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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:
Dana says
This recipe is awesome! I've never had pumpkin bread before, and I don't think I will even attempt to try a different recipe! I did make a few changes though - I added chia seeds and used maple syrup in place of honey. I also subbed half the coconut oil for Apple sauce. This pumpkin bread is amazing!
Jen says
Great recipe! I don't have cloves and we don't like ginger so I just upped the cinnamon and nutmeg to make up for it. Spread a little cream cheese on top and YUM!
Miriam says
Just made these and the taste was great! Made them as muffins. The whole family enjoyed them. The only downside was that everyone found them to be a bit dry thus needing to pair it with a glass of milk. I oiled my muffin tin and put them straight on there (because I need to buy the silicone muffin liners). I only baked them for 16-17 minutes. Do you think not having the liners made this happen or I should bake a little less next time? Wanted some suggestions to see where I maybe went wrong. Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Miriam. Muffins will cook up a little quicker if you put them directly on the metal surface. Some readers have added applesauce to this recipe for added moisture but I would try it with liners first. ~Amy
Jen says
Yep, turned out brilliant! Also, I add 1 tbs ground flaxseed & 1 tbs wheat germ. Occasionally, I'll add Brewer's Yeast, too.
Jen says
Have always loved this recipe! Added a ripe banana to the mix last time and hubby and son could not get enough of them! Plan to do the same today! Thanks for the recipe!
Catherine says
These are delicious! I made one-and-a-half measures so I could use the whole 15-oz can of pumpkin puree. No scary half-can of pumpkin to be found months later in the back of the refrigerator! This made 18 large muffins. Thank you!
Michelle says
These were delicious! I doubled the recipe and used a can of pumpkin. I used 1/2 coconut oil and half applesauce and they were not dense and tasted delicious. Thank you!
Kina Dutro says
I made a double run of this and substituted plain yogurt for half of the oil. They turned out perfect! Our family loved them. We also substituted agave for the honey which added a nice rich flavor. Great recipe! We will use it again.
Amy says
Yum!! We used coconut oil, but subbed about 1/3 of what is called for unsweetened apple sauce. I think I'll cut back a smildge on the honey next time since my 4yr old likes to eat these (and banana muffins) for breakfast.
Anna says
This recipe looks delicious!! Question: is it possible to substitute a 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt (probably nonfat) for the 1/2 cup of oil? I saw that a lot of readers were subbing with unsweetened applesauce, but I'm wondering if greek yogurt would work too.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Anna. It might but will likely effect the texture. We also don't recommend non-fat anything (assuming it once contained natural fats). Non-fat/low-fat items are more highly processed and are stripped of nutrients. ~Amy
Abby says
I made these as muffins and substituted apple juice and stevia for the honey as our family is not eating any form of sugar for 3 weeks. We ate them hot out of the oven with a little melted butter and they were wonderful. Thank you!
Christy says
I have king Arthur's 100% whole wheat flour. The bag does not say "white whole wheat".. I'm wondering if this is the same thing or different? Or maybe I should use half of this and substitute the other half for regular white flour. After all..I do want my kids to eat it!
Also wondering if this recipe will turn out in the bread maker on the whole wheat setting..?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Christy. The "White Whole Wheat" is clearly labeled as such. You must have bought "Whole Wheat". It should work fine on the wheat setting. It will be more dense that the white whole wheat. ~Amy
Rebecca says
Flavorless
Toby says
Just made this recipe as mini muffins. I left them in for 16 minutes and they were perfectly moist and delicious. I will use this recipe again and again! Thank you!
brynnen says
Could you replace the nuts with raisins?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. Sure, that should work. ~Amy
Lindsey says
I made this yesterday for my family and it is nearly gone today. I really didn't think they would like it since they are use to the sugary recipe I have made in the past. I really think they liked it better. I'm about to make another loaf that will hopefully last us through the weekend at least. Thanks for the great recipe!
Kareen says
Is the batter supposed to be really thick?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kareen. It is thick but you should be able to pour. I usually coax mine along with a rubber spatula. :) ~Amy
Natalie says
Is there anything I can use in place of cloves?
Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Natalie. You could use all spice or skip it. ~Amy
Marline says
I've made this twice so far, and both times it's been delicious. My only problem has been I've had to leave it in for 50 to 55 minutes to get it cooked inside. I used vegetable oil and a non stick loaf pan the first time and coconut oil and a pyrex loaf pan the second time with the same results. The coconut oil version had a much softer texture and my husband said it tasted better as well.
Kristin Hyde says
I love soft pumpkin cookies and would love a clean eating recipe. Could you adjust this recipe to make cookies?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kristin. Not sure but you could certainly try. Let us know if you do. :) ~Amy
Suzi W says
I replace the coconut oil with a stick of butter when I ran out and it was a great replacement!!! Delicious!
