This classic gluten free pumpkin bread is moist, tender, and full of warm fragrant spices. Have it on your table in about an hour!
This classic gluten free pumpkin bread is perfectly spiced, super moist, and packed with pumpkin flavor. It tastes just like that famous Starbucks pumpkin bread in the glass case filled with treats that you thought you couldn’t have any more!
How to make gluten free pumpkin bread
Whisk the dry ingredients
You can make this recipe in one bowl by whisking the dry ingredients first, then adding the wet. Here, I whisked the gluten free flour blend, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and white and brown sugars first in a separate small bowl.
Whisk wet ingredients & combine with dry
In a large mixing bowl, whisk melted butter, beaten eggs, pumpkin puree, and sour cream until very smooth. Add the dry ingredients right on top. There’s also a version of this recipe made with pumpkin butter, buttermilk, room temperature butter, and more white sugar than brown.
Mix wet & dry together.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until they’re just combined. The batter will be thick, but not stiff. It shouldn’t stick to your mixing spoon very much, either.
Bake at 350°F, cool, slice, enjoy!
Transfer the batter to a prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and score it down the middle for a lovely top. It gives the steam a place to escape during baking. For more sweetness, sprinkle the raw top with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake at 350°F, let cool, and slice thickly.
Why you’ll love this gluten free pumpkin bread
This tender loaf of gluten free pumpkin bread is only lightly sweet, with a super moist crumb and the rich flavor of pumpkin. The spices make the whole house smell like the holiday season.
This delightfully dense, richly flavored quick bread loaf gets much of its deep brilliant color from plenty of pumpkin pie spice. That simple blend of the best warm spices, like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg, is what tastes like pumpkin to us.
This loaf really isn’t very fussy during baking, which means that you don’t have to worry that it’s going to burn before it bakes all the way through. The pumpkin puree adds so much moisture that your loaf won’t become crumbly or dry, either. It has that tenderness that you want to press your fork into to get every last crumb.
Gluten free pumpkin bread ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make this easy gluten free pumpkin bread:
- Gluten free flour blend – I like Nicole’s Best or Better Batter here best, but Cup4Cup works well, too. Make sure to add xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t already contain it.
- Salt – brightens the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Baking powder and baking soda – responsible for the rise of this quick bread in the oven; baking soda helps the loaf brown, too.
- Pumpkin pie spice – This is the magic touch that highlights the flavor of the pumpkin and has you going, “yeah, it’s fall.”
- Sugar – There’s granulated sugar in this recipe, but it’s not a lot, so you’re going to get a moist, sweet cake that’s not cloying.
- Light brown sugar – for sweetness, but also depth of flavor and richness; also keeps the loaf tender.
- Pumpkin puree – Instead of making this recipe with pumpkin butter, which can be hard to find, I now make this recipe with canned pure pumpkin puree. I’ve added more brown sugar than white to add richness. The result is just as fragrant and flavorful, but much easier to make all year round.
- Butter – The butter adds flavor, tenderness, and moisture.
- Eggs – They help with structure and also help with the rise.
- Sour cream – The acidity helps tenderize the crumb, and adds fat for richness and flavor; it works just like buttermilk, but with less moisture.
Tips for making the best gluten free pumpkin bread
Here are some tips for helping you achieve the best gluten free pumpkin bread.
Measure gluten free flour by weight
When measuring your gluten free flour blend, be sure to measure by weight rather than volume. When you scoop flour from a bag, you might accidentally compact it in your measuring cup.
This means once you’ve mixed everything together, your proportions will be off because you’ve got too much flour. If you don’t realize it, you may end up with a drier, more crumbly bread.
Use room temperature ingredients
Make sure that your sour cream, eggs, and pumpkin puree are at room temperature, so they combine with one another properly. Your butter should be melted, and then cooled until it’s no longer hot to the touch so it doesn’t raise the temperature of the other ingredients.
Bake it as long as it needs.
This loaf doesn’t really have a tendency to burn before it bakes all the way through, so be sure to give it the time it needs to bake fully. If you’re using a slightly smaller loaf pan than 9-inches x 5-inches, it may take up to an hour to bake, but it won’t burn.
Let your pumpkin bread cool down
This recipe will give you an incredibly moist gluten free pumpkin bread, but it must not be hot when you slice into it. If you don’t give it time to cool, no matter how carefully you slice it, the loaf will compress when you cut.
Gluten free pumpkin bread ingredient substitutions
I love that this gluten free pumpkin bread is simple and easy to make. If you have other dietary restrictions, here are my best guesses for how you might accommodate them:
How to make this recipe dairy free
Replacing the dairy in this recipe means replacing the butter and the sour cream. In place of butter, I recommend using vegan butter, and my favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko’s Kitchen. In place of sour cream, try nondairy sour cream, or Greek-style plain nondairy yogurt. If you can’t find Greek-style, try straining moisture out of plain nondairy yogurt until it resembles sour cream.
