Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This healthy pumpkin bread is so moist and perfect, you’d never guess that it wasn’t 100% indulgent. The recipe makes 2 loaves, one for now and one for later. It’s great for cozy fall breakfasts, snacks, or lunchboxes.
How long it takes: 15 minutes to stir up, 50 minutes bake time
Equipment you’ll need: large mixing bowl, two loaf pans
Servings: makes 2 loaves, about 10 servings each
I’ll admit, I’m the first to indulge in my favorite pumpkin recipes once fall is here. I love cozy desserts like pumpkin poke cake and freshly baked pumpkin bread. Of course, everything in moderation, right? As a result, I’m always looking for ways to make my favorite baked goods a little healthier.
This easy and healthy pumpkin bread is made with less oil and sugar, and whole wheat flour. One bite, and you’d never know that this moist tasty quick bread wasn’t completely indulgent. And that’s the best part (besides the fact that it’s pumpkin!).
The Best Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Made with whole wheat. A mix of nutritious whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour gives the bread a nutty, rich whole wheat flavor and light, fluffy texture.
Less oil. I often make my bread recipes with applesauce, which can replace at least some of the oil (like in our healthy banana bread). In the case of this healthy pumpkin bread, canned pumpkin replaces the oil completely.
Ultra-moist. Bread made with yogurt, in this case, Greek yogurt, is always moist and flavorful. Because the yogurt is acidic, it works with the baking soda to kickstart the leavening of the bread.
Ingredient Notes
I’ll run through the basics of the recipe here to get you started and I’ll include some helpful tips.
- Canned 100% Pure Pumpkin: This recipe takes a whole can of pumpkin purée. Make sure you buy 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Although the two cans may be side by side at the grocery store and look really similar, there is a big difference. Pumpkin purée is 100% pumpkin with nothing else added. Pumpkin pie filling is a shortcut if you’re making pumpkin pie. It has added sugar and spices. Always use what your recipe calls for; the two products are NOT interchangeable.
- Sugar: This healthy pumpkin bread gets its sweet flavor from the pumpkin pie spice that very little sugar is needed to sweeten it, just one cup (a half cup per loaf). The sugar also helps achieve the soft texture of the bread.
- Greek Yogurt: Look for unflavored (unsweetened) plain Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds protein to the bread and gives it a good texture, taking the place of added oil.
- Milk and Eggs: Any type of milk can be used, and three eggs help bind the bread together and give it a rich texture.
- Flour: I use a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour when making quick bread. Whole wheat flour adds nutrition and fiber.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt: This trio leavens the bread (makes it rise) and seasons it. Without salt, the bread would taste flat.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This spice blend makes your bread taste like pumpkin pie. I use my homemade pumpkin pie spice, a blend that contains cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. You can also buy pre-made pumpkin pie spice blends, or make your own blend.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A baker’s best friend, vanilla is added to many baked goods.
How To Make This Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Turn your oven on to preheat, and grease two large loaf pans. A light misting of nonstick cooking spray is fine.
Combine the wet ingredients. Since we’re making enough batter for two bread loaves, you’ll need a big mixing bowl. Begin by lightly whisking the eggs, then add the pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, milk, and vanilla; whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Add the dry ingredients. Next, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, smoothing the tops out a bit. If desired, sprinkle with pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) for a fun garnish. Bake the bread until the tops are lightly golden brown and firm.
Cool. Leave your healthy pumpkin bread to rest in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully flipping the pans over and removing the bread. Put the bread on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing or storing it. We love this bread with a smear of orange honey butter!
How To Test If It's Done
Poke a toothpick near the center of the bread. Remove the toothpick and take a look at it. If there’s batter sticking to the toothpick, the bread needs more time in the oven. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, the bread is fully baked.
Tips for Success
I love quick bread recipes like this healthy pumpkin bread. They’re just so easy! Here are bonus pro tips for the best bread loaf:
Measure the dry ingredients correctly. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure out both flours by spooning them into a measuring cup, and leveling the tops with a flat edge, like a table knife. Don’t scoop the flour directly from the bag, as this is a surefire way to overmeasure. Too much flour leads to dry, crumbly pumpkin bread.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once you’ve added the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, use a fork to gently whisk together the dry ingredients first, before stirring them fully into the batter. Be careful that you don’t over-mix the pumpkin bread batter, as this yields a dense, tough loaf.
If your pumpkin bread cracks on top while baking, don’t worry. This is a good sign! Quick bread will puff up and crack a little when it’s baked all the way through.
If the pumpkin bread sinks in the middle, this could be because your baking soda or baking powder was expired (check those dates). Bake the bread as soon as you get the batter mixed and be sure to always preheat your oven.
Possible Recipe Variations
Looking for fun ways to change up this healthy and wholesome pumpkin bread recipe?
