This gluten-free pumpkin bread is super moist and perfectly spiced! The maple syrup in the batter adds both flavor and extra moisture, and paired with the crunchy pepitas on top, you’ll be in love at first bite.
This recipe is my go-to for a reason. I've tested countless gluten-free recipes over the years, and this one consistently delivers a bakery-style loaf that everyone—gluten-free or not—will love. It’s really easy to make, and I hope it becomes a new fall favorite in your home too!
This recipe was originally published on August 29, 2020. It was updated with new information on August 29, 2025.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few things to note about some of the ingredients (you can find the full list of ingredients down in the recipe card):
Gluten-free 1-to-1 flour - Use a gluten-free flour blend that’s designed to use as a 1-to-1 replacement for all-purpose flour, and make sure it includes xanthan gum for structure! Without xanthan gum, it’ll fall apart. My favorite blend to use is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Cornstarch - Helps to take away that chewiness that your gluten-free baked goods can have. You can skip it and add equal amounts of your gluten-free flour blend if you want!
Spices - A combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves gives amazing flavor to this recipe. Make sure your spices are fresh, and they haven’t expired in the 90s. You can also just swap these out for 1 teaspoon of your favorite pumpkin pie spice instead!
Canned pumpkin - Make sure you're using pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, so it will not work for this recipe.
Maple syrup - Adds a different note to this gluten-free pumpkin bread and it is so delicious! Use pure maple syrup, preferably medium or dark.
Oil - I love using avocado oil in all my baking and most of my cooking, but you can also use another neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed oil, and even light olive oil works too.
Raw pepitas - This is technically an optional ingredient to garnish the top of the pumpkin bread, but it adds such a fun crunch to the top of the bread that I recommend it. You can bake the bread without it, or add a sprinkle of raw sugar instead before putting it in the oven.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Making this gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe is beyond easy!
In a bowl, mix together your dry ingredients and set it aside. In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Then add the dry mixture and stir until fully combined.
Once you have a smooth batter, let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Gluten-free flour takes longer to hydrate, so resting your batter before baking prevents your bread from having a gritty texture.
While the batter rests, preheat the oven, grease and line your loaf pan with parchment paper. We don’t want your precious pumpkin bread to be stuck in the pan!
All that’s left now is to pour the batter into the pan, top it with pepitas, and bake for about an hour. A toothpick (a skewer or piece of spaghetti works great too!) inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean or with a couple of crumbs. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before taking it out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Baking Tips
Here are my top tips for gluten-free baking:
Weigh your ingredients. Using a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure your ingredients, so I highly recommend it! When you scoop flour with a measuring cup, or even spoon the flour in and then level it off, you can end up adding too much flour, leaving you with dense baked goods. The way I see it, you’re already having to spend good money on gluten-free products (so much more expensive than traditional flour!), you might as well measure it accurately and get delicious baked goods that don’t fall apart or taste awful.
Use a metal pan. Metal conducts heat much better than glass, so my recommendation for gluten-free baking is to use a light-colored metallic pan. If you use a dark metal pan, decrease the oven temperature by 20°F to avoid burnt or dried out edges on your baked goods.
Cool completely. Gluten-free baked goods continue to cook through as it cools. If you eat this pumpkin bread (or any other gluten-free bread or cake) while it's still warm, you'll notice it's still mushy. Your patience will pay off—I promise!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend make sure it contains xanthan gum
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 7.5 ounces canned pumpkin (half a 15oz can)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup light olive oil or avodcado oil
- 1½ tablespoons raw pepitas
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together gluten-free flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, egg, and olive oil. Add the flour mixture and stir. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and line an 8.5x4.5in (20x10cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with pepitas. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the bread rest in the pan for 5-10 minutes before taking it out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to make muffins, use this recipe for gluten-free pumpkin muffins instead! They’re moist and fluffy, with a deliciously crunchy streusel topping.
Yes! Chocolate chips or toasted chopped pecans would be delicious. You can also add a streusel topping, top it with cream cheese frosting, or serve it with homemade honey butter.
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Adding a piece of parchment paper, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil to the sliced surface will help prevent it from drying out.
Slice the loaf, wrap each piece with plastic or aluminum foil, and put them in a freezer bag to keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Either thaw them on the counter or heat them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before eating!
This recipe is naturally dairy-free! The moisture comes from the egg, maple syrup, oil, and canned pumpkin, and not milk or butter.
No, the egg is essential and this recipe won't work without it.
I wouldn't recommend using coconut oil, refined or virgin, because it's quite heavy. Although I recommend using a light neutral oil like avocado oil, you can also use melted dairy or vegan butter instead!
Use an 8.5 x 4.5-inch pan. This may seem like a smaller size than the average loaf pan, but using a 9-inch loaf pan will cause your bread to be flat. By using a small pan, your loaf will be nicely domed!
If you don't require a gluten-free diet, you can use equal amounts of all-purpose flour for the gluten-free flour.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Did you love this pumpkin bread recipe? Here are some more gluten-free sweets you should try:
- Want more gluten-free pumpkin desserts? Try my gluten-free pumpkin muffins that are both fluffy and moist, and topped with a streusel!
- These gluten-free sugar cookies are classic and you don't want to miss out on them! They're soft with a crisp bottom, just like your favorite ones from the grocery store.
- Are you more of a chewy cookie fan? Make these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies (or these gluten-free Christmas cookies for the holidays) instead!
- All chocolate lovers need to make these super fudgy gluten-free brownies right now! They have that iconic shiny, crackly surface.
- Want another loaf cake? Try my gluten-free banana bread, gluten-free zucchini bread, or this lemon poppy seed cake! They're all super moist and easy to make.
- This list of gluten-free dairy-free desserts has many more gluten-free recipes for you to try!
Tara says
This pumpkin bread looks so good! I especially love the addition of the maple syrup and all those warming spices.
Ai says
Thank you Tara!