How to make this recipe egg free
There are two eggs in this recipe. You can try replacing each of them with one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).
Sugar free pumpkin bread?
For a gluten free pumpkin bread that’s sugar free, you’ll need to swap out the granulated and brown sugars in this recipe. Swerve has alternatives for both, or maybe you have a brand that you prefer. Keep in mind that alternative sugars tend to be drying, so pay close attention to the texture of the wet batter, and add a bit more moisture to compensate if you think it’s necessary.
I don’t recommend swapping out these granulated sugars for anything liquid, like honey, maple syrup, or molasses. That will throw off the moisture balance and leave you with soggy bread.
Storing gluten free pumpkin bread
This pumpkin bread is super moist, and it doesn’t dry out very quickly. Wrap each leftover slice as tightly as possible, and let it sit at room temperature for a day or so.
For longer storage, freeze the tightly wrapped slices and defrost in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or at room temperature. The frozen slices should stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.
FAQs
Yes, pure canned pumpkin is gluten free. It only has a single ingredient, pumpkin or some other type of squash.
While pumpkin pie filling does have many of the same spices that I use in my pumpkin butter recipe, it still doesn’t have the same consistency and won’t work in either the main recipe or the pumpkin butter variation.
You can absolutely double this recipe for even more gluten free pumpkin bread. However, when making a double batch, be sure to use two loaf pans rather than pour all of it into one bigger pan. This will ensure thorough cooking, rather than a raw bread in the center because the heat couldn’t fully penetrate through all that batter.
If you pull your pumpkin bread from the oven to find that it’s somewhat mushy, you may not have let it bake long enough. If you baked it in a small loaf pan, or your oven wasn’t quite at temperature, it may have needed more time to bake all the way through.
Yes! You can make your own pumpkin pie spice. To make just over 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, in a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger + 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. If you are missing any of the component spices, just add more ground cinnamon to round out the 2 teaspoons.
Instead of trying to bake this pumpkin bread batter in a muffin tin, try my recipe for tender, perfectly-spiced gluten free pumpkin muffins.
How to make this recipe into gluten free pumpkin swirl bread
To make pumpkin swirl bread, you will need all the same ingredients, but with the addition of 3 extra ingredients to make the swirl:
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (73 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
To make the swirl, place the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and mix to combine well.
Make the batter as directed in the recipe above through step 4 in the recipe below. Preheat your oven to 325°F, instead of the 350°F as listed below.
Then, transfer half of the pumpkin bread batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Top with half of the swirl mixture, and spread that into an even layer.
Follow with the remaining pumpkin bread batter, spread into an even layer, and then the remaining swirl mixture, spread into an even layer.
With a butter knife or offset spatula held perpendicular to the bottom of the loaf pan, swirl the batter from one short side of the pan to the other, back and forth in a looping pattern. Smooth the top of the swirled batter into an even layer.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven at 325°F, and bake for 40 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue baking until the bread is firm when pressed gently in the center, at least another 20 minutes.
If the bread still isn’t firm in the center, lower the heat to 300°F and continue baking for up to another 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing thickly and serving.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
This classic gluten free pumpkin bread is moist, tender, and full of warm fragrant spices. Have it on your table in about an hour!
Yield: 10 slices quick bread
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice See Recipe Notes
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- ⅔ cup (150 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 8 ounces pure pumpkin puree at room temperature
- Cinnamon-sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
-
In a small bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, granulated sugar and light brown sugar, and whisk to combine well, breaking up any lumps.
-
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, and pumpkin puree until very smooth.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick, but soft.
-
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, pressing it into all corners of the pan so there aren’t any gaps in the baked bread.
-
With a wet spatula, smooth the top of the batter into an even layer and score it about 3/4-inch deep down the center of the bread using a sharp knife at a 45° angle.
-
Dust the top generously with a layer of the (optional) cinnamon sugar mixture, and score again down the center if necessary to reestablish the scoring.
-
Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the top is domed and lightly golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached (nothing gooey at all!) (about 50 minutes).
-
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve once cool.
Notes
The original way I made this recipe was with pumpkin butter, which is a cooked down, sweetened version of pumpkin puree that has tons of pumpkin flavor. But since pumpkin butter takes time to make and isn’t always available to buy, I now favor this version made with just pumpkin puree.
To make the version with pumpkin butter, the method is the same. All of the ingredients are the same except for:
- 2/3 cup (5 1/3 fluid ounces) buttermilk (in place of sour cream)
- 5 ounces pumpkin butter (in place of pumpkin puree)
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar (instead of 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar (instead of 2 tablespoons)
- 6 tablespoons (84 grams) melted butter (instead of the same amount of room temperature butter)
For pumpkin pie spice
To make your own pumpkin pie spice, combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger + 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
For the dusting cinnamon sugar
Dusting the top of the raw loaf of pumpkin bread with cinnamon sugar creates a very thin, crunchy layer of fragrant sweetness. It’s entirely optional, though.