- Add chocolate! Stir in a cup (or more!) of chocolate chips to make healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread. White chocolate chips are really good, too.
- Add a garnish to the top. Embellish the loaves with rolled oats, as I do in my pumpkin streusel bread, or pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). Sprinkle them on top of the batter before baking the loaves.
- Not a fan of whole wheat? Make the bread with 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and omit the whole wheat flour. You might also want to try white whole wheat flour.
- Make muffins instead of bread. Divide the batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400°F for approx. 15 minutes, depending on the size of the muffins. Keep in mind that since this recipe makes two loaves of bread, it will yield a lot of muffins. The exact yield depends on the size of your muffin tins.
This recipe makes two loaves of pumpkin bread. I love doubled-up recipes. After all, it’s just as easy to make two loaves as it is to make one, plus you use the whole can of pumpkin so there’s no waste. Toss the second loaf in the freezer for a treat later in the month. If you’d rather make only one loaf of pumpkin bread, feel free to halve the recipe.
To prevent your pumpkin bread from getting soggy, always cool the bread completely before wrapping it up. If you place warm bread in an airtight container or bag, condensation will form and the bread will get sticky and spoil more quickly.
To store: Healthy pumpkin bread will keep airtight on the counter for a few days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it.
To freeze: This pumpkin bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap (either whole or in slices) and stored frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz.) 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (I use nonfat)
- ¾ cup milk (I use 2%)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two large loaf pans with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, beaten eggs, sugar, yogurt, milk and vanilla. Whisk until combined.1 can (15 oz.) 100% pure pumpkin, 3 large eggs, lightly beaten, 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¾ cup milk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to top of wet ingredients. Lightly stir dry ingredients with spoon or fingertips until combined. (If you prefer, you can mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.) Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Stir until combined but do not overmix.2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans and smooth tops (see note). Bake for 50 minutes or until bread tests done (a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean, or with a few crumbs clinging).
- Let cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Optional topping: Before baking, sprinkle the loaves with pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) or rolled oats, if desired.
- Freezing: Pumpkin bread freezes well. Wrap it securely and place in freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months. If you prefer, wrap individual slices to freeze. They thaw very quickly.
- All purpose flour can be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this recipe! I used brown sugar instead of white and slightly less. Added toasted chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Will definitely make again.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for leaving a comment and review!
Looks so good. I’m planning on making mine with white wheat. Yes, that’s
what I said. I have organic white wheat in my storage and will grind a few cups and use in this recipe. How healthy is that? I also will try and replace
some of the sugar with applesauce and molasses. We’ll see how it goes.
I’ve made this recipe with less sugar and it has turned out great. I hope yours is wonderful too!
Only have1/2 cup yogurt now & need to make for company. What can I substitute for the other 1/4 cup?
Try applesauce!
this will intrigue those willing to experiment…. I loved the first batch SO much, I came back and made another … except I accidentally left out the sugar..(yikes! I thought… after I realized what I had done, it was already baking). Anyway, I had added 1/2 cup of raisins to the “wet” ingredients, which I blended in a blender. What do you know… Still turned out exceptional! my friends couldn’t believe it when I told them no oil OR sugar!!! what a great recipe!
I made this recipe today!!! oh my goodness, did it turn out delicious!!!
I’m a recipe modifier so here is what I changed and it turned out great: 1 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice. I also changed 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat. I also added 1 tsp. almond extract. plus 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cups of walnuts. =) SO YUMMY and MOIST. I’m sharing with ALL my friends !!! Thank you !
Thanks for sharing!! So glad you like the recipe :)
Rachel,I love pumpkin! I have made this twice now and both times it turned out.:) Thank you,it is just so Yummy.
bellissimo questo pane di zucca..io sono italiana non so se riesci a capirmi ma ci provo..posso farti una domanda? vorrei dimezzare tutte le dosi..ossia dividerle a metà perchè due teglie sono troppe x me..però ho un problema con le uova se sono tre come faccio a dividerle? spero che mi risponderai..un bacio!! ciao e ancora complimenti :)
Are you asking if you can cut the recipe in two and what to do with the three eggs? I would give it a try with just two eggs and see how it works. I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure!
This bread recipe is great! I even cut the sugar in 1/2 and it was still very sweet! I also used whole white wheat flour for all the flour and it turned out great. Thank you so much for the recipe, my children love it! :)
So glad you liked it!
Thanks for sharing this! To cut sugar way back, I used just 1 cup coconut sugar + 1tblsp molasses & optional sprinkling of Stevia, and omitted half of the water. Doubled spices + 2/3 cup chopped pecans. Terrific!
What is the calorie count per serving? Thanks!! Delish!
Hi Betsy — I don’t calculate this information (varies with brands, etc.) but there are many online nutrition calculators that you could use if you were interested. Hope you enjoy the bread!