One of my most favorite treats in the world is my original vegan pumpkin bread. This gluten-free pumpkin bread is made with coconut flour and is so soft and moist, with a hint of maple and warm spices. It's a comforting quick bread recipe that's easy to make, dairy-free, and perfect for a cozy fall breakfast!
There's nothing like a warm slice of pumpkin bread slathered with creamy coconut butter, with a pumpkin spice matcha on the side. Truly fall breakfast heaven! This gluten-free pumpkin bread is light and delicious, made with coconut flour. Coconut flour is used a lot in paleo and keto baking, and you'll find it in my paleo banana bread, banana muffins, and coconut pancakes.
I created this pumpkin bread recipe back in 2012, when I was just starting to learn how to bake with gluten-free flours. When I revisited it recently, I was blown away all over again by how moist and flavorful it is! So, I've given it a small refresh as I gear up for fall baking.
Why This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Is a Favorite Fall Treat
- In true quick bread fashion, this coconut flour pumpkin bread uses just one bowl.
- It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.
- This gluten-free pumpkin bread has an amazingly moist, tender texture with the fluffiest crumb thanks to coconut flour and eggs. I can't wait for you to try it!
Ingredients in Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bread
Some gluten-free baking recipes can have a long grocery list, but I wanted to keep the ingredients for this gluten-free pumpkin bread as simple as possible. See the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Canned pumpkin – I love the one from Thrive Market because it's organic, non-GMO, and super affordable.
- Eggs – As you'll read below, coconut flour loves eggs, and they're what give this bread its spongy, soft texture. I have not tested this recipe yet with flax eggs or an egg substitute, so I can't recommend it.
- Coconut sugar – My favorite granulated sugar because it's less refined, a little less sweet, but still has a lovely caramel flavor.
- Avocado oil – Any light oil will work, including olive oil and melted coconut oil.
- Apple cider vinegar – Or regular distilled white vinegar.
- Coconut flour – It's the main flour in this bread, which makes it taste slightly sweet, but not overly coconutty. Unfortunately, it can't be substituted in this recipe. If you can't use coconut (or can't find it), I suggest baking my vegan pumpkin bread that uses a mix of almond and quinoa flour instead.
- Arrowroot starch – Adds a little more lightness to the crumb. You can replace it with another starch, like potato, tapioca, or cornstarch.
- Spices – I make a pumpkin pie spice blend with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, but feel free to swap these individual spices with the same total amount of a pre-made blend.
- Baking soda and baking powder – Since there's no yeast, using both gives this gluten-free quick bread enough rise by reacting with the cider vinegar and salt in the recipe. Make sure your leavening is as fresh as possible.
- Walnuts – My chosen mix-in. Feel free to omit the walnuts or swap them with any other mix-in you'd like (chocolate chips, pecans, coconut flakes, etc.).
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread With Coconut Flour
Follow these steps to make this easy gluten-free pumpkin bread in one bowl in a little over 1 hour from start to finish (most of which is baking time):
- Get ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease and line your loaf pan.
- Mix the batter. Next, cream the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, oil, and vinegar together in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients (apart from the walnuts) and mix until the batter is just combined. Fold in the walnuts last. Then, rest the batter for 5 minutes to hydrate the flour.
- Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. If you notice that the bread is browning at the 40-minute mark, loosely tent the pan with foil while it finishes baking.
- Cool. Let the pumpkin bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing so it doesn't crumble.
Tips for Baking with Coconut Flour
Coconut flour can be notoriously tricky to bake with, but when used correctly, the results are worth it! Here's what I've learned the more I bake with coconut flour:
- It's incredibly absorbent, but at the same time has no binding power. In short, coconut flour absorbs all the liquid, which can make baked goods crumbly and dry.
- Eggs are coconut flour's best friend. Eggs contain protein that helps bind the bread ingredients together, providing structure and necessary moisture.
- Get the right ratio. Use at least 1 egg for every 1/4 cup of coconut flour.
