays and wanted one without sugar and this was it!
It’s really incredible and tasty I have made it so many times and now have two in the oven as I write this. I am bringing these to work and have before and it gets gobbled up so quickly. Love the smell too when first done, smells like autumn. I use the olive oil option and the milk as opposed to water and the honey as opposed to the maple syrup and it comes out perfect. This is a five star bread !!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Debbie!
Aina
I made this bread and it was a bit too dense. What should I do to fix this?
sera
This is a great recipe! I added chocolate chips and a little layer of cinnamon brown sugar to the top of mine. My daughter prefers chocolate in all the things. It was delicious! I think it was even better the second day. Another great recipe Kate!
★★★★★
Mia
I’ve just made this bread along with the muffins as I had a superfluity of pumpkin purée. I followed your recipe with the exception of using fresh pumpkin purée, using 1.5x the recommended amount of spices, adding chopped pecans and sultanas, reducing the amount of honey by around 30%, and using half spelt flour since I ran out of wholewheat and thought buckwheat wouldn’t work (I read somewhere in the comments that it worked well). Although it tastes beautiful, especially topped with almond butter and roasted pumpkin seeds, it’s horrifically dense and stodgy, which i don’t find hugely palatable. I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong, other than incorporating spelt, but perhaps it’s concerning the baking soda? I’m determined to make it work though, so I’ll try it with 100% wholewheat some time.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Mia!
Janik
Absolutely delicious, turned out very moist. I used half brown sugar and half honey since I ran out, and half gluten free flour half oatmeal flour. Added pecans. The only thing I’d do different is put less baking soda since there’s an aftertaste of it.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Janik!
Helen
I just made this with all purpose flour, honey, and oat milk and it came out perfect! Just the right amount of sweetness I was looking for. I also added chopped walnuts and espresso chocolate chips. I would recommend adding more spice to the recipe since the pumpkin spice flavor isn’t as strong as I thought it to be, but overall it’s a great sugarless recipe!
★★★★
Edwina Steel
Thank you Kate. Made this today. Very good. The warm seasonings stand out nicely. Will make again.
★★★★★
Irene
I replaced bobs red mill 1 to 1 baking powder, doubled pumpkin, and used 2 cups of flour. Came out great! Made half with chocolate chips and the other half plain. 55 mins was perfect.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Irene!
Monica
Love love love the videos! Short and sweet but being a visual person, they are so helpful! I used a combination of oat flour and almond flour to make it gluten free and it turned out great.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you find them helpful!
Molly McMahon
I just made this and oh boy, it’s delicious! It’s moist and wonderful and the crust is just perfect!
★★★★★
Linda
Thank you! Love the substitutions you offer as well. God bless you!
Deann Crossno
Hi Katie:
I love your recipes. I was wondering if I can make this recipe in a Bundt cake pan?
I love your granola recipe.
Kate
You could try it, although I recommend my banana cake recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/favorite-banana-cake-recipe/
Hannah
AMAZING!!!! So moist and fluffy and just melt in your mouth good! Never had a better pumpkin bread!
★★★★★
Meaghan Skinner
I noticed that this pumpkin bread recipe is similar to the banana bread recipe in terms of the ratio of wet and dry ingredients. I make both of those recipes regularly and love them!
I thought I’d try unsweetened apple sauce instead of banans or pumpkin, and it turned out great! I used cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg as my spices. :)
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you love them both.
Rhonda Prensky
I made this bread this morning for the kids to take to school. I added chocolate chips and it is delicious and will be part of my morning baking rotation. Your recipes are always a win, thank you! I think I will substitute applesauce for the eggs next time as it is recommended that my daughter avoid them. Thank you again for another winner!
Rhonda
I made this bread this morning for the kids to take to school. I added chocolate chips and it is delicious and will be part of my morning baking rotation. Your recipes are always a win, thank you! I think I will substitute applesauce for the eggs next time as it is recommended that my daughter avoid them. Thank you again for another winner!
Rumeysa Gokcekus
Very moist and delicious. I added walnuts and raisins. I will make it again.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear!
