Looking for the best pumpkin loaf ever? Look no further because this recipe helps you make the best pumpkin loaf ever (gluten free and better than Starbucks)! It is absolutely delicious and a perfect fall and winter staple. Plus, we love to give it as a gift.
The number of times people have called this the best pumpkin loaf ever is too many to count. Plus, since it’s not made to last on a shelf forever, we’ve even heard that it is better than it’s Starbucks copycat!
We just love loaves and breads (see my recipe for a pumpkin butter pumpkin loaf or zucchini banana nutella swirl loaf or this one for a double chocolate loaf) and this pumpkin loaf is definitely always top of the list because it is so delicious! Perfect to make, season after season.
This loaf is one of those recipes you’ll find yourself making over and over again – it seems like we’ve made it like a million times! You can choose your favorite way to enjoy it; add chocolate chips or make it without. It’s flat out amazing either way. This loaf has a great dense texture and spice profile; it’s pumpkiny, but not too pumpkiny – it’s just delish!!
We promise, even people who swear they don’t like pumpkin will love this loaf. And hey, if you’re feeling super creative, you could try adding a cream cheese frosting for an extra layer of decadence.
Notes on making this gluten-free pumpkin loaf:
- Flour – It can be made with either gluten free flour (we recommend this gluten free flour) or regular flour or even whole wheat flour – because there’s pumpkin puree in the recipe, it keeps the loaf nice and moist.
- Pumpkin puree – This recipe uses pumpkin puree. You can also use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree and have had equally amazing results.
- Recipe size – This recipe makes one big loaf and can easily be doubled or tripled.
- Loaf pan size – we prefer to use a 9 x 5 loaf pan – like this one.
- Alternative sizes – you can also made this loaf recipe as muffins. The bake time is reduced to 18-20 minutes.
How to store and freeze this pumpkin loaf:
- This pumpkin bread never lasts long (because it’s so tasty), but you can keep it in an airtight container on the counter, for up to a week.
- Or to freeze, let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it with plastic wrap and put it in a freezer safe storage bag.
- Alternatively, you can slice the cooled loaf, and then wrap the individual slices with plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag or put them in a freezer safe container divided by pieces of parchment paper.
- This pumpkin bread is good in the freezer for up to 3 months (but Phi has had some in the freezer for 6 months and it was a-ok.)
- To enjoy from frozen, remove a slice (or the loaf) and allow it to come to room temperature on the counter.
Give this delicious pumpkin loaf a try this fall and let us know what you think!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- Double Chocolate Loaf Recipe
- Gluten free lemon loaf with frosting
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Best Pumpkin Loaf Ever (Gluten Free and better than Starbucks)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups flour can use gluten free flour, all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, all spice, pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can do this with a hand mixer) beat together the eggs, sugars and vanilla extract (1 minute on medium speed or until well combined).
- Add in the pumpkin puree and oil and beat until combined.
- Next add all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, all spice and pumpkin pie spice) and stir until combined, you could also use your mixer to combine. If using chocolate chips, add them and mix them in.
- Spoon batter into the lined loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve warm or allow to cool completely, then slice and serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re looking for a similar loaf recipe that is out of this world, I came up with a pumpkin loaf made with pumpkin butter…it’s truly delish too!
Joann Branthoover says
I have made this gluten free ( for me) and wheat flour for my family. We all loved this recipe. Thank you! I added walnuts in stead of chocolate Chips. Making it for thanksgiving!
Sweetphi says
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe! And I love the substitution you made 🙂
Jann says
I like the consistency, but I couldnt taste the pumpkin at all….more spice please!
Sweetphi says
Hi Jann, thank you for your comment. That’s so odd that you didn’t taste the pumpkin at all. I’ve literally made this loaf 10s of times, and many other people have made it with a very positive result, no one ever saying it didn’t taste like pumpkin. Was the pumpkin you used perhaps expired or close to its expiration date? I know sometimes that could have something to do with it … and the spices too, if they’re on the older side they’re not as potent. Next time you could try doubling the spices, but regardless, sorry it wasn’t pumpkiny enough for you.
Renee says
Is it possible to substitute for the 1 cup of sugar? Thanks
Sweetphi says
Yes, you could substitute with your favorite sugar substitute
Jenny says
I used bob’s 1 to 1 flour as well! Tasted so amazing! I already made three loaves and can’t seem to get enough of it!
Cortney says
I tried this recipe using Bob Red Mill’s 1-to-1 baking flour mix and it was delicious! My baby boy loved it too! Thanks for the post!
