Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe

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!

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.

Make Ahead Idea

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.

Storage Tips

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.