Pumpkins are in season here, but I admit I did not buy a fresh, local one for this recipe. When it comes to convenience it is unfortunately hard to beat a can of organic pumpkin puree. That doesn’t mean pumpkin season can’t put us in the mood for this super-easy recipe though! My 5-year-old has asked me about 20 times over the last week to make some pumpkin bread so this one is for her…enjoy!
Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread turned into Halloween Muffins
Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup oil (I used coconut oil)
- ½ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup chopped tree nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (from the flour down to the salt).
- Make a well (hole) in the center and throw in the eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla. Stir together thoroughly with a fork, but do not overmix.
- Fold in the pumpkin puree and nuts (if using).
- Generously grease a large loaf pan or put muffin liners in a muffin pan and then pour in the batter.
- For a loaf bake for approximately 30 – 40 minutes and for muffins bake for approximately 18 – 22 minutes. Check for doneness by making sure a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Can you make these with regular whole wheat flour ? Is the white flour as healthy ? Is the King Authur Flour free of GMO’s ? Thanks!
Hi Brenda. I have not tried it with whole wheat flour, only the white whole wheat flour. The only difference is the type of wheat each flour is ground from. The white whole wheat flour is still 100% wheat, it just has a milder taste. As far as King Arthur’s brand being non-GMO, here is some information from their website about their products and whether or not they are GMO free…http://www.kingarthurflour.com/flours/gmo-wheat.html. Jill
Just thought I would let you know I am using regular whole wheat flout (Big Red Barn organic) and it works great! I made the banana bread(only turned them into muffins) and the kids LOVED them. With recipies like this, cutting out the bad food is easy!
Just made these with my 2.5 year old son to use up the pumpkin we had left over in the ‘fridge. We added some chia seeds for extra ‘umph’ and some Pumpkin Pie Spice (bc i love it!)
even though it probably doesn’t need it. So delish! Mixed up some creamed cheese and agave for the “icing” – do you have an icing recipe that isn’t processed?? 
thanks! another great recipe!
Hi Heather. Here is a frosting from our chocolate cake…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/. Jill
This recipe for pumpkin bread is excellent. My kids love it. The only problem is I am not quite sure it will last as my 6 year old daughter will not stop asking for more:)
Muffins are in the oven! I used bob’s red mill whole wheat pastry flour because I had it on hand. Is that an ok substitute? Can’t wait to taste one they smell sooooo good!
Yes, that flour is fine. Jill
I made some today! Yumm! I didn’t have enough honey so I used a little less than 1/2 cup of maple syrup. Still delicious!
I stumbled upon these while looking for a healthier pumpkin muffin recipe. I just made them as written except I also added a 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (in addition to the oil). I wanted to up the protein content so I could serve them for breakfast for my very picky daughter. They were delicious and my kids didn’t even notice they weren’t the usual recipe! Looking forward to trying more recipes from your sight.
*website, whoops!
This recipie works really good in the donut maker – we love pumpkin donuts! So good!
I don’t see any references to whole wheat pastry flour on your site. The recipes all call for whole wheat flour. Is there a reason? WWPF is my favorite substitution for white flour in foods that don’t need to rise – like yeast breads. It makes fruit breads, muffins, pancakes, cookies, waffles, etc. much lighter and fluffier than WWF. Wondering if there is a reason you avoid it?
Hi Jennifer…no, no reason to avoid it…you can substitute it as you like. Jill
I used Jovial Ancient Grains Wheat. We added a little extra moisture but these turned out great. Love love love that actual sugar as a sweetener was not needed. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi, I’m a celiac & can’t do wheat, barley, rye, oats or corn. Would a gluten free flour work for your baking recipes. Thanks for your help!
Hi Sandi. While we have not experimented with converting most of these recipes, you should be able to substitute 1:1 with your gluten free flour of choice. Let us know how they turn out. ~Amy
Just found your website a week or so ago and this is the first recipe I tried. I used a flax “egg” in place of a real egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) and they turned out great. My husband and I could hardly tell the difference from my previous pumpkin muffin recipe and my toddler gobbled it up immediately. I don’t think I’ll ever make them any other way again. Thanks so much for sharing.
Just tried one of these as it came out of the oven for breakfast tomorrow. They turned out super. I doubled the recipe and didn’t want to use up all of my honey so I used half applesauce and added a tad extra vanilla. They are great! I know my kids will eat these in the morning. I have a bunch of pumpkin puree, so I will be making a bunch of these to freeze soon. Yum!
I made this recipe but used solid coconut oil (which I melted to add to the batter). The end product is a flavor I cannot stomach- pumpkin and coconut. Could this be due to the fact that it was a solid coconut oil to start with? (I have never cooked with coconut oil before- this was my first attempt).
Thanks.
Hi Suzy. Sorry about the bad first experience! You do need to melt the coconut oil and add it in as you stir/mix. That will make ALL the difference. Here is a post on cooking with coconut oil: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. That should help. : ) ~Amy
I just made this for my daughter who is addicted to Starbucks pumpkin bread (sugar loaded). She LOVES it! Yay, a win for mommy!
I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of a rolled oat mix (lots of good stuff) and I substituted the oil with unsweetened apple sauce.
I am wondering how well these will freeze, I did them as muffins in paper cases, any thoughts?
Hi Allison. Sounds yummy. How dense were they? The muffins should freeze and keep fine. I wrap mine individually and remove as much air as possible. Good luck. ~Amy
I’m a little iffy when it comes to oil, so I usually substitute it with applesauce. Would it work at all still? I’ve been trying to look for a good easy healthy pumpkin bread forever! This one is simple and I love it! I will soon make this.
Hi Jennifer. I’ve not tried it in this recipe but have used applesauce regularly in place of oil. Try and let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
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This may be a silly question, but after you bake the muffins, what should I do with the leftovers…fridge or no fridge? I never know if the fridge will dry out baked goods. Thanks!
Hi Melissa. I keep mine in a sealed container on the counter for a couple days but they generally are consumed pretty quickly. Beyond that, I keep a supply in my freezer for lunches and snacks and thaw as needed. ~Amy
Made these last night because I was trying to make room in my freezer. Still had pumpkin from last year’s garden. I was a little Leary about the coconut oil because the brownies on the website tasted coconutty, but these turned out fabulous with no coconut flavor at all. And on the subject of the brownies, my husband loves Mounds/ Almond Joy so he raved about them.
Made this together with my 2 year old son and we both loved it! So moist! We used baking size walnut pieces for the nuts. Will definitely make this again!
I made this recipe as is, and it was very good, but one daughter and my husband weren’t crazy about it. They thought it was dry. The recipe was almost exactly the same as my “normal” pumpkin bread recipe except using honey and whole wheat. However, my “normal” recipe called for 1/2 cup milk. I tried this again, but added the 1/2 cup milk, and everyone loved it!