Sweetphi says
I’m so happy to hear that you used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour (I love their flours!) and that you loved it! Thank you so much for your comment.
Irene says
Just made this pumpkin loaf. It is delicious. Easy and very tasteful.
Sweetphi says
I’m SO HAPPY to hear you liked the pumpkin loaf – thanks for coming and letting me know how you enjoyed it 🙂
Nicole says
I add extra spices because I like an intensely flavoured loaf but everything else I keep the same. Usually slice and freeze individual pieces and them defrost in the morning for breakfast. Absolutely delicious!
Sweetphi says
So glad you like this! Love the idea of putting it in the freezer!
Rachel says
Hi, I’m reading this from Australia, please can you tell me more about ‘pumpkin pie spice’ are youbable to list the ingredients so I can make my own as it’s not likely I’ll find it here.
Thanks
This looks so good.
Sweetphi says
Hi Rachel,
Great question, pumpkin pie spice can be made by combining: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Hope you enjoy,
Phi
Brianna Hudelson says
I’m not gluten free, and most of the time I really dislike gluten free food. But this!!! Oh my. I haven’t even tried to make this with regular flour, I’m afraid it won’t taste as good! My family begs me to make this! Awesome recipe, thank you. ?
Sweetphi says
I think you’d absolutely love this recipe, can’t wait to hear how you like it 🙂
Rony Jahid says
This looks yummy… I have tasted this type of cake before, but that one was crispy. Is this cake also crispy or soft? Whatever I just want to make it soon in my home. Lovely post.
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
Love making gluten free pumpkin bread and yours looks delicious!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much 🙂
Kelli says
Hi there! I just had a question about the gluten free flour. If my flour mixture doesn’t have xantham gum do I need to add it? Thanks!!
Sweetphi says
I have never added xantham gum to gluten free flour that doesn’t contain it, and I’ve made this loaf with 3 different brands of gluten free flour, so you should be fine 🙂
Donna says
I used all coconut sugar, no refined, and it was absolutely fantastic. Thank-you for this recipe!
Sweetphi says
I’m so glad you loved it, thank you so much for sharing the substitution you made!
Elizabeth says
Sweetphi – Your pumpkin bread recipe is amazing!!! It’s the best I’ve ever tried. I’m gluten free and try to minimize my sugar intake so I modified your recipe as follows: I used 1 Cup King Arthur Gluten Free Flour and 1/2 Cup Almond Flour; and I replaced the white sugar with a Stevia blend made for baking, which has 1/3 the calories of regular sugar; and I replaced the brown sugar with Coconut Sugar, which is brown and has a similar texture to regular brown sugar. The result: AMAZING!!
Since I made some substitutions, mine was not quite as good as the Starbucks version, but I’d take it over the Starbucks version all day long as it’s a much healthier option. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your lovely comment, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, this is definitely one of my favorites too 🙂
Lyn says
I’d like to use coconut oil, in place of vegetable oil. Do you foresee any problem?
Sweetphi says
I think you could definitely try that. I’d love to know how it turns out for you.
Rebecca@figsandpigs says
This really does look like the best pumpkin loaf love the colour and even better that it’s gluten free so more people can have it x
Lynne says
Thank you! Most of my gluten free attempts lately have been total fails, but this was fabulous! I halved it and added coconut and walnuts. Yum!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how much you liked it – and I love you making the recipe your own and hearing what you put in it 🙂
E says
Thanks so much for this recipe!! There is a lack of really delicious (Starbucks-reminiscent) GF recipes out there! Made it tonight and it was amazing!!!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much – so glad to hear you liked it. I just made it (again for the 100th time lol) last week and it’s already being requested again!
April says
Can it be made egg free? I’m allergic!
Sweetphi says
That’s a great question, I’ve never made it egg free, but I’ve cooked with flax-eggs before, so I would say to try those in place of eggs. Because this loaf has pumpkin in it, it is moist, so I would think it would work. I’d love to know how it turns out for you if you try it!
Aoril says
Woohoo!!! I made this with Ener-G egg substitute and it was amazing! Light and fluffy;)
Sweetphi says
I’m so glad that it came out great with the substitute – thank you for sharing the helpful alternative 🙂
heather says
How long do you bake the muffins for?
Sweetphi says
I would bake them for 20-30 minutes and do a toothpick check at 20 minutes to see how much longer they need – the toothpick should come out clean.
Sharon says
This pumpkin loaf looks delicious! Did you use 8″ or 9″ loaf pans? Can’t wait to make it.