- Avoid substitutes. You can't substitute coconut flour 1:1 with any other flours. I suggest finding another recipe that doesn't rely on coconut flour if you don't have it available.
If you'd like more tips, I recommend Nourished Kitchen's post on tips for baking with coconut flour that's super comprehensive.
Serving Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Once cooled, you'll have a perfectly moist, sliceable pumpkin bread that's ready to enjoy! This gluten-free pumpkin bread is delicious plain, or I'll serve mine with nut butter or any of these favorite topping ideas:
- Dolloped with coconut yogurt and sprinkled with crunchy granola.
- Drizzled with chocolate almond butter and topped with sliced apples (or banana).
- Spread with pumpkin butter or coconut butter with pumpkin pie spice.
How to Store
- Store airtight. Allow the gluten-free pumpkin bread to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. It lasts at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze. I prefer to freeze my coconut flour pumpkin bread right away, as it keeps it fresher. Once cool, slice the whole loaf. Leave a slice or two (or three) out for that day and the next, and freeze the rest. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil, place it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat the pumpkin bread, use the toaster oven or let it defrost at room temperature.
More Easy Pumpkin Recipes to Try
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray the uncovered sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease with oil.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, oil and vinegar. Beat until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients (minus the walnuts) and stir until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the walnuts. Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 – 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Check at 40 minutes and cover with tinfoil if the top is browning too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
- Serve slightly reheated in the toaster oven with your favorite nut butter or buttery spread!
Video
Nutrition
I made this with flax eggs subbed for chicken eggs. It didn’t hold together super well, but after letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours it was a bit sturdier, and improved the texture. I also mixed all the ingredients except the baking soda and powder and let it sit in the fridge overnight before adding remaining ingredients and baking. Letting it soak like that overnight helps a million with reducing the grainy coconut flour texture.
Hmmm…where are you based? Your coconut flour might be slightly different!
Hi Alyssa! I like the flavors of this bread. I didn’t have coconut oil so I substituted ghee. The bread didn’t rise much. In fact, the center seems to stay lower than the sides. How can I get more rise like the one in your photo?
Hmm it could have been the ghee if I’m being honest since their compositions are a bit different. I would say you could also try whipping the egg whites to give it even more lift!
This turned out amazing! I made my own pumpkin puree add with some yogurt for the right consistency. Thanks for sharing!
YUM!! Sounds amazing!
Is it possible to substitute the coconut sugar for stevia sweetener? If so, how much would I add?
I haven’t tested, so I’m not sure how to do that conversion… sorry!
I’ve made this twice now, and although delicious, it never seems to set. I’ve gone well over the cool time and it ended with a texture close to a bread pudding each time. The second time I added a little more arrowroot starch, and it was a little better. Thoughts?
This looks yummy but did I read it right, just 1/2 cup of coconut flour and 6 tablespoons of potato starches as the main dry ingredients?
Yep!
Oooh this looks so so yummyy. I just have a beautiful pumpkin waiting to become something delicious.My only question is:What would you exchange the eggs with to make this beautiful bread vegan-friendly?
I don’t think this bread will work without eggs unfortunately! Coconut flour needs eggs to get structure and hold together. You can try this one though! https://www.simplyquinoa.com/gluten-free-vegan-pumpkin-bread/
I can not have walnuts. How big of a difference will this make?
this sounds good, will try soon
Please let me know if you do. Would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Oh this looks and sounds absolutely perfect! I am so grateful I found your blog you make things I so enjoy, they taste great you use ingredients that I actually have on hand and you make food I so so so want to eat, foods that I have had to go so long with out. Thank you for all your knowledge and gerousity and kindness and selflessness to be so good to me and to so many of us. I wish you all the very best in the new year, may this be your best year ever. Hugs&X’s
Thank you so much Kathy! I’m glad you found me too 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what recipes you try and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions along the way.
xo Alyssa