I usually keep a cinnamon-sugar mixture in a small, sealed container on my kitchen counter, since it’s just so useful. I use 1 full teaspoon ground cinnamon for each 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. You should add cinnamon to taste, though.
To make pumpkin swirl bread.
You’ll need these ingredients to make the swirl ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (73 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
To make the swirl, place the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and mix to combine well.
Make the batter as directed in the recipe above through step 4. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Then, transfer half of the pumpkin bread batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
Top with half of the swirl mixture, and spread that into an even layer.
Follow with the remaining pumpkin bread batter, spread into an even layer, and then the remaining swirl mixture, spread into an even layer.
With a butter knife or offset spatula held perpendicular to the bottom of the loaf pan, swirl the batter from one short side of the pan to the other, back and forth in a looping pattern. Smooth the top of the swirled batter into an even layer.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven at 325°F, and bake for 40 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue baking until the bread is firm when pressed gently in the center, at least another 20 minutes.
If the bread still isn’t firm in the center, lower the heat to 300°F and continue baking for up to another 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing thickly and serving.
Nutritional information.
Nutritional information is an estimate, per slice based on a loaf cut into 10 slices without the optional cinnamon sugar topping. It’s estimated for the recipe as written, not any of the possible variations, using online nutritional calculators and should not be relied upon.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 3884IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
This classic gluten free pumpkin bread is moist, tender, and full of warm fragrant spices. Have it on your table in about an hour!
Yield: 10 slices quick bread
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice See Recipe Notes
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- ⅔ cup (150 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 8 ounces pure pumpkin puree at room temperature
- Cinnamon-sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
-
In a small bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, granulated sugar and light brown sugar, and whisk to combine well, breaking up any lumps.
-
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, and pumpkin puree until very smooth.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick, but soft.
-
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, pressing it into all corners of the pan so there aren’t any gaps in the baked bread.
-
With a wet spatula, smooth the top of the batter into an even layer and score it about 3/4-inch deep down the center of the bread using a sharp knife at a 45° angle.
-
Dust the top generously with a layer of the (optional) cinnamon sugar mixture, and score again down the center if necessary to reestablish the scoring.
-
Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the top is domed and lightly golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached (nothing gooey at all!) (about 50 minutes).
-
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve once cool.
Notes
The original way I made this recipe was with pumpkin butter, which is a cooked down, sweetened version of pumpkin puree that has tons of pumpkin flavor. But since pumpkin butter takes time to make and isn’t always available to buy, I now favor this version made with just pumpkin puree.
To make the version with pumpkin butter, the method is the same. All of the ingredients are the same except for:
- 2/3 cup (5 1/3 fluid ounces) buttermilk (in place of sour cream)
- 5 ounces pumpkin butter (in place of pumpkin puree)
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar (instead of 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar (instead of 2 tablespoons)
- 6 tablespoons (84 grams) melted butter (instead of the same amount of room temperature butter)
For pumpkin pie spice
To make your own pumpkin pie spice, combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger + 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
For the dusting cinnamon sugar
Dusting the top of the raw loaf of pumpkin bread with cinnamon sugar creates a very thin, crunchy layer of fragrant sweetness. It’s entirely optional, though.
I usually keep a cinnamon-sugar mixture in a small, sealed container on my kitchen counter, since it’s just so useful. I use 1 full teaspoon ground cinnamon for each 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. You should add cinnamon to taste, though.
To make pumpkin swirl bread.
You’ll need these ingredients to make the swirl ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (73 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
To make the swirl, place the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and mix to combine well.
Make the batter as directed in the recipe above through step 4. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Then, transfer half of the pumpkin bread batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
Top with half of the swirl mixture, and spread that into an even layer.
Follow with the remaining pumpkin bread batter, spread into an even layer, and then the remaining swirl mixture, spread into an even layer.
With a butter knife or offset spatula held perpendicular to the bottom of the loaf pan, swirl the batter from one short side of the pan to the other, back and forth in a looping pattern. Smooth the top of the swirled batter into an even layer.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven at 325°F, and bake for 40 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue baking until the bread is firm when pressed gently in the center, at least another 20 minutes.
If the bread still isn’t firm in the center, lower the heat to 300°F and continue baking for up to another 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing thickly and serving.
Nutritional information.
Nutritional information is an estimate, per slice based on a loaf cut into 10 slices without the optional cinnamon sugar topping. It’s estimated for the recipe as written, not any of the possible variations, using online nutritional calculators and should not be relied upon.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 3884IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
