Pumpkin bread can be healthy! Just 6 ingredients is all it takes to make this healthy, hearty loaf that’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
I keep cans of pumpkin stocked in our pantry year-round because it’s such a flexible and fabulous ingredient to bake and cook with. Muffins, pancakes, waffles, chili, cakes, pies, you name it, pumpkin brings a delicate texture and delicious flavor to everything its added to.
I feel like most recipes containing pumpkin are super sweet and indulgent though. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sweets and indulgences, but pumpkin is healthy in itself so why not feature it in more healthier recipes too?!
My Healthy 5-Ingredient Flourless Banana Bread recipe is baked and loved by so many of you that I decided to create a pumpkin version. A yummy bread you can bake with ingredients you more than likely already have on hand, that’s quick to get into the oven and that you can feel great about eating often.
Hearty oats, pure pumpkin, maple syrup, eggs, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice are all easily blended in the blender to create the batter for this bread. You’d never know it doesn’t have flour or oil or butter or granulated sugar in it.
This hearty, moist, slightly sweet loaf will win you over the first time you bake it and will become a bread you crave to bake over and over again. Be it for breakfast or a snack, it’s healthy and delish! Enjoy!
xoxo,
- 2 cups old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
- 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or just cinnamon)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and well combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If the top of the loaf is browned, but the center is not baked all the way through yet, simply cover the top with foil and let the loaf continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.)
- Let loaf cool completely in loaf pan. Store bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This looks fabulous!! Can’t wait to try, I already have all of these ingredients!!
I made the banana bread version and it was delicious! Just wondering if you think you could add baking powder or soda to make it rise more or would that change the recipe too much?
Hi Nicole! When testing the recipe, I did try adding additional baking soda and even one batch with a teaspoon of baking powder, but it caused the loaf to rise too rapidly and gave the bread a bitter taste.
Thanks for getting back to me! I will make the recipe as is, I can’t wait to bake it tomorrow 🙂
I never comment on recipes but this one is AWESOME. I made it yesterday (I had a pumpkin that needed roasting), added a touch of vanilla and it came out really well. It’s the only healthier bread that I’ve made that tastes good and has a great consistency (and doesn’t put me in a food coma!). I can’t wait to try your banana version.
Thank you!
Yay! I’m so happy you baked it and loved it, Noel! You’ll definitely have to try the banana version. It’s equally as amazing! 🙂
Hi! I can’t wait to try this! What kind of maple syrup do you use? I only have the natural, unsweetened kind. The label says no high fructose corn syrup. Will this be sweet enough? Thanks so much! I hope to hear from you soon. 🙂
Hi Laurie! I use 100% pure maple syrup. I usually get it from Costco. Enjoy!
Thank you, Maegan! I’m finally getting around to making it today. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thank you again for your reply! 🙂
So happy to have found this recipe and cannot wait to try! The banana bread – AMAZING! I did use honey in lieu of the maple syrup and added a layer of walnuts under the bananas on top, then sprinkled with less than a teaspoon of raw coconut sugar. Thank you for making our mouths dance!
Hi, this looks amazing. I’m always looking for healthy breakfast breads and muffins. Can I substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Thanks so much. 🙂
Hi Lindsey! Yes, honey is a great substitute for the maple syrup. Enjoy!
My daughter’s best friend is allergic to gluten, eggs and dairy…any suggestions for substituting the eggs? Trying to learn new things to make for her when she is visiting!
Hi Shirley! I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but I have substituted 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg in other quick bread recipes and it works pretty well. Maybe try that and see how it turns out. I hope it tastes just as great!
You can also use flax egg! (1 TBSP flax meal + 3 TBSP water = 1 egg)
Will the consistency be compromised if you do not add maple syrup or only the flavor? Thanks !
Hi Leigh! The consistency will definitely change because the maple syrup adds moisture.
Your recipes are soo soooo incredible and easy. but most important of all they are HEALTHY ! i don’t use sugar or all purpose flour. I am always looking for ideas to get natural sweetness from organic ingredients. Your blog hooked me up for several hours.
i want to ask that , Right now i don’t have an oven in my dormitory kitchen, can i make this recipe in microwave?
As soon as oven is available i am really Dying to try cookies and healthy brownie recipes 👍
Hi Zufei! Thanks for your kind compliments. I’m so happy you enjoy my recipes. 🙂 I’ve never made bread using a microwave so I couldn’t say for sure. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
LOVE the bread! Any idea how many calories per slice?
Hi Leana! I don’t provide nutrition information on my site, but you can easily plug the exact ingredients you use into a free online recipe nutrition calculator to get the information. Here’s one I’d recommend: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Around 172 calories per slice. (: although I’m sure it can vary depending on what brand of ingredients you use.
