Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread – a quick bread that is deliciously spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, & cloves. This fall treat is a family favorite.
This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread is adapted from my grandmother’s Pumpkin Bread recipe and made because we found that recently our daughter Jersey might have a gluten intolerance. So quickly, I am going through our family’s favorite recipes and making adaptations.
Finding out that my daughter Jersey may have a gluten intolerance has been a journey. For as long as I can remember, she’s had black circles under her eyes, mood swings after eating certain foods, and digestive issues. I was at my wit’s end trying to figure out what was going on with her sweet little body. After several doctor’s appointments and tests, we decided to eliminate certain foods from her diet.
We started with gluten, but later they advised us to bring her back and get some testing done. As soon as we did, I saw a difference. According to the one doctor, her celiac test returned OK, but I knew otherwise. After trying the whole dairy elimination and not seeing any change, we went back to eliminating gluten.
And guess what? It worked. Granted, she isn’t 100% better; we are still working on the cough thing. But the dark circles under her eyes, her mood swings, and her temperament has improved, and so has her digestive system.
I started making all our family favorites and adapting them to be gluten-free. Jersey is lucky enough to pick and choose (with guidance) when it is okay to eat gluten. If we know we are going to a party that will have pizza or cake that isn’t gluten-free, she knows that she can have it if she wants, but then she also knows that she won’t feel her best either.
With that said, she is only 8 – she doesn’t realize the effects gluten has on her and often feels sad, understandable. But we have tried our best and will continue to be with her on this journey as a family.
This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread was my first recipe to make her because we eat this bread all fall long.
The bread’s top crust has a delightful texture–slightly crunchy. The rest of the loaf is soft and moist, as my son Aiden and I discovered (along with Jersey) when we first tried it. We couldn’t stop eating it, nor could the rest of the family.
Thanks to this journey, Jersey’s life will be improved in a significant way with just a simple change. No medication is necessary- just a simple ingredient removed that her body isn’t processing.
Feeling grateful to friends that we have options for all sorts of people with allergies.
Tips on how to make the best gluten-free pumpkin bread:
- Be sure to use a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum to keep the bread together. I swear by Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Always check ingredients for a gluten-free label or symbol if you have gluten intolerance.
- To make this even more of a treat, you can add chocolate chips or your favorite nuts to taste.
- Only use 100% Pumpkin puree, not sweetened or spiced. Most brands are naturally gluten-free as well.
How long is gluten-free bread good for?
Pumpkin bread is one of those things that just makes Fall. Though it’s incredible how such a simple combination of ingredients creates something so delicious, the best part about pumpkin bread is how long it will last you.
Kept at room temperature in an airtight container, your loaf should stay fresh for 3-4 days — but if you’re tight on space or want to make ahead for upcoming Fall gatherings, store your sliceable (cooled) log in the freezer where it will remain good as new for up to 3 months!
How to make gluten-free pumpkin bread?
Preheat oven to 350; grease three bread loaf pans or two larger ones.
Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in the flour mixture and still until well combined and you can’t see any of the remaining flour. The mixture will seem thick, but it will be fine.
Pour into 2- 3 bread pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick in the center of the loaf; it is done baking if the toothpick comes out clean.
Cooking time will vary depending on the oven and the size of the bread loaf pans.
Enjoy this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread, friends, as we sure are. XOXO San
Looking for some other fun ways to use pumpkin?
Check out some of my favorite recipes. All of these recipes can be adapted; email me if you have any questions.
- Pumpkin Zucchini Cake
- Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
- Grandma Gillan’s Pumpkin Bread
- Baked Cinnamon & Sugar Pumpkin Donuts
- Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Donuts
- Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups gluten-free flour I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 cups pumpkin I use canned pumpkin. Make sure that it is gluten-free if you are intolerant
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 1 cup gluten-free chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350; grease 3 8-inch bread loaf pans or 2 larger loaf pans.
- Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix together until well combined. Mix in the flour mixture and still until well combined and you can't see any of the remaining flour. Mixture will seem thick but it will be fine.
- Pour into 2- 3 bread pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Insert toothpick in center of loaf, it is done baking if the toothpick comes out clean.
- Cooking time will vary dependant on oven and size of bread loaf pans.
Notes
I love this pumpkin bread! It looks incredibly delicious!
Thank you!
Love when fall rolls around for recipes just like this one! Easily, my new favorite bread recipe for fall!
We do too! Thank you!
Oh my goodness! I love the texture of this bread! Looks fabulous!
Thank you!
I LOVE that this is gluten free! SO delish!!!
Thank you!
When you say bread pan , exactly what size pan are you referring to? There is a Gluten Free Bread Pan or are you talking about the standard 8” or 9” loaf pans? I really like your recipe but this lack of information regarding the size of the regular pan is quite disappointing.
Hi Peggy, I have celiac myself and have never heard of a gluten-free bread pan! We always just use a standard 8×4-inch loaf pan as with any usual bread recipe. A 9-inch would work as well. I will update the recipe to include the size to make it clearer.
Thank you so much for clarifying the answer. I was scratching my head trying to figure it out!
The texture is great, resembles a normal loaf. However I’m not getting a lot of pumpkin flavor… Not sure what it’s missing…
Hi Maia! It definitely doesn’t have a very strong pumpkin flavor like a pumpkin pie would. You could try making fresh pumpkin puree or add more spices to taste if you are looking for stronger flavors, although we haven’t tested this so we can’t be sure how it would work. I hope this helps!
I could eat this every week! The perfect companion with my morning coffee.
It does make a perfect breakfast treat! Thank you!
I love pumpkin bread! I can’t believe that this bread is gluten free. The texture is so perfect!
Thank you!
What a tasty treat and perfect for fall! Loved all the pumpkin flavor; so delicious!
Thank you!
YUMMM!!! This is the perfect easy dessert! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you!
One of my favorite pumpkin bread recipe!! Thanks for this!
Of course!
Love that this is gluten free so everyone can enjoy it!
Me too! Thanks!
I made this last week, it was very good, I used coconut oil and cut back a little on the sugar. Otherwise I followed the instructions as written. Very moist and flavorful!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Very good, one question; what size can of pumpkin should be used??
Hi Connie! Since the recipe uses 2 cups, you’ll need either 2 small cans or 1 large can and will have some extra pumpkin puree either way. I usually use the leftovers to make another treat, like these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
My daughter also has a gluten sensitivity. 5 years of learning how to bake/cook gluten dairy free. This recipe is my favorite. We have been making it for a couple years and it’s also my banana bread recipe, we just sub banana for the pumpkin and cinnamon for the other spices. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this recipe out there! As a side note I have been working with sourdough from scratch because I had heard it works well for gluten intolerance and sure enough as long as I do a 12+ hour rise the belly aches, exzema and bathroom issues are still gone!!
Oh, Ashlie, thank you for taking the time to come and tell me this; you made my day. I am so happy you love the recipe, it is adapted from my grandmother’s recipe, so this elates me. She recently passed, but she always loved hearing readers’ comments about her recipes, so I am sure she feels the love from afar. Thank you again for letting me know you love this recipe; it means more than you know.
Absolutely delicious!