Sweetphi says
Hi there, I use a 9 inch loaf pan, thank you!
Barb says
Baked this today and it turned out great. Everyone loves it!
Sweetphi says
YAY! That’s so great to hear, thanks for coming back and leaving the feedback Barb 🙂
Jessabelle Valle says
How long does the bread hold for? I’d like to bake this today (Thursday) but also want to take on our road trip ( Sunday). Thoughts on refrigerating half the batter, and only making muffins today. ??
Thanks
Sweetphi says
Thank you for your comment! I would say this bread, baked, would easily hold out for half a week to a week. But if you want the freshest version, I like your idea of refrigerating the batter! Another option is making the bread/muffins and freezing them, I’ve done this a bunch of times and have always had success. Let me know how it all turns out for you 🙂
Barb says
I am going to be making this today but I wanted to double check on the amount of eggs called for first. I’ve never seen that many eggs in a quick bread recipe, 4 is the most I’ve seen.
I hope you don’t mind, I don’t mean to question your recipe, I am simply double checking.
Thanks!
Sweetphi says
Hi Barb, not a problem. It is the correct amount of eggs because this recipe makes 3 loaves or 2 loaves and one dozen muffins 🙂 Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as everyone else that has made it 🙂
Anna says
It’s 3 loaves or 2 loaves and one dozen muffins? The above directions state 3 loaves or 1 loaf and one dozen muffins. Thanks! I plan on making this tonight!
Sweetphi says
Hi there Anna, you’re exactly right, the recipe makes about 3 loaves or 2 loaves and 12 muffins. Hope you enjoy it!
Anna says
Thank you! My batch made 2 loaves and 6 muffins. It is delicious!!! My boyfriend couldn’t stop, he said it is so addicting.
Sweetphi says
I’m so happy to hear that, thanks for coming back and letting me know how you liked it, that makes my day!
Andrea says
This looks delicious! Could I make it without the chocolate? (I know I’m crazy for that but am trying to cut back the sugar.)
Sweetphi says
Hi there, yes, it is still super delicious without the chocolate chips 🙂
Andrea says
Amazing! Thank you for the man hours you spent making this recipe the best I’ve ever had! It’s hard to find a super delicious gluten free bread that isn’t crumbly ?
Sweetphi says
You’re so welcome, and thank YOU for coming back and letting me know how you liked it!!
Lisa says
Do We know the calorie count on a slice?
Sweetphi says
Hi Lisa, sorry I don’t know the calorie count, but you could certainly find out using an online recipe calorie calculator 🙂
E.V. Porter says
Took this bread to a my church small group and got so many compliments. It was inhaled. I made mine with the sugar sub Erythritol worked great.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for coming back and leaving feedback! I’m so glad that your church group loved it, and I always love hearing substitutions, so thank you for sharing! Next time you make it I’d love to see a picture 🙂
Chantelle says
What is sugar plus? Can I use regular sugar?
Sweetphi says
Ahhh, so sorry, it’s just regular sugar, I edited it 🙂
Chantelle says
I made it with regular sugar and it’s the best pumpkin loaf I’ve ever tasted! Now to try not to eat the whole damn thing!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for coming back and telling me how you liked it! This is definitely one of my all time favorite recipes, it’s so perfect for fall!!
Andrea says
Do you think the structure would still be the same if I cut the sugar in half? Have you ever experimented with another sweetener like maple syrup?
Sweetphi says
I think the structure would be the same with half the sugar – I think it will still be delicious 🙂 I have tried playing around with different sweeteners, I have a zucchini loaf that will be posting soon that uses natural sweeteners. Unfortunately with this loaf I didn’t try it. Let me know what you think!
The Suburbian Siren says
This is the bomb dot com. I have tried to bake for years (first with gluten and then gluten free)…I suck at both. This is amazeballs! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Sweetphi says
Thank you SOOO much for this seriously sweet comment! Totally made my day! If you ever have any questions, please do let me know, we’ll make you into baker extraordinaire in no time 🙂
Betsy says
Is there a way to add pumpkin butter to this recipe as well?
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, that would delicious too! I would half the amount of pumpkin purée and then add that amount of pumpkin butter 🙂
rugersmyne says
Can you use regular flour
Sweetphi says
You sure can 🙂 I’ve used regular flour in the same amount and it has turned out great!
rugersmyne says
Thank you so much.. Just a note.. My daughter is gluten free and we made your recipe and this is one of the best breads I have ever tasted… So excited I can make with regular flour.. Happy Holidays..
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for leaving that sweet comment, it totally made my day!!