Kristi P
Great recipe. I made a triple batch and used 2 cups of pumpkin and 1 of cranberry sauce (with olive oil and maple syrup).
Turned out great and not overly sweet.
★★★★★
Cynthia
I love love love this recipe. I made it for the first time last year. I decided to cook my own pumpkin for the recipe. I freeze the pumpkin in 2 cup freezer containers and double the ingredients of recipe. My fiancé loves this pumpkin bread. I use black walnuts.
Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Cynthia!
Ginger Seng
Excellent recipe!! The wheat flour made it nuttier and more rustic. The coconut oil made it lighter. LOVE!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Ginger!
Lorraine McLeod
Super delicious! I added in chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts. I also used half maple syrup and half honey and I loved the results.
Jill
Love that Pumpkin bread video, now off to make the bread!
Kate
Thank you, Jill!
Rhon
Do you have any tips on what to do with the leftover pumpkin? I used 1 cup from a 15 oz. can.
Kate
Hi Rhon! You can save it for a future recipe, add to overnight oats, smoothie, etc. :)
Brendan Kesby
Amazing, turned out perfect!
★★★★★
JenInColorado
Excellent recipe! Thought my teenage boys would notice the absence of white sugar right away but they never did & they love this bread with their breakfast. Thanks very much!!
★★★★★
Drew
I use your banana bread and pumpkin bread recipes often. Sometimes, I combine the recipes to make two loaves of banana-pumpkin bread. Absolutely delicious! I appreciate the fact that wholesome ingredients are used instead of ingredients normally found in cake. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. Love Cookie!
★★★★★
Marcia Orbelian
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPE!
I used coconut oil and honey for the first time in a pumpkin bread.
Love the lightness! I also used 3/4 almond flour with 1 cup regular flour.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Marcia!
Ali
This recipe is awesome! The first time I made it I followed the instructions to a T with the exception of using sugar free pancake syrup instead of honey. The second time I was baking at my boyfriend’s house and we were missing a lot of ingredients so I used a little extra pumpkin, a little extra pumpkin pie spice, water instead of milk, olive oil instead of coconut oil, and 2-3 table spoons of sugar free pancake syrup instead of vanilla extract. The second time I made it the mixture was a lot less viscous and poured into the bread tin much easier – probably due to the olive oil and water. It turned out much sweeter than the first time, but I loved it! It was great either way. I think if you want a more sweet version of this bread, definitely use honey. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Sogdiana
I have tried this recipe. It turned out amazing delicious Very tasty and moist. thanks or the recipe.
★★★★★
Madiha Lee Abdullah
How do I make the pumpkin puree?
Kate
I buy it in the store. I don’t have a pumpkin puree recipe, sorry!
Staci C.
I’m in love with this recipe! I subbed unsweetened apple sauce for the oil, 1/3 cup white sugar for the sweetener, and 1/3 cup unflavored whey protein powder for 1/3 cup of the flour (just to boost the protein a bit.) I did up the cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp as well. O. M. G. what a delicious, healthy pumpkin bread! It it the perfect consistency, perfect flavor, and rose beautifully even with the modifications. I’ll be making this again and again! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Himaya
Tried out pumpkin bread for the first time and it was delicious! Thanks for this lovely recipe and all the others, absolutely love trying out new recipes from your page ! :) I tried out the carrot cake recipe and it was delicious as well!
★★★★★
Erin
This recipe is awesome! I make your banana bread as well, but I think this is even better :) I used avocado oil as the fat, maple syrup as the sugar, and regular AP flour. I added 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, and the crunch was great. My family said, “how is this so good?!”
★★★★★
Kate
I love it, Erin! Thank you for sharing.
Tamasin Langton
This is going to be the first time I have baked since school, and now I’m 28!!
I have a whole small crown pumpkin, would you say a cup of puree is half a small pumpkin? Thank you! (And if you have a recommendation of how best to get the puree from it, please let me know!
Thank you.