Stephanie says
I sent one loaf to the preschool Thanksgiving feast using this recipe instead of the one I was sent that called for 3 cups of sugar. I doubled this recipe and kept one loaf for us, which was a nice way to use a whole can of pumpkin. It was very tasty with my cup of coffee as part of my breakfast. I'm about to sit down for lunch and would like to eat more, but I'll refrain and wait until breakfast tomorrow.
Jen D. says
I just made these as muffins and they are so good! I can't have eggs so I mashed up a banana in place of and increased the nutmeg and cloves by 1/4 tsp because I love a little more fall taste. I also increased the pumpkin puree just by a hair. Thanks for the great recipe!
Erica says
Gluten Free Friends! I made this recipe today with my replacement flour. It was PERFECT! (I use 1 bag Bob's Red Mill tapioca, 2 bags Bob's Red Mill brown rice flour mixed together and stored in a container.) I replaced the 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour with 1 1/2 cups from my flour mix and added 1 tsp xanthan gum. I also used maple syrup instead of honey. My family is eating them all up as we speak...so yummy, and the texture is really nice, too. I'm not sure if xanthan gum is a whole food...but we are trying to stay gluten free and whole food at the same time and it's a challenge! :)
Sarah says
Can applesauce be substituted for the oil?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Sarah. Other readers have successfully made that substitution. ~Amy
Jennifer says
Could spelt flour be used in this recipe? Just bought some for the first time? Would it be an even sub?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jennifer. Spelt and whole wheat can usually be subbed 1:1. ~Amy
Jennie says
I've baked this bread twice and each time it has come out uncooked. Raw, doughy, yuck. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I even cooked the second loaf for 1.5 hours!
Stephanie says
I'm making this recipe right now and noticed that it calls for 1 cup of pumpkin. I wondered if perhaps you used the whole can of pumpkin which is almost 2 cups. The other idea is to get an oven thermometer to check your oven temperature. My oven tends to run hotter than the set temperature. Regardless it is discouraging when you put forth effort to make something that doesn't turn out.
Patty says
I did add 1 can by mistake! I wondered why I had to cook it forever! Will try again - my son liked it despite the doughy-ness.
Jess says
Oh. My. YUM. Just made this gem and good heavens was it DELICIOUS! I made muffins and added chocolate chips rather than nuts and HEAVEN. Not too sweet, but the spices really make it flavorful. Thanks so much!!
Crystal says
My toddler and I LOVE this recipe!! I make them as muffins so I can freeze half since my hubby doesn't like pumpkin. I followed the recipe exact. The dough seemed kind of dense, but once cooked was a perfect consistency. Thanks for the great recipe :o)
Jen Pearson says
I'm trying to reduce refined sugar in my family's diet. My kids loved these! They ate them for breakfast and even for dessert. I did cheat and add a tiny sprinkle of Sugar in the Raw on top of them for a bit more of a dessert feel. Thank you for posting all of the great recipes!!
I made these as mini muffins and baked them at 350 for 12-13 minutes.
Erin says
This bread is moist and delicious!! The only change I made was that I used egg whites instead of whole eggs.
Elizabeth Schmitt says
This is a great recipe! Most of my family does not eat clean and they even loved these muffins! I will be making them again.
Cat says
Delicious, thank you. I searched all over for healthy pumpkin bread/muffin recipes and you'll be unsurprised to learn most of them contain more than a cup total of white and/or brown sugar. For this recipe, I swapped in a little blackstrap molasses for a little of the honey (total sweetener was still just 1/2 cup) to add another flavor element and also add a little iron ... didn't want to overdo it, though, as I wanted that pumpkin-y flavor to be foremost, and it was perfect.
Jenny says
Made these as muffins today, with chopped pecans, and they were great! Next time, though, I think I will increase the spices just a touch. I'm thinking these will be an awesome thanksgiving morning quickie breakfast. :)
moabchick says
These muffins are so delicious and moist! A new family staple.
Ruthie says
In your posts on Facebook you mention that you pull the muffin from the freezer and thaw it for the girls to eat at lunch. I was wondering what type of container you freeze the muffins in. Are you just using a ziplock bag.
BTW - I love this recipe! :-)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ruthie. You can use a zipper bag or any airtight container. I like using zipper bags for breads because it is easy to get most of the air out. ~Amy
Susan says
I'm almost out of honey.... Would applesauce work?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Susan. You could try it. It will not be as sweet as the honey. ~Amy
Michelle says
Love this! I added chocolate chips and doubled the recipe. It was gone in almost 24 hours! So delicious!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Sandy. That is adding almost another cup of pumpkin and would certainly effect the consistency perhaps making it over-dense and over-moist. I'm not sure how they might turn out. :) ~Amy
Sandy Lee says
I just made this recipe as muffins. I have been trying to find a good, moist pumpkin muffin recipe and this was it. However, they weren't quite pumpkin(y) enough for our taste. Can I add the whole can (15 oz) of pumpkin to the recipe without throwing the balance of the rest of the ingredients off? And....will this change the baking time! I am not a huge baker and need some advice....Thanks!