Whoever first asked me for a recipe for pumpkin bread had no idea how obsessed I can become with getting something right. It’s the type A in me. I went from having a marginal interest in pumpkin bread, to complete obsession with variations on pumpkin bread.
So after playing around for a bit, I have two recipes for pumpkin bread, one being more like a cake, and the other being more like a quick bread. After a friend told me she served my pumpkin bread with forks to our posse of teenage boys, I decided a modification was warranted.
This recipe is more bread-like, and I renamed the first recipe to “Pumpkin Bread (almost cake)”. I like them both, but the first recipe definitely tastes more like a pumpkin pie cake. The main difference between the two recipes: I cut the sweetener in half, the pumpkin puree in half, and I added ginger to this recipe. You can add ginger to the first recipe as well.
Sweetener Tip Readers who are trying to cut down the amount of sweetener in recipes will appreciate this recipe since I have cut the amount of sweetener in half. Also, read the comments in several of my cake and bread recipes. You’ll discover that you can substitute applesauce for part or all of the sweetener, depending on the recipe. It seems to work well with the pumpkin bread and banana bread recipes and cakes using almond flour.
By the way, it’s really hard to take photos of food with a puppy around. So that about wraps up my experimentation with pumpkin bread… for now.
Pumpkin Bread {almond flour}
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree* (canned or fresh; butternut squash is my favorite)
- 1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener; I used maple syrup)
- 2
eggs - 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
- 2 cups of almond flour
- 1/2 cup of walnuts & raisins (optional)
* Pumpkin Puree
- Slice the pumpkin (or other squash, butternut squash is the sweetest, in my opinion) in half (from stem to bottom), take out the seeds (and make toasted seeds).
- Roast the pumpkin for about 1 hour (at 350 degrees F), face down, in some water that covers the bottom of the dish. You can also steam the pumpkin. Alternatively, you can dry roast it by wrapping it in foil and placing it in the oven. That would also reduce the moisture in the puree.
- Cool the pumpkin, peel the skin off, and puree it in a blender or food processor.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, blend well, and then add the wet ingredients and blend well.
- Bake in a bread pan (I used a Pyrex glass dish, 5 inches x 9 inches) for 45 minutes or until the outside is brown. When it’s done, a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
Looks great, have shared it and I will be baking this one.
I love your recipes. I get totally into different things also. I love your recipes. We noticed the first was very gooey, delicious and we ate it quickly,..BUT I plan to make more pumpkin bread today and your recipe is timely. MY daughter, freshman in HS made your first recipe. THANKS!! I bought 2 pumpkins and will try and follow your directions for making pumpkin from scratch. I hate using cans, even organic because of the toxins in can, ONLY use Eden beans occasionally, at least none of the worst toxins in those….but still don’t like using those..One bad experience soaking beans..but need to try again..
anyway, We really appreciate your recipes and don’t even look elsewhere. Your website is our familys favorite
Thanks – so nice to hear!
I understand how hard it is to take food pictures with a dog as well. You have a very cute pooch there.
What a cute puppy! I have a dog too, that does like to play with my feet while I’m in the middle of a shoot
Love the pup. I have a blue Aussie. They are the best. Can’t wait to try this one. Made the first one and everyone LOVED it.
I made the first pumpkin recipe but added some coconut flour to it and cut the honey in third. It turned out so yummy and the consistency of bread. I didn’t even try the original. I’ve taken to combining almond flour and coconut flour in most all recipes because the texture feels more like real bread than either one alone. I plan to try this new recipe too. Thank you for your site and wonderful recipes.
Great idea, mixing flours. I’ll try that next time.
This looks so good! I linked to it in my post for Orange Pumpkin Bread. I am also enamored with your dogs!
http://www.thealmondflower.com/2011/11/grain-free-gluten-free-of-course-and.html
Beautiful bread and beautiful puppy! I’d be distracted, too : )
Your puppy is soooo cute!! What kind of dog is it? And your pumpkin bread looks great too. Yum!
Claire
thanks. He’s as exhausting as he is cute. Australian Shepherd.
This was just lovely, and especially with almond flour. I haven’t had much luck in the past making a “bread” out of almond flour. You’ve given me hope LOL. Thanks for sharing this.
I would love to try this recipe and am wondering if I can use the canned pumpkin rather than messing around with the whole pumpkin(s).
Also, do you suggest that an equal amount of apple sauce instead of sugar or sweetener will work just as well…I tend not to use any sugar or sugar substitutes whenever possible.