AFTER ENTERING IN THE MYFITNESSPAL APP
Nutrition Facts
Servings 10.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 134 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g 4 %
Saturated Fat 0 g 2 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 37 mg 12 %
Sodium 130 mg 5 %
Potassium 48 mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrate 25 g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g 7 %
Sugars 11 g
Protein 4 g 8 %
Vitamin A 71 %
Vitamin C 1 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 11 %
I bake bread for over a hour 1/2. It’s still seems like it wasn’t done?
Hi Vaughn! It shouldn’t have to bake much longer than 30 minutes. Did you follow the ingredients and instructions exactly?
I had the same issue with the bread not been done. I baked about 20 minutes over suggested time. Maybe I blended the ingredients too much. I
Hi Elizabeth! Sounds like you need to bake it longer. Oven temperatures definitely vary so just cover your loaf with foil once it starts to brown on top and let it continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Hope this helps.
Can I replace the maple syrup with applesauce?
Hi Lane! I haven’t tried it, but I think it’s certainly worth a try and would work really well as a substitute. I hope it turns out just as great! Let me know! Enjoy!
With the latest Grain-Free Vegan movement, what is a good substitute for GF Oats?
Hi Debbie! Oh goodness, I’m not sure what would work best for this recipe. Maybe try rice flour?
Made it, loved it but went to make a second batch two days later and only had 1/4 cup syrup left so I added it and 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1 cup chopped walnuts and pecans. It’s in the oven as i text, keeping my fingers crossed. P.s. my 4 year old grandson loved the first one, (I followed your recipe exactly), hope this one is at least half as good!
Thanks!
Looks delicious and 5 ingredients! Do you think I could sub out the oats with coconut flour or almond flour to make it grain free, and it still taste good?
Hi Corinna! I couldn’t say for sure because I haven’t tested it, but I think it’s certainly worth a try and there is a high likelihood it will taste great. I’m not sure that it would be an exact substitution though since the oats are ground in the blender. I hope it turns out great. Keep me posted. Enjoy!
this is great, thank you for sharing…
Do you think the recipe would work, as is, in muffin tins instead of a loaf?
Hi Denise! Absolutely, they will just take less time to bake than the loaf does. Maybe starting testing them for doneness after 15 minutes. Enjoy!
I found your website whilst looking for a healthier pumpkin bread recipe. I am duly impressed! The bread was tender, tasty and sweet. And this is coming from someone with a voracious sweet tooth! It was very easy to make. I just placed all of the ingredients in my blender. Thank you!
This pumpkin bread is absolutely amazing! I have tried so many “healthy” versions of my favorite fall dishes and they never turn out as good as the original recipes. But this isn’t true for this bread…. it is packed with flavor and the perfect consistency. I will definitely make this bread over and over again! I can’t wait to try the banana bread on this website.
Love it, Lauren! Isn’t it so yummy?! You’ll love my Healthy 5-Ingredient Flourless Banana Bread too: https://thebakermama.com/recipes/5-ingredient-flourless-banana-bread/ Enjoy! 🙂
I wish you gave the nutritional information. I don’t eat it if I don’t no that information.
Hi Tommie! I don’t provide nutritional information because everyone uses different brands of ingredients which often have differing nutritional values. I would recommend plugging the ingredients you use into a free online nutrition calculator like: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Loved it! Added 1 small banana and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (because everything is better with walnuts). Cooked for 1 hour.
I just made this yesterday and was super excited about it. However, I had it for breakfast this morning and it is a little chewy. Did I do something wrong? I ended up cooking for about 40 minutes but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Help!
Hi Paige! I’m wondering if you over-baked it? How did you store it overnight?
I guess I might have over baked it. It looked very high and fluffy when I took it out of the oven but it came down as it was cooling. We were going out so I had to put it away earlier that I would have liked but I put it in a Tupperware container and put it in the fridge as you suggested. What do you think?
Definitely could be that you overbaked it or that you took it out of the pan before it was completely cooled. You want it to be completely cooled before sealing it in a container in the fridge. Hope this helps for next time.
I wonder how many calories this recipe is. Do you by chance know?
Hi CC! I don’t provide nutritional information because everyone uses different brands of ingredients which often have differing nutritional values. I would recommend plugging the ingredients you use into a free online nutrition calculator like: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Hi, thanks for sharing, this looks delicious. Is it possible to use natural pumpkin instead of the canned one? If so, how would the preparation differ?
Hi Juan! Absolutely, there are a little less than 2 cups of pure pumpkin in a 15 ounce can so just substitute with a little less than 2 cups of natural pumpkin. Enjoy!
Could I substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Hi Melissa! Absolutely, honey is a great substitute. Enjoy!
Wonderful! I only added 1/4 cup maple syrup, and then stirred in 1/4 cup each of raisins and walnuts at the end. Superb! I’ve tried several other gluten free pumpkin loaves and this one takes the cake. So good!
