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Pumpkins are in season here, but I admit I did not buy a fresh, local one for this whole wheat pumpkin bread 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 quick bread 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 … grab some apple cider and enjoy!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
Pumpkin bread can be a healthy alternative to other breads. That's why I make mine with no refined sugar and whole wheat flour.
- Whole Wheat Flour. This is a staple in all my baking. For this recipe, I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour, but any whole grain flour will work fine. For a gluten-free option, make this Healthy Pumpkin Bread.
- Pumpkin Puree. You can use store bought or homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe. While homemade puree usually tastes better, it’s important to know that 100% pure canned pumpkin is a great real food option for busy families.
- No Refined Sugar. Instead of sugar, I used ½ cup of honey.
- Coconut Oil. The fat in this recipe adds flavor, binds ingredients, and keeps the texture moist. Unsalted melted butter can be used instead of coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio.
- Pumpkin Spice. I used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to bring out the pumpkin flavors in this recipe. These are the exact same spices used in a pre-made pumpkin spice mixture. If you’d rather use a pre-made pumpkin spice, omit all 4 spices and replace them with 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread
I don’t set out to make vegan recipes, but it’s easy to substitute the eggs and honey in this recipe for other healthy, real food ingredients that happen to be vegan.
Use Flaxseed Instead of Eggs
Replace the 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and 5 tablespoons of water. Flaxseeds are a great substitute for nutritious eggs because they can help recipes cooperate as a replacement.
If you have extra flaxseed, make this Paleo Bread!
Maple Syrup Instead of Honey
Both maple syrup and honey are great for adding natural sweetness to recipes and I often use them interchangeably based on what ingredients I have on hand. Honey is not recommended for babies under a year old, even in baking. If you'd rather use maple syrup, swap it in a 1:1 ratio.
Other Ideas for Pumpkin Bread Recipes
By mixing in other ingredients, this pumpkin bread can be transformed into a variety of easy recipes that are perfect for fall. For a regular version, make this Whole Wheat Bread or try this fun Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread!
Dessert Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chips can turn this pumpkin bread into an easy fall dessert; simply fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips alongside the pumpkin puree. You will also love these Pumpkin Protein Muffins!
Pumpkin Bread with Fresh Cranberries
Another idea is to add cranberries to this pumpkin bread recipe! To make it, you’ll need ½ cup of fresh or frozen cranberries. Cranberries should be carefully folded in as the last ingredient. Note: If working with frozen cranberries, do not thaw them.
Add Nuts, Seeds, or Dried Fruit
You can add ½ cup of almost any nuts, seeds, or dried fruit you want to this recipe. Here are some ideas:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread Recipe FAQ:
What Size Pan Do I Use? This recipe uses a 9” x 5” pan and makes one loaf.
Can You Freeze This Recipe? Yes! It freezes really well. Cooled pumpkin bread can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
How Can You Make This Recipe Gluten Free? Any gluten free whole grain flour substitution can be used in this recipe with no other changes.
Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur's white whole-wheat flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger (ground)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup nuts (chopped (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 to turn this into pumpkin muffins, place 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.
- Let the loaf (or muffins) cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Some other great pumpkin recipes on the blog:
Melissa Sullivan says
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!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
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
Jennifer says
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. :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
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
Allison says
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?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
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
Suzy says
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.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
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: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. That should help. : ) ~Amy
Jenise says
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!
Amy says
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.
Sandi R says
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!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
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
Sandy Betten says
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.
Jennifer says
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?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jennifer...no, no reason to avoid it...you can substitute it as you like. Jill
Ali says
This recipie works really good in the donut maker - we love pumpkin donuts! So good!
Stacey R says
Good to know. We just bought a donut maker and are trying to finda variety of healthy donut recipes to try out.
Caroline says
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.
Caroline says
*website, whoops!
Leen says
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!
Kathy says
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!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Yes, that flour is fine. Jill
Bridget says
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:)
Heather says
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!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Heather. Here is a frosting from our chocolate cake...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/. Jill
Jennifer says
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!
Brenda says
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!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
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
Bea says
This recipe was great, added some chocolate chips for a sweet treat! I was just wondering why mine didn't come out as dark as your pictures. I used the same ingredients except I used whole wheat pastry flour.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Bea. I don't know if the flour could be the reason or not. It might also be the type of pumpkin you used. We're glad you still enjoyed them though. Jill
Victoria says
These are amazing! I'm on a very restricted diet due to some health issues, and I was so happy to find a pumpkin bread recipe that didn't have sugar! I've added walnuts and almonds to mine. My family loves them, too. I made three dozen muffins this weekend so there would be enough to last us a few days.
stefany says
I don't have nutmeg but I have pumpkin pie spice and the other ingredients. Any suggestions what I can do instead of the nutmeg?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Stefany. If you look at the pumpkin pie spice, it has cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in it. So, you could probably substitute it for those 3 ingredients in the recipe. Jill
Chelsea says
These were awesome! I made the following changes to vegan-ize them:
I used ground flaxseed instead of egg (2 tablespoons with water)
I used date paste instead of honey (same amount)
I decreased the oil to 1/3 a cup and used coconut oil
And I added walnuts.
