Healthy Pumpkin Bread

Your fall baking dreams have come true with this Healthy Pumpkin Bread! Packed with pumpkin puree and a few chocolate chips + the just right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, this pumpkin bread recipe is something your whole family will enjoy!

We have healthy and delicious bread recipes galore here on Fit Foodie Finds! From this easy cinnamon apple bread to this vegan banana bread to this blueberry banana bread, we’ve got you covered with healthy bread loaves for every season.

Pumpkin Season = Love

It’s finally here! Pumpkin everything season 😀 And to honor this wonderful time of year, we’re here with the most deliciously moist healthy pumpkin bread. And it includes chocolate chips, friends. Bookmark this recipe because it will quickly become your go-to fall loaf recipe.

This delicious and moist healthy pumpkin bread is truly a fall favorite. We love whipping up a few loaves for friends and family and have even served this pumpkin bread at Thanksgiving.

How is this Pumpkin Bread Healthier?

There are so many different pumpkin bread recipes on the internet, but this one tops the charts for HEALTHY pumpkin bread. Here’s why:

• 100% whole grains – this recipe uses white whole wheat flour instead of the classic all-purpose so that it’s made with whole grains.
• All-natural sugar – the only kind of sugar you’ll find in this healthy pumpkin bread is coconut sugar and maple syrup. 2 sugars that are plant based and better for you.
• Ready in under 1 hour – 60 minutes and done!

Healthy Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

We won’t get into the nitty-gritty of every ingredient in this bread until you scroll on down to the recipe card, but here are the true heroes of the show when it comes to this healthier pumpkin bread:

• White whole wheat flour: This pumpkin bread is made with a white whole wheat flour base. This is our go-to flour when making healthy muffins or loaves! We choose this flour over normal whole wheat because it creates a less dense, super fluffy bread.
• Pumpkin puree: The star of this pumpkin bread is obviously the pumpkin puree! It’s what gives this classic recipe a sweet twist! Make sure to buy unsweetened pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie puree.
• Spices: The runner-up star of this recipe is, of course, the perfect combination of fall SPICES. In this recipe, we used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, and seriously, they’re the perfect harvest flavors to complement the sweet pumpkin flavor.
• Almond milk: I love the nutty flavor of almond milk, but feel free to use any kind of milk for this pumpkin bread.
• Vanilla extract: Cuz every loaf deserves some vanilla.
• Maple syrup: Instead of using refined sugar, we stuck with maple syrup, our favorite plant-based sugar!
• Coconut oil: This recipe calls for coconut oil. If you don’t have this oil at home, you can easily sub for a different baking oil, such as canola oil.
• Eggs: We haven’t tested this recipe eggless, but you can always try to sub 2 flax eggs!
• Chocolate chips: These are absolutely optional, but over here at FFF we’re big fans of the chocolate and pumpkin flavor combo, and think you will be, too 😀

Ingredient Swaps

While we recommend following our baked good recipes to a tee, here are some swap suggestions if you don’t have an ingredient or two.

Flour – try using all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose flour instead.

Sugar – we’ve made this bread with brown sugar instead of coconut sugar and it’s just as delicious, just not unrefined. You can also try using honey or agave instead of maple, but we truly love the warmth maple syrup gives this healthy pumpkin bread recipe.

Spices – Have homemade pumpkin pie spice at home? Try that or even gingerbread spice!

Coconut Oil – Instead of coconut oil, you can try using olive oil or canola oil. You can even try omitting altogether.

Toppings/Mix-Ins for Pumpkin Bread

A slice of this healthy pumpkin bread is entirely moist enough to enjoy on its own, but if you’re looking to jazz it up a bit, it’s also delicious using the following as toppings and/or mix-ins.

• Butter
• Nuts
• Ghee
• Peanut butter
• Nutella
• Honey
• Cream cheese

Pumpkin Bread Baking Tips

Don’t over mix: When in doubt, do NOT overmix the batter. If you do so, you risk overwhipping the eggs, which will leave you with a flat loaf.

Let cool completely: This is probably our #1 tip for preventing a bread flop. I’m speaking from experiene here when I say let the bread cool compltely before slicing! The bread continues to bake as it cools and if you cut it too soon it may fall apart or seem uncooked.

Use a toothpick to test doneness: There is nothing worse than over or under-cooking your pumpkin bread. So? Make sure to use a toothpick to test the doneness before removing it from the oven. Stick your toothpick in the middle of the bread and press it halfway down. If it comes out clean, you know it’s done!

Can I turn this pumpkin bread into muffins?

Yes! You can easily turn this healthy pumpkin bread into a muffin recipe. Here’s how to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Then, line a muffin tin with muffin liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Follow the directions on how to make the batter and then transfer batter into muffin tin filling each muffin 3/4 of the way full. You might get 14-16 muffins out of this batter.
3. Bake at 350ºF for 22-24 minutes.
4. Let muffins cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring to a cooling rack.

Check out our healthy pumpkin muffins recipe HERE for a more in-depth tutorial.

How to Store Pumpkin Bread

Store this healthy pumpkin bread in an air-tight container or gallon-size Ziploc with a piece of paper towel on the bottom to soak up the moisture. Store at room temperature on the counter top for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5.

How to Freeze Pumpkin Bread

To freeze your pumpkin bread, first let cool completely. Then, tightly wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap and then once more with a piece of tin foil. Remove as much air from around the bread as possible. Write the name of the recipe and the date on the bag. This bread will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Thaw Pumpkin Bread

To thaw frozen pumpkin bread, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature on the counter top until fully thawed. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Photos by: The Wooden Skillet