Thank you!
Yes to the canned pumpkin. I haven’t experimented with applesauce, but I know others usually replace have of the sweetener.
Hi! Unfortunately, I tried making this with applesauce instead of honey and it tasted really really bad. Like an apple pumpkin bread- and those flavors do not match!
I made this last weekend for my sister and her family on a whim and they all loved it, including my very picky niece. I did use amber agave and canned pumpkin, due to making it last minute. I’ll have to try it with homemade pumpkin puree. Thank you for posting such great recipes!
Thank you for the recipe! It was delicious! I sub’d the honey for 1/2 cup xylitol & it worked out great!
I made this bread last night. It is amazing! Thank you so much! Do you have any SCD recipes that resemble regular white bread? I miss bread sooo much 🙁
thanks! I will have some bread recipes that I personally like – in my book coming out in the spring of next year, but until then, have you tried the Cashew bread (brioche)?
Thank you for your response 🙂 I was also thinking about trying your cashew bread recipe. It looks so much like real bread. Glad to hear about the book. I am a fan of your recipes.
This recipe is fantastic, and FYI, we have used the same recipe and substituted 1) mashed ripe bananas 2) ripe persimmons for the pumpkin and it works just as well!
I can’t wait to make this tonight! Could you substitute the almond flour for maybe white/brown rice flour?
Sorry, I don’t know – it might work but I haven’t tried it.
Just made this.. I have to say, its AMAZING! Moist, deliciousness 🙂 The two things I did differently was that I used half honey and half Coconut sweetener, and I used a 8×8 pyrex and it came out great. I ended up only needing to cook it for 35 minutes and it was perfect (could be due to the dish size I used). By chance do you know the caloric content for this recipe?
Thanks!
~Katherine
So good to know about these subs – thanks! I’ve been wondering if using crystalized sweetener would do well. Yes, it probably baked a bit faster due to it having more surface area exposed to the heat. Try this for calorie count: http://caloriecount.about.com/
Hi Erica, Just stumbled on your site yesterday and I’ve fallen in love with your recipes. I tried the low carb brownies last night and they came out very good; I did add 3 tbls. of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and substituted the maple syrup with agave nectar. My question is on your pumpkin bread, can you tell me the carbs per serving. My husband and I are new to low-carb eating and I’m trying to provide more variety in our diet. Thanks!
I love your recipes! Just found you a few weeks ago. I am crazy obsessed with your pumpkin bread recipe (like cake) and turn it into muffins… my husband likes raisins and nuts in his and I need plain. It works perfectly. The subs I made are 1. Used combination of Chestnut flour and rice flour, 3/4 C chestnut flour to 1/4 C rice flour for each C called for (usually double recipe), use rice mainly because chestnut flour is so expensive (but yummy) 2. Used maple syrup and only 1/2 C. Makes a dozen muffins @ 350 for about 20-25 min. This is a staple in my house right now! Thank you and I look forward to your book!
Thanks! I’m always interested in change-ups so thanks for sharing this. I’m curious about brown rice flour blended with nuts flours so this is good to know.
Can you use coconut flour instead of almond flour in this recipe?
Can you use coconut flour in this recipe?
sorry, no but search on pumpkin muffins for a recipe using coconut flour
I used applesauce instead of pumpkin and I doubled the batch so I used 1/2 pint of home canned unsweetened applesauce. Instead of all almond flour, I used 1/2 pecan flour. I reduced the amount of sweetening and used 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup xylitol so about half what was called for. And because I was didn’t have enough walnuts, I added what I did have and threw in some cranberries. This is a very versatile and forgiving recipe and I’ll come back to it. I will try banana in addition to the pumpkin that is written up. I think we’re only limited by what we think of to use as puree on this one. Thanks for a great loaf!
Hi Erica, just wanted to thank you for all the great recipes you share here in your blog. I can’t wait to make the pumpkin bread and the pumpkin cinnamon cupcakes as well. My kids love anything pumpkin especially pumpkin roll, but I don’t have a good grain free recipe for one, have you tried to make one? do you think perhaps the batter for this pumpkin bread or the one more cake like could be baked into a roll?
Amazing when two great minds come together.
I did not put in cloves so maybe next time.
I tried your pumpkin/banana bread. It is better than all-purpose flour pumpkin bread. I will try this, too. Thank you for the fall gift!
Any time 🙂