YUM!
Tiffany says
I just made this pumpkin bread recipe and it turned out great! I didn't have any coconut oil so substituted 4 TBSP melted unsalted butter and 1/4 c applesauce. Also used 1 tsp salt instead of 1/2 tsp and added 1/2 c raisins. It was very moist and delicious and both of my kids loved it. Half of the loaf is already gone :-) thanks for the recipe!
Rachel says
Any tips for high altitude?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Rachel. I found this information on the King Arthur website that might be helpful to you...http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html. Jill
Tricia says
Wow!!! These are amazing!! I've always loved to bake, but the pumpkin muffin recipe I've used for years was NOT very healthy--3 cups of sugar if you can believe it! Thank you for providing me and my (very picky) family with a healthy AND delicious alternative to one of our favorite fall staples. We love your site and try something new each week in an effort to make the switch to real food.
Patti says
My 3 year old & myself made these together and she loved them. I also, made a Sunbutter frosting instead of peanut butter so she can bring one to school for snack time!! Delicious!! We skipped the nuts as well so the school won't take them way from her!!
Melanie says
LOVED THESE! Made them as muffins and added some chocolate chips-ALL the men in my life were asking for seconds. Delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
Danielle says
Love this recipe! I actually swirled in some homemade chocolate sauce from Deliciously Organic to make a "Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Bread." Best decision I ever made. Ever. :-)
Jaime says
I just made these and they turned out perfectly. I didn't have any honey left. So, I used light agave and it worked just as well. Thank you so much for a healthy and delicious fall delight!
Cassandra says
I made these muffins over the weekend (I cook all of my two-year-olds breakfasts and lunches for daycare) and I replaced raisins for nuts. It was SO moist and delicious and SIMPLE! I will make this again and again. Thanks.
Jessica says
Well. I am absolutely loving your site but so far the few things I have baked have not turned out. Just a question when you make this is it actually pourable? Mine was a paste?! Any idea why this is happening. I am using the ingredients word for word and product for product. And it is far from being able to pour into the muffin moulds...just thought I would ask
Christina says
I have the same problem with my batter being paste and not pourable. Thoughts?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Christina. It shouldn't be "pourable". It is definitely a thicker batter that you will need to spoon in. Jill
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jessica. No, it's not really pourable, more "scoopable". So, I don't think you did anything wrong. Did they turn out ok? Jill
Sile says
I'm totalyl gonna try out this recipe, but substituting homemade applesauce for the oil. yum!
Ashley says
These muffins turned out awesome! My 16 month old loved them! I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe!
Portia B. says
I just made these into mini-muffins to freeze and pack in lunches for my children. They are DELICIOUS! I did add 1/2t of pumpkin pie spice with the others and we were out of eggs so I tried the Chia Jell substitute (4T of chia jell per egg) and also added 1/2 mashed banana because I was low of honey and had to use Agava. I'm so happy I found this recipe because they are so moist and yummy I don't feel deprived! Thank you bunches;-)
Katie says
I made these muffins this weekend and they were very good. My toddler and my hubby both liked them and both are pretty picky eaters. I want to try them again soon and maybe add a little more pumpkin and try using homemade applesauce instead of the oil. (I used canola oil last time.) I see from the comments that using applesauce has mixed results. This is the first recipe I have tried from your site and look forward to trying more.
Emily says
Can't wait to try this recipe!
My only questions are-
Is using Honey a healthier approach apposed to sugar?
and
Can the oil be substituted with applesauce ?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Emily. Yes, I believe the honey is less processed. You may want to check out this post on sweeteners...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/14/sweeteners-101/. And, yes, readers have reported subbing the applesauce for the oil. I haven't personally tried it but they've reported positive results. Jill
Beth says
I just made these as muffins for breakfast and I accidentally forgot to put in the oil! I totally didn't realize it until I happened to glance at this recipe since it was still up on my screen, after we had already eaten. My husband and kids and I all had some and thought they were great! They did stick to the cupcake wrappers (I use those for easy cleanup). I guess I'll add the oil next time, but then again, is it worth the calories since we all liked it this way? ;)
Ann Newcomb says
Hi just made this today & THANK You just beautiful will be adding in my favorite recipe folder. I used spelt flour instead & worked perfect. THANK. I love your website
Kim | At Home WIth Kim says
Can't wait to make these this week! Quick question: Since it's the first week of school I'd like to make them into cupcakes.... I've looked all over your blog but can't find the recipe for the frosting shown on the cupcake/muffin above. Can you share how you made that??
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kim. I personally LOVE cream cheese spread on pumpkin bread/muffins - you may want to give that a try. The "frosting" recipe is from here though...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/. Jill
gina says
How come you don't use baking powder?? Aren't you supposed to use 11/2tsp for ever 1c of flour..?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Gina. The recipe has both baking powder and baking soda in it. Jill
Sara says
I swapped the oil for 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt and it tastes phenomenal. Thanks for the great recipe!! I love it! (Yes, I made pumpkin bread in June! (: )
kat says
did it turn out gummy when you subbed the yogurt for the oil?