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It’s pumpkin season!!!
How about some healthy pumpkin bread, with whipped maple butter to get us started?!
This pumpkin bread is a real delight. It’s soft, dense (in a good way), perfectly sweet, bursting with pumpkin, and warming pumpkin pie spice – so good! AND, it’s got an optional – but, highly recommended, whipped maple butter to spread on top!
You don’t NEED the whipped maple butter, but it really makes this pumpkin bread extra special. The maple butter takes only a few minutes to make, and compliments the flavors of the pumpkin bread perfectly. I mean, if you’re going to spread butter onto your pumpkin bread anyways, why not let it be whipped maple butter?!
It’s ridiculously good!
This healthy pumpkin bread is easy to make. It only requires one bowl, and 15 minutes of prep time. The rest is up to the oven. This recipe uses an entire 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree, so there is no need to worry about leftover pumpkin hanging around.
Healthy pumpkin bread is gluten free due to oat flour, and almond flour. It’s made healthier by using some fat free Greek yogurt in place of oil, and the fiber from the almond and oat flour. It’s sweetened with maple syrup, and either brown sugar or coconut sugar.
This pumpkin bread is all around winning at life!!!
Ingredients for healthy pumpkin bread
As always, the full list of ingredients, along with the measurements are in the recipe card below. But, let’s dive into those ingredients here.
- Oat flour – I love using oat flour. It’s inexpensive, it’s easy to make it yourself, and it’s packed with fiber. Be sure to check out the notes of the recipe card to find out how to make your own oat flour.
- Blanched almond flour – Another favorite flour. Almond flour is easy to use, packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber, making it another healthier option for baking.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch acts as a nice binder in gluten free baking. I find it also helps to add a nice texture.
- Baking powder – For a leavening agent, that also provides a little acid.
- Baking soda – For more lift and leavening.
- Xanthan gum – A common binder in gluten free baking. I don’t often find the need to use xanthan gum, but sometimes it helps to hold things together a little better.
- Brown sugar, or coconut sugar – To sweeten things up while adding a nice caramel-y texture.
- Pumpkin pie spice – for all those fall pumpkin flavors we know and love. Be sure the check the notes of the recipe card for a substitution if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice.
- Kosher salt – A little salt is always needed in sweets to bring out the flavors.
- Coconut oil – I love using coconut oil when baking. It doesn’t have a strong enough flavor to make the end result taste coconutty, and it is an oil that has a high smoke point. Meaning, it can be cooked at a very high heat before it starts to break down.
- Maple syrup – Another way to sweeten things up. The maple syrup adds a lovely complex fall flavor.
- Vanilla extract – what baked good isn’t made better with a little vanilla?!?!
- Nonfat, plain, Greek yogurt – I love adding yogurt to my baked goods. It helps to replace some of the oil, and the acid in the yogurt helps to keep the bread tender.
- Pumpkin puree – Can’t have pumpkin bread without pumpkin puree, right?! This recipe uses an entire can of pumpkin, so no need to worry about what to do with a little bit of leftover pumpkin.
- Orange zest – just a little bit of orange zest helps to add another element of fruity sweetness.
Optional whipped maple butter
- Unsalted butter, room temp – I recommend a European style butter, for the best flavor.
- Pure maple syrup – that’s right, we mix the maple syrup right into the butter. So good! Be sure to use real maple syrup, and not pancake syrup!
- Kosher salt – for a nice salted favor for the butter that really brings out the maple syrup.
How to make healthy pumpkin bread
Of course, I have shared more detailed directions in the recipe card below. But, let’s give you a preview of how the bread is made here.
- Prepare – Preheat your oven, grease a loaf pan, and line it with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients – To the same large bowl add the wet ingredients, mix until well combined.
- Transfer the batter to the bread pan – and spread the batter out evenly.
- Bake – Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes. Or until a cake tester, or toothpick come out mostly clean, with a few wet crumbs.
- Cool – Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.
- Make the whipped maple butter – Add the butter to a bowl and whip on high with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the maple syrup and kosher salt. Whip another minute.
- Serve – Once the bread has cooled completely, you can slice, and serve it. Make sure to spread it with that whipped maple butter. So good!!!
Do I NEED to make the whipped maple butter?
No.
But, I highly recommend giving the maple butter a try. Especially if you are going to be spreading some butter onto your sliced pumpkin loaf anyways, why not make it maple butter?!?!
The pumpkin bread is really good plain too. However, the maple butter really amplifies the whole experience.
The choice is up to you.
What to do with leftover maple butter?
You will not use all of the maple butter on one loaf.
So, you can easily store any leftover maple butter in the fridge for up to 1 month. Or, the freezer for 3 to 6 months. You can use the remaining amount on future pumpkin bread.
Or, I am sure it would also be great spread onto pancakes, English muffins, or other sweet quick breads, and fall inspired muffins.
YUM!
Is this healthy pumpkin bread gluten free?
Yes.
Due to the oat flour and the almond flour, this pumpkin bread is gluten free. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t taste gluten free, one bit.
Be sure to use certified gluten free oats when making your oat flour though, if needed.
Why is this pumpkin bread healthy?
This pumpkin bread is healthier than your standard pumpkin bread for a few reasons. First off, we are using more nutrient dense ingredients, like oat flour, almond flour, and Greek yogurt instead of oil.
1 slice of a standard loaf of pumpkin bread has 178 calories, 6.9 grams of fat, and 17 grams of sugar. (Source).
Let’s compare a slice of my healthy pumpkin bread: 1 slice has 110 calories, 3.9 grams of fat, and 7.3 grams of sugar.
Of course, I am not one to count calories, and macros, but it is interesting to compare the two.