So great to hear, Katie! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi! Do you need to blend it? Or could you use oat flour?
Hi Tori! I haven’t tried the recipe with oat flour, but I assume just mixing it in with the other ingredients would work just great. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
I just made this bread and it came out really well!! I used 1/2 cup honey since I am allergic to maple syrup and I had to bake it for 40 minutes. I also added some vanilla. Next time I think I’ll try adding some raisins. I almost didn’t try it bc I thought the consistency would be “off” but this is a healthy pumpkin bread that actually tastes awesome!! Thanks!!!
Hi Kristen! Thanks so much for sharing! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it as much as we do. Isn’t it so yummy?! And thanks for sharing your substitution and addition success for others. Enjoy! 🙂
My bread is doughy and soft is it supposed to be like that? I’m not thinking so but I would like to know
Hi Sonya! It certainly shouldn’t be doughy. Maybe your loaf needed to bake longer? Did you test the center of the loaf with a toothpick before removing it from the oven? It should be soft and moist with a tender texture, but not doughy.
I had put it in for longer and checked it every time, I’m thinking I somehow messed the recipe up but followed all instructions thanks anyway! Sonya 😀
Hi 🙂
This looks amazing! I can’t eat oats, though, in addition to not being able to eat gluten. Is there any gluten-free option that might be a substitute for the oats? From what I’ve read elsewhere, I’m thinking coconut flour might work, but the world of gluten-free baking is still new to me, heh. Thank you so much!
Hi! Yes, I think coconut flour is your best bet, but you could also try almond flour, chickpea flour, quinoa flour or rice flour. I hope this helps and I hope it turns out great for you! Enjoy!
Will the taste of the pumpkin bread be different based on the type of maple syrup? I personally have 2 types, amber and dark maple syrup, so I’m just wondering which would be best to use.
Hi Marlene! The bread will have a more robust maple flavor if you use dark maple syrup. The texture of the loaf will turn out the same. So just a matter of taste. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Hi! This looks awesome! Do you think it would make a difference if I used egg whites in place of the full eggs? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Lauren! Yes, just substitute 2 egg whites for each egg. So 4 egg whites total. Enjoy!
I was wondering if this would work to bake as muffins? I am also wondering if I could try using half oats and half coconut flour?
Hi Kim! Yes, you can definitely bake the recipe into muffins. You will just need to reduce the baking time so not to over-bake them. I haven’t tried the recipe with coconut flour, so I can’t say how it would turn out, but I think it’s certainly worth a try. Enjoy!
This recipe looks so yummy! I’m definitely going to try this one!
Love the idea of using oats! Can’t wait to try this next weekend!
Hello! I followed your recipe, and added one extra egg white and a scoop of vanilla protein powder! It’s in the oven now and I’m hoping it is as delicious as all the other commenters are saying!!!!
Well, looks like applesauce isn’t a good substitute for eggs in this one! Just made it that way, baked it for an hour, and still couldn’t get a clean toothpick, so I just took it out. The inside is pretty gooey, but the kids still like it, so I guess I can’t complain too much!
Hi Paige! Thanks for sharing how substituting the eggs with applesauce turned out. I’ve only tested and baked the recipe with the eggs so it’s good for others to know these results. Glad to hear your little ones still enjoyed it! 🙂
Can I add walnut pieces after blending?
Hi Jennifer! Absolutely, enjoy!
Hi! I was wondering if a veggie could be added to this? For example shredded carrots or zuchinni? Ive made a carrot “cake” recipe with similar ingredients (shredded carrots, oats, egg whites, and cinammon), not sure if the veggie would overtake the flavor?!
Thanks!
Hi Natalie! I have a very similar recipe that uses fresh apples and turns out so delicious. You could substitute the apple with carrot or zucchini in this recipe: https://thebakermama.com/recipes/healthy-flourless-fresh-apple-bread/ Enjoy! 🙂
Hie Maegan, is it ok if I only use pumpkin, eggs & baking powder for pumpkin bread?
Hi Lilian! I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll need the oats for texture and the maple syrup for some sweetness as pure pumpkin has no flavor.
This was absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I am having s tough time getting it to mix. I think I need to add some kind of liquid but what can I add to help with blending but not change flavor
Hi Sarah! You could try putting the pumpkin and eggs in the blender first so it catches the moist ingredients first. You could also add a little water at a time until it starts to blend easier. Or maybe some applesauce? Are you following all of the other ingredients exactly? Blenders definitely vary on how powerful they are. Hope this helps!
After a blender blunder with the flourless banana bread recipe (which resulted in delicious muffins after some elbow grease was applied) I opted to blend the oats using my Vitamix to make the oat flour and then transferred everything to the stand mixer.
18 Minutes at 350°C and voila! Delicious pumpkin muffins! Double the recipe for one can of ED Smith’s 796mL pure pumpkin and you get 24 delectable muffins.
