Pumpkin Bread

Tanya Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A warmly spiced pumpkin bread made without wheat or dairy. Pumpkin puree keeps the crumb soft, a blend of cassava and rice flour gives it structure, and cinnamon is the only spice so the flavor stays clean. Slices well and freezes well.

Prep 15 min

Cook 55 min

Serves 10

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 cup cassava flour
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 large fresh eggs
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or 1/2 cup pure cane sugar)
• 1/3 cup extra-light olive oil (or melted coconut oil)
• 1/3 cup oat milk (check for a short ingredient list)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Prep

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an inch of overhang on the long sides.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

1. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, olive oil, oat milk, and vanilla until smooth.
2. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until evenly combined.

Combine and Bake

1. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick and slightly fluffy. Do not overmix.
2. Scrape into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent loosely with foil at 40 minutes if the top is browning too quickly.
4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang. Cool on the rack for another 30 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. The pie mix has added sugar and a spice blend that often includes clove, nutmeg, and allspice. Plain pumpkin lets you control the spices.
• Fresh pumpkin works too. Roast a sugar pumpkin, scoop the flesh, and blend until smooth. Drain any extra liquid through a fine-mesh sieve so the puree is thick like the canned version.
• Flour swap. A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend works in place of the cassava and rice flour. Cassava alone makes the loaf denser; rice alone makes it lighter and crumblier.
• Sweetener swap. Maple syrup keeps the crumb soft and adds a slight caramel note. Cane sugar gives a slightly drier, more classic quick-bread crumb. Either works.
• Oat milk choice. Look for water, oats, and salt on the label. Oat milks loaded with gums, oils, and natural flavors can bother sensitive people. Full-fat coconut milk works as a richer swap.
• Skip the pumpkin spice blend. Cinnamon alone keeps the spice load simple. Nutmeg, allspice, and clove are more variable in tolerance, so leave them out unless you know you handle each one well.
• Pair ideas. Serve a slice warm with a smear of herb butter or macadamia nut butter. For dessert, top with low histamine vanilla ice cream or pumpkin mousse for a richer pumpkin spread.

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Why This Works

Pumpkin puree. Fresh pumpkin is generally well tolerated. Plain canned pumpkin works for many people too, but tolerance varies, so start with a smaller slice if pumpkin is new to your rotation and choose a brand you do well with.

Cassava and rice flour. Both are gluten-free and commonly tolerated. The blend gives the loaf structure without wheat, which removes one variable for people who also avoid gluten.

Oat milk. Skipping dairy helps people who react to milk proteins or to aged and fermented dairy. Coconut milk is a good alternative if oats bother you.

Olive oil. A well-tolerated fat that keeps the crumb moist without butter. Extra-light olive oil keeps the flavor neutral; coconut oil adds a subtle sweetness that pairs nicely with pumpkin.

Cinnamon. Generally well tolerated and the only spice here. Pumpkin spice blends usually mix in nutmeg, allspice, and clove, which are more variable in tolerance. Keeping the spice list short keeps the recipe predictable.

Storage

Best eaten the day it is baked or the morning after. To save extras, cool fully and freeze the same day in a sealed bag with parchment between the slices. Reheat from frozen wrapped in foil in a 325°F (165°C) oven for about 10 minutes, or toast a slice straight from the freezer. Refrigerated leftovers tend to dry out and can also build up histamine, so freezing the same day is the better choice.