Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread ⋆ 100 Days of Real Food

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.
• 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 1/2 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.

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.

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.

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.

Some other great pumpkin recipes on the blog: