Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl
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Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl – Tender, fluffy pumpkin bread with a chocolate cinnamon swirl might just be the BEST pumpkin bread you ever taste! (Gluten free, dairy free)
‘Tis the pumpkin season!!!! Who else is cheering?!
We eat pumpkin all year round at our house because we love it so much, but now that we’ve crossed the threshold into “official” pumpkin season, I feel like it’s finally time to share this gluten free pumpkin bread. Can I tell you I started testing this recipe in July?
With the chocolate cinnamon swirl and perfect blend of spices, this Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread is the perfect way to kick off pumpkin season!
WHAT’S IN GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN BREAD?
- PUMPKIN PUREE. The perfect base for this pumpkin bread. Pumpkin puree keeps this tender and moist. (Do be sure you’re buying unsweetened pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Sometimes the cans look the same!)
- MAPLE SYRUP, MILK & EGGS. These liquid ingredients give this gluten free pumpkin bread just the right consistency and sweetness. Light, fluffy, tender, delicious!
- BUTTER, VEGAN BUTTER, OR COCONUT OIL. I love the softness this brings to the pumpkin bread. You can use regular butter, vegan or dairy-free butter, or melted coconut oil for this recipe. (If you go the coconut oil route, know that refined coconut oil will have less coconut flavor than virgin coconut oil.)
- VANILLA & WARM SPICES. After a bit of testing, I landed on a sweet, warm combination of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves–pretty usual suspects for baking with pumpkin! I love the balance of spices. There’s plenty to taste without it being overpowering. (We’ll add even more yummy flavor with the chocolate cinnamon swirl!)
- GLUTEN FREE FLOUR, BAKING SODA & SALT. Everything you need to get the right puff and rise for gluten free pumpkin bread. I’ve used a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend here. My two favorites are this one from King Arthur Flour and this one from Bob’s Red Mill. They’ve got the best texture and flavor, in my opinion. Note: You can’t substitute almond flour or coconut flour in this recipe without re-working the amounts of the other ingredients. You *can* substitute traditional white flour if you’re not gluten free.
- CHOCOLATE CINNAMON SWIRL. This is where the magic happens. After pouring the pumpkin bread batter into the pan, you’ll drizzle on a melted combination of chocolate chips (these are dairy free), butter/coconut oil, and cinnamon. Next, you’ll gently swirl the chocolate mixture into the top of the batter and pop it into the oven to bake. Believe me, you’ll wish the swirl was in every single bite!
*CAN I USE ALMOND FLOUR INSTEAD? No, not without adapting the recipe in other ways. If you’re looking for something lower carb, you can try this Keto Pumpkin Bread!
FAQ + Tips for the Best Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread:
TRY NOT TO OVER-MIX THE SWIRL. Believe me, it’s easy to do. I used to get stuck in the trap of “oh, maybe just one more swirl over here… Oh! And one more over there…” and, before I knew it, the whole top was an over-swirled mess. You can watch the video for my method, but you’ll get the prettiest gluten free pumpkin bread if you don’t over-swirl.
I’M NOT GLUTEN FREE. CAN I USE REGULAR FLOUR? Yes, I think so! We used a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend, so you can substitute white flour for my gluten free flour here if you’re not gluten free.
THE BEST DAIRY FREE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. If you’re looking for a good dairy free option, we really like these ones and these ones. They’re both increasingly easy to find and taste amazing. No one ever knows the difference!
CAN I MAKE THIS VEGAN? I think so, but I haven’t tried it yet. You’d need to substitute 2 flax eggs or 2 eggs’ worth of a powdered egg replacer like this or this. (If you try it vegan, please let me know how it turns out!)
WHAT SIZE LOAF PAN DO YOU USE? I typically use a 1-lb loaf pan for this recipe. (9″x5″ or 8.5″x4.5″) If yours is wider or longer, your baking time may vary slightly (the wider the pan is, the quicker it’ll cook). I also prefer a lighter colored pan because they tend to distribute heat more evenly and gently than dark pans.
Love Pumpkin Recipes? I Bet You’d Love:
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Frosting (Paleo Friendly)
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- The BEST Pumpkin Chili
- Blender Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
- The BEST Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
- Our Favorite Baking Supplies!
HELPFUL FOR THIS RECIPE:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl
- Total Time: about 1 hour
- Yield: 1 Loaf (8-10 slices) 1x
Description
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl – This tender, fluffy pumpkin bread with a chocolate cinnamon swirl might just be the BEST Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread you ever taste! (Gluten free, dairy free)
Ingredients
For the Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 4 Tbsp melted butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp. milk (I use unsweetened almond milk–use whatever you drink!)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. ginger
- 1/8 tsp. cloves
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 3/4 cup gluten free measure-for-measure flour blend, such as King Arthur Flour Measure-for-Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1
For the Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl:
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips*
- 1 Tbsp. butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line a 9×5″ bread loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. (I like to cut my parchment so that it hangs over the long sides of the loaf pan. I can use that overhang as “handles” later to lift the baked bread out of the pan later.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, syrup, butter/oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Add baking soda and gluten free flour, and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan, then prepare the chocolate-cinnamon swirl.
- In a small saucepan, gently melt chocolate chips, butter/oil, and cinnamon together over low heat, stirring regularly until the mixture is smooth.
- Remove from heat and pour in a straight line down the center of your pumpkin batter. Use a thin knife (like a butter knife) or a small skewer to gently swirl the mixture, trying not to over-mix. I like to make a few figure-8’s in the chocolate swirl. (See video for more detail here.)
- Place the pumpkin bread in the oven at 325 degrees F. and baking 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool 5 minutes in the pan before lifting the bread out to cool on a cooling rack. Cool before slicing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-60 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Quick Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