Kate
Hi! I would follow my pumpkin soup recipe. I’m not quite sure on pumpkin quantity as it really depends how much is inside.
sara
I use this recipe so much I thought I should finally leave a comment. This is the best! I always get compliments on this recipe and it gets gobbled up super quickly. I have never taste a better pumpkin bread. I use spelt flour and allspice instead of cloves and it is just divine! This and your banana muffins are my weekly go to for the family
★★★★★
Dena Holliman
Delicious, moist… easy. :)
★★★★★
Sujata
I make a lot of Kate’s cookie and bread recipes and like them a lot. I made this pumpkin bread using high oleic expeller pressed sunflower oil instead of extra virgin olive oil as I thought olive oil would be too herby for a sweet bread. My loaves came out very moist – not dry as some have complained – and generally tasty – but I won’t be using sunflower again. Sunflower oil is supposed to be a mild oil but there is a distinct odor and a very soapy aftertaste. My family didn’t love it to tell you the truth. Next time, I may just wing it and try the olive oil. Also, I do agree this recipe could do with a bit more pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavors, as well as a bit more sweetness. I don’t need a ton of sweet but this was not sweet enough even for me…Thanks Kate, in general, for your recipes. My family especially loves your ginger molasses cookies!
★★★★
Jean Payne
I have made the recipe multiple times using A combination of flour and oat flour (grinding regular oat meal) and love the texture. Delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Jean! I appreciate it.
Ai
Recipe sound great, cane wait to made it. I have made your healthy banana bread were so delicious, I m in Australia, may I ask what type of pumpkin is best for this recipe
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Ai! Canned pumpkin is what I use here. If you can’t find canned, then you could use a cooking pumpkin and use this soup recipe as a base to cook your pumpkin. I hope this helps!
Rasha
Great recipe!! Easy to make, healthy for my kids and great way to use leftover pumpkin. Was going to make pumpkin scones but so happy I tried this instead. Lovely texture and great taste. I used less honey and it was still sweet enough for us.
I also added pecans which was awesome in there! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Kevin
Like GEOFFREY, I also replaced the oil with applesauce. It’s a trick my mother taught me years ago. The bread comes out very moist. The applesauce does make it a little spongy, but it’s still very good.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Kevin! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Lynne Quigley
Hello! What size of canned pumpkin do you use for this recipe? Thanks
Kate
Hi! You only need one cup for this recipe. 14oz can has more than you would need.
Amelia
What about using almond flour?
Kate
Hi1 I don’t typically recommend almond flour as a 1:1 replacement as it would require other adjustments to work. Checkout my almond flour banana bread for an almond flour recipe.
Protima
Could I replace flour with almond flour?
Kate
Hi! Unfortunately, almond flour isn’t a perfect 1:1 replacement. I do have an almond flour banana bread!
Ann
I made this today from scratch. Absolutely excellent. Used honey. Can not wait to try it wit maple syrup.
★★★★★
Sofia
I used raw, unfiltered honey and the bread turned out tasting more like honey than pumpkin. Also, up the spices if you want to taste them. I loved the banana bread but this one was just alright – a little dry too. I probably would use maple syrup next time, decrease baking time and multiply spice level by 2x.
★★★
AJ
This recipe is my new favourite for pumpkin bread! Thank you! I used the olive oil and honey options and doubled the spice to suit my taste. It’s delicious! So happy I found this recipe. :)
★★★★★
Billy Aaland-Parrish
Good morning! I have your recipe on my list to make this week. I have a question though. When I look up the calories on https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 they are very different than yours. It shows 276 calories for 8 pieces with no mix-ins. Would you please clarify how you calculate the calories – maybe you have a nicer nutirion calculator because mine is mean! ;)
Kate
Hi Billy! I use a paid service called Nutrifox for calculating my nutrition info. I just pulled it up and double-checked my ingredients/quantities for this pumpkin bread and they are all in there! I’m not sure why your calculator reported a different result. Did you perhaps choose pumpkin pie filling (contains sugar) instead of pumpkin puree? Hope that helps.