Trying it now with the addition of chocolate chips after my 6 year old lovingly asked where they were when presented with the original recipe!
Thanks for reviving my love for healthy baking!
Made 2 mini loafs today. Gluten free oats and eggwhites. Difficult getting it to mix in the blender-got it done. Delicious and Very moist.
I tried today and frustration of it not blending in the blender, or my nitro bullet (only liquid in it is the maple syrup and eggs, not enough for it to blend)…ended up throwing away.
Hi Lee! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. The pumpkin should add most of the moisture to help it blend. A powerful blender should easily blend it.
If I baked for a shorter time could I make these into cookies?
Hi Katie! I’m not sure how well this batter would bake into cookies. You could certainly bake it into bars though by spreading the batter in an 8×8 inch baking dish and baking for about 20 minutes. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Ok. Made this delicious healthy version of Fall Fav., Pumpkin Bread but I didn’t mix in my blender because I didn’t want the Oats to blend fine and I added an additional egg. Also I made a topping of a little butter, organic brown sugar and raw pumpkin seeds, crumbled on bread before cooking. Cooked exactly as directed, cooled in bread pan on elevated rack then inverted on plate, came out of pan fabulous. This is a winner, so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Delicious and healthy! I also had to DOUBLE the baking time
Hi! I found your recipes and have fallen in love. I wanted to share how I adapted your amazing pumpkin bread recipe to meet my family’s needs. We love lots of spice and flavor.
These are the tweaks I made, and so far people love it. 4tsp Ceylon Cinnamon, just under 1/4 cup of water, a slightly rounded tsp of baking soda, and I did 1/4 cup maple and 1/4 cup honey. Bake time is 35 minutes, and I spread the batter out toward the edges of the pan so that the center isn’t too thick or undercooked.
Please try sometime. ❤️
Do I have to use a blender or can I just use an electric mixer? Or maybe an immersion blender? I don’t like our blender! I could use the food processor but would prefer the mixer or immersion. Thanks!
Hi Susan! Unless your oats are already ground, I’d say you have to use a blender or food processor to mix the batter. In order to get the desired bread-like texture, the oats need to be ground and combined with the other ingredients. Hope this helps!
Omg! Delicious! I’m made them in mini loaf pans and added 6 scoops of collagen powder and 1/2 cup of dried raisins/cherries. Turned out great!!
So happy to hear! Love that your additions worked and tasted great!
Followed instructions exactly and baked for over an hour and still was not done…had to throw away…disappointing
Oh no! Did you follow the ingredients exactly too? What kind of pumpkin did you use?
Hey Megan, tried again after first attempt with that blender debacle….this time I put the oats in the food processor first and ground into flour then added the rest of the ingredients. Worked out great! Just wondering how to make it taste a bit more pumpkin pieish? (Was a bit bland).
Great to hear, Lee! You could try increasing the pumpkin pie spice or adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and if you add a bit more maple syrup it will bring out the spice flavors even more. Hope this helps!
This turned out so amazing. I subbed 1 egg for applesauce and it turned out so moist and tasted great. I peared it with pears and yogart. MMMMMMMM. I cant believe I just started cooking this way. Thanks for the recipe. I buy oats all the time so this is a keeper!!!
Mixing it in the blender it got warm. Very thick batter is that correct? Am waiting for it to come out of the oven.
Hi Cathy! The batter will be thick. It should be well blended, but not warm to the point of it already starting to cook the eggs as that will effect the outcome once baked. Hope it turned out great for you!
Just wondering could i use unsweetened applesauce instead of maple syrup
Hi Jenette! I haven’t tried the recipe with applesauce so I couldn’t say for sure, but I’m thinking applesauce will add too much moisture to an already moist loaf since it has more water content in it then maple syrup. You would probably need to adjust other ingredients in the recipe to accommodate the applesauce. Hope this helps and that it works out just as great for you. Enjoy!
Hi Maegen,
Thanx for sharing these flourless bread recipes. Have been making loaf pan breads this winter to go with soups. Was happy to find these that are simple and healthy. Was motivated to create one myself with your basic ratios. Following your recipe for oats, eggs, baking Soda; I then added a can of cranberry sauce, 1tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of cardamom. The second time I tried it I just stirred the cranberry sauce in at the end to keep some whole berries. Because I love cranberries I added some dried cranberries as well and walnuts. For me the recipe is a little more enjoyable with 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt. No extra sugar is needed. I can’t wait to try more creations.. Thank you again
How moist does this turn out? I like my breads to be very soft and moist, any suggestions on added ingredients or substitutions?
Hi Eryn! This loaf turns out very moist yet has a nice bread texture thanks to the pumpkin and maple syrup. I wouldn’t suggest adding any more moisture to the recipe as it might not bake up. Enjoy!