Also, pumpkin is a very nutritious food. It contains fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, copper, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium (source). Look at you pumpkin!!!
In conclusion, I found this healthy pumpkin bread to be healthy enough to be eaten alongside some eggs for breakfast. Or, to be enjoyed as a snack.
It’s divine with a cup of black tea. My husband assures me that it’s also great with coffee.
How long does this healthy pumpkin bread last?
The bread, when wrapped tightly, will last 2 to 3 days at room temp. We preferred the taste of the bread when eaten at room temp.
If you have it any longer than that, I would transfer it to the fridge, where it will last for another 2 to 3 days.
Reasons you will FALL in love with this healthy pumpkin bread
- It tastes of pumpkin pie, in bread form.
- It’s perfectly sweetened,
- tender,
- dense (in a good way),
- and topped with a luscious whipped maple butter that brings it together.
- It’s easy to make,
- only requires one bowl.
- It’s gluten free – so it’s perfect for sharing.
- It’s healthier than your average pumpkin bread.
- It is delicious enjoyed with a cup of tea, or coffee.
- It would make an awesome edible gift.
More pumpkin recipes for you to love
- healthy baked pumpkin oatmeal
- pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies
- pumpkin cake with yogurt cream cheese frosting
- mini pumpkin pies with ginger cookie crust
- healthy pumpkin muffins
- protein packed pumpkin oatmeal with yogurt “whipped cream”
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know how it went. Leave a comment down below, along with a star rating. I love hearing from you.
Print
Healthy Pumpkin Bread (with Maple Butter)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 75 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 to 24 slices 1x
- Category: snack, breakfast, dessert, baking
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian, easy
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This healthy pumpkin bread is so easy to make, only requires one bowl. It’s tender, dense, and packed with warming pumpkin pie spice. When spread with whipped maple butter, it’s the perfect fall treat.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour (see notes on how to make)
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (click here for recipe)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (warm, but not hot)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten with a fork
- 1/4 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
- 15 ounce can (1 1/2 cups) pumpkin puree (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING) – (see notes on brand recs)
- optional: 1 teaspoon orange zest
Optional Whipped Maple Butter
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temp
- 4 to 5 ounces pure maple syrup
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease, and line a large 10×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Note: If you don’t have a large loaf pan, you can try dividing the batter between two small loaf pans, and reducing the cooking time by about half. If you haven’t done so already, make the oat flour (see notes below). Be sure to measure after you have made it, not before.
- Mix the dry ingredients: To a large mixing bowl add the oat flour, blanched almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, brown sugar/coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and kosher salt – whisk until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients: To the same mixing bowl with the dry ingredients add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and extract – whisk until somewhat combined. Next add the lightly beaten eggs, and whisk until somewhat combined. Then add the Greek yogurt, and pumpkin puree, and orange zest, whisk until mostly combined, then switch to a rubber spatula to continue mixing, making sure to scrape the bottom, and the sides of the bowl to make sure there aren’t any pockets of flour. The batter should be thick, but pourable.
- Transfer the batter to the bread pan: Immediately transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan (don’t allow the batter to sit very long, it gets too thick) – use a small offset spatula, or the back of a spoon to help smooth the batter out, and push it into the corners of the bread pan. Give the pan a good tap or two to help the batter settle.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until a cake tester, or toothpick comes out mostly clean, with a few wet crumbs.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool for 30 minutes, then use the parchment paper to remove the bread from the pan and place it on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing. The bread will sink a little as it cools.
- Make the whipped maple butter: This step is optional, but I highly recommend it. You can make the butter either while the bread is cooling, or while it is baking. Add the room temp butter to a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer and beat the butter on medium speed until the butter has turned pale in color, and looks fluffy – about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the maple syrup, and kosher salt – blend jut until combined. Taste a little of the butter and adjust the flavors as desired. Transfer the maple butter to an air tight container and store at room temp to make it easy to spread onto the pumpkin bread whenever you want.
- Serve: once the pumpkin bread has completely cooled, use a serrated knife to slice it and serve it immediately. Although it is good plain, we highly recommend spreading it with the whipped maple butter.
- To store: To store the bread wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a ziploc bag and do your best to squeeze out all the air. We prefer the taste of the bread when eaten at room temp, it will last 2 to 3 days at room temp. If you still have the bread any longer than that, then transfer it to the fridge where it will keep for another 2 to 3 days.
Notes
how to make oat flour – To make oat flour add rolled oats to a high speed blender, or a food processer – blend for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Blend until the flour is finely ground. If you’re using a food processor, the texture will not be as fine, but it will still work. Measure the flour after making it. I like to make the oat flour in bulk, and store it for whenever I need it. Be sure to use certified gluten free oats, if needed.
pumpkin puree – I tested this recipe several times and I found that it did the best when I used Libby’s pumpkin puree. When I used a different brand it seemed more watery than Libby’s, and lighter in color – the bread took way longer to bake, and wasn’t as good. If you can’t get Libby’s, and the pumpkin you do use looks watery, then do your best to strain out some of the liquid, or use a paper towel to blot of the excess moisture.
whipped maple butter – You will not use all of the whipped maple butter on one loaf of bread. When I tried to halve the whipped maple butter it was difficult to whip up due to the small amount. You can store the leftover butter in the fridge for up to 1 month, or freeze it for up to 3 to 6 months. You can use it on future loaves of pumpkin bread. Or, I bet it would be delicious spread on pancakes, English muffins, other sweet quick breads, fall inspired muffins, and probably even toast. Yum!
Pumpkin bread recipe roughly adapted from wholefully’s one bowl whole wheat pumpkin bread, and my blueberry cake donuts with lemon glaze
Maple butter idea inspired from bon appetite.
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