Autumn brings with it the best recipes for seasonal baking and this autumnal dessert is no exception.This delicious gluten-free pumpkin bread is super moist, bursting with flavour and packed full of chocolate chips. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and can be made dairy-free too with some simple substitutions. Pumpkin spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves are paired with chocolate in this recipe to create the most amazing pumpkin bread.

Hokkaido pumpkin is perfect for baking with and especially perfect for gluten-free bakes. Gluten-free bakes often risk being too dry or crumbly, but adding fruit or vegetable purees such as pumpkin or beetroot, can bring back that missing moisture and create a beautifully soft and fluffy texture. Making your own pumpkin puree may be time consuming but it is very rewarding when you see the amount of delicious bakes you can get out of it. Take a look at my other pumpkin recipes such as Pumpkin Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, Pumpkin Roll, or my perfect Pumpkin Pie for more ideas of what to bake with pumpkin puree. Plus, the whole pumpkin can be used so nothing goes to waste. The seeds can be roasted with salt for a healthy snack in-between!

This pumpkin bread is super simple to make with simple ingredients and no particular special equipment, making it the perfect addition to a family feast or for Thanks Giving and autumn get-togethers. Baking this bread fills your kitchen with the most amazing pumpkin spice smells making it the perfect bake for a hyggelig autumn feeling. As with many pound cakes, loaf cakes or breads, whatever name you want to call it, they taste amazing warm just out of the oven and even better the next day, when the bread has had time to cool and set so you can cut it into perfect slices of moist crumby cake.

What equipment do I need for this bread?

Loaf tin – size approx. 35cm x 15cm

Stand mixer or electric hand-held mixer (optional)

2 bowls

Baking paper

What ingredients do I need?

Sugar – I use standard caster sugar and brown sugar

Eggs – Medium free range eggs are best

Gluten free flour – A gluten free flour blend such as Doves Farm Plain Flour or Schär Mix C for Cakes is perfect for this bread. I prefer a plain flour with no added baking powder or soda so that I can control the amount being added, but a self-raising flour blend will work fine too

Almond Flour – Almond flour can be substituted for a tablespoon of ground almonds instead

Pumpkin Puree*- Homemade or tinned puree is fine for this recipe. The most important thing, is that any excess water has been removed either through blotting or the cheesecloth draining method. A too watery puree will add too much moisture to the bread and leave you with a soggy wet loaf

Xanthan gum – Xanthan gum is essential for most gluten free recipes and there’s no exceptions here. Doves Farm is my preferred choice but you can use any

Baking powder and baking soda – Any will do, just check that it is definitely gluten free

Milk – I use full-fat whole milk, 3,5% but semi-skimmed is also fine

Mixed spices – For this recipe you can use your own mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper and ginger or a pumpkin pie spice mix, all spice mix or mixed ground spice, depending on what is available in your area and your preferences

Olive oil – I use a good quality pressed olive oil for this cake to add an extra layer of moisture

Chocolate chips – I like to use dark chocolate chips for this bread but milk or even white chocolate chips can be used depending on your personal tastes

Vanilla paste – Vanilla paste or extract can be used

Tips & Tricks

Blotting or draining – It’s imperative to blott or drain the pumpkin puree beforehand so as to remove any excess water before baking. Too much water will make the bread soggy and wet and has the potential to ruin it!

Eggs need to be at room temperature for this recipe but if you forget to take them out of the fridge in advance, like I do quite frequently, then place them in a bowl of lukewarm, not too hot, water for around 10-15 minutes in order to bring them to room temperature before you use them in the recipe.

Cover the bread with tinfoil, with the shiny side up to reflect the heat, after around 45 minutes in order to avoid the bread from burning or becoming too brown. It can be removed again for the final few minutes if a more crunchy brown crust is preferred.

Toothpick test – Check on your bread at regular intervals despite the timings given for the recipe as every oven is calibrated at a different temperature. To check if the bread is baked all the way through, insert a clean toothpick into the center and look to see if any wet mixture or crumbs are stuck to it. Ideally, a few crumbs on a toothpick means the bread will be done in a matter of minutes. An inserted toothpick that comes out clean means they’re done.

Can this pumpkin bread be made dairy-free?

Absolutely! To make this pumpkin bread dairy-free, just swap the milk for a dairy-free option such as coconut or almond milk and use dairy-free chocolate chips!

What other combinations can I make with the basic recipe?

If you prefer something other than chocolate chips, you can substitute them for raisins, cranberries, walnuts, a cream cheese or chocolate swirl, and pretty much anything that pairs well with pumpkin spice!

Tried this recipe? Let me know what you think!