Healthy Pumpkin Bread

An easy healthy pumpkin bread recipe made with whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Try a lightened up version of a delicious fall favorite! This post is sponsored by my friends at Bob’s Red Mill.

Healthy Pumpkin Bread is all the things you love about fall wrapped up in a delicious baked good!

This healthy bread is filled with warm fall spices and flavors, real pumpkin puree, and wholesome ingredients that make the most perfect fall treat. This bread has amazing texture and can be served cold or warmed in the oven!

the best healthier pumpkin bread on a white plate with cream cheese spread on it

Enjoy it plain, slather it with pumpkin cream cheese or have it alongside a Low Sugar Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Table of Contents

Why we love Easy Healthy Pumpkin Bread

Whole wheat flour– I used whole wheat flour in this recipe rather than bleached white flour. Whole wheat flour is a great source of whole grains and much better for you than regular white flour! This is the whole wheat flour I like.
Low in sugar – This recipe is sweetened only by pumpkin puree and a touch of maple syrup. Many pumpkin bread recipes are loaded with sugar, but this has only 13g of all natural sugar per slice.
Low fat– Instead of using a ton of butter or canola oil, this recipe uses a tiny bit of olive oil to keep it moist. The pumpkin also helps keep the bread moist, which makes it pretty low fat (only 6g of fat per slice)

Is pumpkin bread healthy?

Not all pumpkin bread recipes are healthy. This is a healthier option for those that love pumpkin bread. It’s lower in calories, sugar and fat compared to regular pumpkin bread!

It’s also made with whole grain flour and simple pantry staples.

Ingredients

To make this recipe you’ll need:

olive oil
egg
vanilla extract
maple syrup
pumpkin puree (canned organic pumpkin puree works great)
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour
cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves
baking powder + baking soda

Substitutions

There are A LOT of ways to customize this recipe to your taste buds/dietary needs. Here are a few:

Olive Oil: You can substitute olive oil with melted coconut oil or melted butter.

Egg: We have not tried this recipe with a flax egg so I don’t know how it would work.

Maple Syrup: You can sub maple syrup for honey in this recipe. We don’t recommend using any of the fake ‘zero sugar’ sweetener alternatives.

Pumpkin: If you’re out of pumpkin, you can use mashed banana. You could also make these Healthy Banana Muffins!

Whole Wheat Flour/Gluten Free: You can substitute gluten-free oat flour or homemade oat flour for whole wheat flour 1:1. Almond flour and coconut flour can never be substituted for whole wheat flour 1:1. We don’t recommend trying it.

Spices: You can use 3.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in these muffins. If you do not have nutmeg or cloves, just add a little bit more cinnamon/ginger.

Mix ins: I like adding chocolate chips. Chopped pecans, walnuts, or cranberries would be great add ins! You can top this with some greek yogurt and pumpkin pie spice for a high protein option!

Vegan: I have not tried making this bread vegan, but you might be able to substitute the eggs with flax eggs.

If you have any questions about substitutions, leave a comment below- I will do my best to help you!

We love baking with Bob’s Red Mill! Whether it’s their Oat Flour, or Organic Whole Wheat Flour – we use their products in some of our favorite treats.

From Healthy Blueberry Muffins, to Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal or Healthy Zucchini Bread we always choose Bob’s Red Mill for baking!

The Organic Whole Wheat Flour is my favorite because it makes the perfect light, fluffy baked goods, while adding a little bit of extra nutrition. It’s 100% stone ground from hard red wheat, with all of the nutritious bran and germ still intact.

If you’re gluten free or can’t eat wheat, don’t worry! You can also use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oat Flour in place of whole wheat flour.

How to make:

Making pumpkin bread is SO easy! Here’s how we make it:

Wet ingredients for healthy pumpkin bread batter before flour has been added

Whisk together olive oil, egg, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl.

Batter for healthy pumpkin bread being mixed together in a white bowl

Stir in flour, spices, baking powder, and baking soda.

Healthy Pumpkin Bread in a loaf pan before being baked in the oven.

Pour pumpkin bread batter into a greased 8×4 loaf pan.

Healthy Pumpkin Bread fresh out of the oven on a white square dish

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread.

How do you know when pumpkin bread is done?

The best way to tell if your pumpkin bread is done is to stick a toothpick in the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean the bread is finished cooking.

If it has doughy batter stuck to it the bread is likely not finished cooking and needs more time.

A close up of a slice of whole wheat pumpkin bread on a grey background

FAQ‘s

Why does my pumpkin bread not rise?

If your pumpkin bread doesn’t rise it could be because your baking powder or baking soda is old. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda. You also could’ve added too much liquid or overfilled your pan

How do you fix sunken pumpkin bread

If your pumpkin bread is sinking it’s probably because you added too much liquid. Make sure the bread is fully cooked before removing it from the oven. Even if the bread has sunk, it probably will still taste good. You could break it apart and turn it into a pumpkin parfait or trifle if you’d like.

Why is my pumpkin bread so dense?

Your pumpkin bread might be dense from over mixing or using the wrong ratio of dry and wet ingredients.

Can I make these into muffins?

I would recommend following this Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe.

Serving Suggestions

This pumpkin bread is delicious on its own but I love spreading peanut butter or pumpkin cream cheese on top. You can also whisk together greek yogurt and pumpkin pie spice for a delicious creamy topping with some added protein!

It’s great for breakfast or a snack paired alongside a Pumpkin Spice Latte and a slice of Potato Crust Quiche.

slices of pumpkin bread stacked on top of one another on a grey background

Storage Options

How long will this healthy bread last? This low fat pumpkin bread won’t last long in your house. I love to snack on it with a Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Storing Pumpkin Bread: You can store this bread covered on your counter for up to 3 days, but I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for freshness!

It will last up to a week in the refrigerator – but will lose its freshness after about 3 days on the counter.

Can you freeze pumpkin bread? Yes, you can freeze this pumpkin bread! Put it in an airtight container or ziploc bag. To defrost, leave out the night before in the fridge and they will thaw out. Or – just pop in the microwave for 1-2 minutes!

Slices of easy healthy pumpkin bread on a grey background

Other healthy pumpkin recipes we love:

We love healthy pumpkin recipes so much that we created a Free Fall Ebook with over 15 pumpkin and apple recipes. Here are some of our favorite healthy pumpkin recipes: