This gluten-free pumpkin bread relies on almond and coconut flour for its incredible taste and texture that are causing people to exclaim, “Wow!” and “Amazing!” and “What a surprise!” It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly but no one will ever guess.
This gluten-free pumpkin bread is the absolutely perfect thing for anyone who wants a pretty darn spectacular pumpkin bread recipe—gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, or otherwise— in their repertoire. The low-carb loaf comes together in a flash and boasts all the moist perfection of traditional quick bread thanks to almond flour and coconut flour. Although no one will ever know the difference. Swear.–Angie Zoobkoff
☞ Contents
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely ground blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice or store-bought
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 3 tablespoons canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- Coconut whipped cream for serving (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Line a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) glass or metal loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large food processor, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, and coconut sugar. Pulse 10 times or until mixed.
- Add the pumpkin, coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla bean seeds or extract, and eggs. Process until combined, 20 to 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and process again if needed to combine.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture into the parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes if using a metal loaf pan, and 70 to 75 minutes if using a glass pan.
- Let the pumpkin bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the pumpkin bread. Remove the loaf from the pan by lifting the parchment paper. Let the pumpkin bread cool completely on the wire rack before slicing. Serve each slice with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, if desired. The pumpkin bread will keep beautifully when wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Wow! What a surprise. This paleo version of an easy quick bread produces a loaf of moist gluten-free pumpkin bread redolent with pumpkin spice that makes you think of fall, raking leaves, and a roaring fire. Well, maybe not raking leaves.
Seriously, though, if you’re turned off by paleo or gluten-free bread that have a crumbly texture or, worse, a weird gumminess, this bread will wipe that vision from your brain and you will find yourself making loaves of bread for all your paleo and non-paleo friends. Christmas gifts, anyone?
It has sat on the counter wrapped in plastic for 3 days and it’s still as good as day one, though it won’t last until day 4.
I love a hearty snack cake that’s sweet and filling and this quick gluten-free pumpkin bread fits the bill. The almond meal not only keeps the pumpkin bread moist but gives it a wonderfully dense texture.
I found myself slicing pieces of pumpkin bread throughout the day every time I passed through the kitchen. This would be a great starter recipe for someone looking to experiment with gluten-free baking.
We don’t follow a paleo lifestyle but this paleo pumpkin bread may be a reason to start! The recipe was easy to follow and came together very fast. The smells coming from the oven were heavenly and smelled like fall.
My metal pan was Teflon-lined so I didn’t line it with parchment. I did coat the pan lightly with melted coconut oil. The loaf came out beautifully browned. This loaf made about 10 to 12 slices and would make wonderful French toast some morning. I served my slices with whipped cream cheese—or it could’ve been whipped coconut cream! I’ll keep this fragrant little loaf in the freezer in the future, so we’ve always got a slice ready to eat!
Wow! This gluten-free pumpkin bread is amazing! If you’re looking for a “quick” bread it doesn’t get any quicker than this. Just 10 minutes of hands-on time. The hardest part was waiting for the loaf to cool. The loaf is amazingly moist, sliced beautifully, and was just as good the second day.
I was highly skeptical when I made the batter. It came out of the food processor as thin as crepe batter and I thought that there was no way this loaf was going to come together but it turned out perfectly. I’ve never baked with coconut flour before, and I’m a “full-on butter” kind of baker, so using the coconut oil/coconut sugar/coconut milk combo was new for me but the flavor was all pumpkin and spice as the coconut just fades into the background. I’ll be keeping these ingredients on hand from now on just so I can whip this up at a moment’s notice.
I didn’t have any pumpkin pie spice so I substituted 1/4 tsp of allspice and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. I topped my loaf with a sprinkle of pepita seeds—a nice addition that added a little textural contrast. You’ll easily get 12 slices out of this loaf and even the end slices are moist and lovely. I shared my loaf with a half dozen co-workers and everyone agreed that it was fantastic.
The only question—is this a breakfast item or a coffee break treat? With all of the nut meal and pumpkin, I’m voting breakfast. High protein, low fat, but at breakfast, lunch, or dessert, it’s great. I’m baking another loaf later this week for the folks who missed out on the first taste test.
Originally published November 17, 2016
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Made this during the week! So easy & delicious! It does have a subtle coconut flavor if that’s a problem for picky palettes. Pretty sure I can sub bananas to make banana bread…will report back at some point!
Thanks, Sue. We’re curious to hear how it turns out with bananas!
This is delicious! Finally, a gluten-free quickbread that tastes like a non-gluten-free one. The crumb is just what a banana bread should be. I used your suggestion for 2 teaspoons of cardamom, but it overshadows the banana flavor, and it’s a little overwhelming. I had just opened a new jar. I probably should have stuck with 1 1/2 teaspoons. My miscalculation. Otherwise, it’s just perfect and will be my go-to banana bread recipe from now on. Thank you!
Alene, I’m so delighted you liked the banana bread! But tell me: Where does the recipe mention cardamom? I don’t see it in the ingredients or comments.
This was delicious. I was able to make it suitable for my diabetic diet by using an alternative sweetener (bochasweet) and I added chopped walnuts. Will make again and again.
Kate, love to hear this! Love your tweaking and appreciate you taking care to share that with others so they can make it diabetic-friendly as well. Thank you!
I cannot digest almonds–can almond meal be substituted with another gluten-free flour, and have this still retain it’s moisture? Thank you in advance…
S, I wish I could be certain of an answer for you, but I’m not. And since your health is involved, I’m hesitant to offer a substitution. I did find this, which might lead you in the right direction. But I can’t guarantee a straight 1-to-1 substitution will deliver the same results as almond flour. Please keep me posted.
Thank you, David! While I will not be trying cricket flour just yet (!) I will give this a try with a little additional oil and the bob’s red mill GF flour, and see whether it is a brick or not–we shall never know unless we try! Will report back.
Fingers crossed on this one, S. Please tell me how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!