Anne-Marie
All of your recipes are delicious!!
This time, I followed your recipe exactly, except I also added 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (I need more protein in my diet – trying to sneak it in). It was kinda good, but a little more doughy, obviously. What would you have done differently with the flour after adding the chickpeas?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Anne- Marie, You added chickpeas to my pumpkin bread? I just want to make sure we are talking about the same recipe. If you did, adding an additional ingredient is definitely going to impact your results. I honestly haven’t ever tried that so I can’t speak to adjustments, sorry!
Arianna Oleynik
Made this today but into muffins! Followed this recipe but baked according to your pumpkin muffin recipe. So so SO good! So moist and perfect balance of sweetness. Thank you. Will be making them again ASAP!
★★★★★
Kavita
Love this recipe! I added pumpkin seeds & extra dark chocolate chips on top and it was delicious :)
★★★★★
Ilana
Made it a few times with semi sweet chocolate chips, so good!
★★★★★
Fleur
Hi! First time ever, I forgot to add the salt to a recipe (♀️) ah! Anyone done this or have ways to fix?
Kate
Hi! Sorry I don’t have a fix, but you could try a nut butter to help with overall taste.
Fleur
Thanks!
K
Hi Kate:
I’m a directions follower! I follow your recipe, line-for-line, and it regularly ends up mushy in the middle. I’ve cooked it maybe 10 min longer and it’s still really dense/wet in the middle. Suggestions? I’m not at a high elevation or anything. Your input would be appreciated. Thanks!
Kate
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that, K. How did you measure your flour? Sounds like you may have either too much flour and/or too much liquid.
Annette
Hi, If I were to use almond flour what would be the measurement
Annette
Hi, again I forgot to ask if I need to change anything in the recipe if I were to use almond flour and what would be the measurement
Kate
Hi Annette! I don’t recommend almond flour as a 1:1 substitute as it usually needs more adjustments if it is going to work. I do have an almond flour banana bread you could try.
Aleicia
So delicious and very flexible! I have some gastric conditions that really limit my dietary options so finding a recipe that’s so adaptive is a godsend! In case anyone’s in need of a low-fiber, dairy free variant with a little protein boost, I made the following alterations:
– Replaced whole wheat flour with 1.25 cups white flour and 0.5 cups egg white protein powder (the fact that the texture turned out so well is amazing in and of itself since egg white protein powder is the worst one for cooking, but all others contain dairy and/or fiber additives!)
– Doubled the pumpkin spice for extra yumminess
Personally I LOVE nutmeg, so I 4x the amount called for instead of just doubling.
★★★★★
Kora
I can’t stop making it!!! Really really delicious. My 15 year old daughter and I love all your recipes.
★★★★★
Katie W.
Can I put this recipe into a round cake pan and bake a cake with it? I’m trying to find a healthy cake recipe for my baby’s first birthday (smash cake). I tried your pumpkin muffin recipe recently and it was awesome! I bet this is equally delicious.
Kate
Hi Katie! Try my favorite banana cake!
Katie W.
That is perfect, thank you for responding!
Kari
PERFECT! This isn’t just the best healthy pumpkin bread, its the best pumpkin bread period! After my husband tasted it he immediately told me to make another loaf and my toddler and preschool have been gobbling it up. After reading the reviews the only change I made was doubling all of the spices. Nice and moist.
★★★★★
Tania
Lovely and moist but next time I’ll double the spice! And I might increase the sweetener a smidge too
★★★★
SallyAnn
My needs were very specific—I had exactly one cup of pumpkin purée leftover from making pumpkin butter and I wanted to use it up. I have a muffin recipe that uses one cup, but it has two cups of white sugar. A bit much. Your pumpkin bread recipe was perfect. I added walnuts, golden raisins, and some chopped unpeeled apple, and sprinkled the top with a little turbinado sugar and cinnamon, for a crunchy crust. Delish! This one’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Jennifer Polidoro
This is one of my go to recipes. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Cameron
Made this with my toddler who loves to cook with me! Very moist and subtle flavors!
★★★★