One Bowl Healthy Pumpkin Bread

This super yummy Healthy Pumpkin Bread is moist, healthy, and so easy to make.  Made with homemade pumpkin puree and other healthy ingredients, the Pumpkin Bread has perfect Fall flavors, and it is ready in less than an hour!

My name is Lacey and I have a pumpkin addiction.

It started out so innocently — Dustin brought home a fresh pie pumpkin to roast one day.

That turned into some fresh pumpkin puree which then turned into this healthy pumpkin bread.

Then, we got more pumpkins.  And I roasted them.

Those turned into pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  And pumpkin pancakes.  And pumpkin cheesecake smoothies.

And more of this easy pumpkin bread.

I can’t stop. I won’t stop. I truly love the pumpkin season. I could enjoy pumpkin all day every day during Fall.

So, I’m going to have to apologize in advance for the pumpkin overload you’re seeing on the blog.

But I’m not even sorry.  At least, not yet.

One day, maybe.

Now, I’m spreading the news of pumpkin goodness here on the blog and even on the news.

This recipe for pumpkin bread makes the best pumpkin bread. At least in my opinion. And, if you want to know why this pumpkin bread is the best, well, it’s because it’s a low sugar pumpkin bread. That’s not all. This pumpkin bread is also a dairy free pumpkin bread which means it can be enjoyed by anyone. Including people who cannot eat dairy products.

Oh, one more thing. My beloved pumpkin bread can be a pumpkin raisin bread. But only if you want it to be. If you don’t, you can skip the raisins.

IS PUMPKIN BREAD HEALTHY?

Technically, the answer to “is pumpkin bread healthy” is no. Traditionally, pumpkin bread is made with all-purpose flour, sugar, and butter.

Oh no!

Yes, I know, I feel your pain.

But here’s the thing, you can make everything healthy if you want. This fresh pumpkin bread recipe is proof you can.

Making your pumpkin bread healthier is a great way to enjoy the flavors of the Fall season without the guilt of all the heavy refined carbs and sweeteners.  Here are some easy ways for how to make pumpkin bread healthy:

• Replace all-purpose flour with an unrefined flour that is high in vitamins and nutrients, such as fiber and protein.  My favorite healthy flour substitutes are spelt flour, buckwheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
• Substitute any brown sugar or white granulated sugar in the recipe for coconut sugar, date sugar, pure maple syrup, or raw honey (and use less).
• Reduce the amount of sugars and oils required by adding mashed fruit, like unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas.
• Replace butter in recipes with mashed fruit or coconut oil (and use less).

Follow these easy steps and you can make just about any bread recipe healthy.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the flavor and texture of the bread, I promise!

WHAT IS SPELT FLOUR?

You can use most any type of unrefined flour to make this healthy pumpkin bread, but I heart spelt flour.

So, exactly, what is spelt flour? And what is spelt?

Spelt is a cereal grain from the same family as wheat. It’s similar but not the same. Wheat and spelt look quite similar but the outer shell of spelt is harder than the one of wheat. Spelt flour is the flour made from spelt. It’s similar in flavor with whole wheat flour, which means it has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Also, spelt flour is great in baked goods because it doesn’t change the texture and taste too much. Bonus – spelt flour has fewer calories than whole wheat flour and it is slightly higher in protein.

BENEFITS OF COCONUT SUGAR

You won’t hear people talking about the benefits of sugar. But you will hear people talking about the benefits of coconut sugar. I’m one of those people. I like to talk about the benefits of coconut sugar because I’m happy I can make my baked goods sweet without feeling guilty or hurting my body.

Here are the main benefits of coconut sugar:

• Coconut sugar is unrefined, which means it retains its vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6) and minerals (calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, and zinc).
• Coconut sugar is low in fructose compared to white sugar.
• Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index, which means it is suitable for diabetics.

Bonus: coconut sugar is also sustainable and more environmentally friendly.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUREE

I used to buy canned pumpkin puree at some point in my life. Honestly, that’s not bad if you buy the sugar-free, organic type. But, once I found out how easy it is to make pumpkin puree at home, I rarely ever buy the canned stuff anymore.

Plus, this pumpkin bread with fresh pumpkin is better than the one made with canned pumpkin. The taste is sweeter and oh so yummy.

It’s so darn easy to make pumpkin puree. Here’s what you have to do:

1. Slice open the pumpkin.
2. Remove the pumpkin seeds.
3. Roast the pumpkin in the oven.
4. Mash the pumpkin to make pumpkin puree.

For more tips and tricks, check out my pumpkin puree recipe.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN BREAD

I think I mentioned that this recipe for pumpkin bread is a very easy recipe. It requires a little bit of mixing, a little bit of stirring, and some baking. That’s about it.

Just in case you don’t believe, here’s how to make pumpkin bread in a few simple steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the healthy pumpkin bread in a large mixing bowl.
3. Stir until combined.
4. Pour the pumpkin bread mixture into a loaf pan.
5. Place the loaf pan into the center of the oven.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven.
8. Place on a cooling rack until the pumpkin bread is completely cool.

HOW LONG DOES PUMPKIN BREAD LAST?

How long does pumpkin bread last? Honestly, not very long. It is that good. At least this is what happens at my house! If you have leftover pumpkin bread, you can:

• Store the pumpkin bread wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in an air-tight ziplock bag. Stored this way at room temperature, the bread will be fresh for up to 2 days. Make sure to keep the pumpkin bread wrapped at all times or the air will dry it out.
• To make it last even longer, you can place the wrapped bread in the refrigerator.  Refrigerated pumpkin bread lasts for up to 1 week.
• You can also freeze the pumpkin bread. To do it, remove the bread from the loaf pan, and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap the loaf of bread tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped loaf into a large freezer-safe plastic storage bag and seal it closed, pressing out any excess air. Place in the freezer bag in the freezer. Frozen pumpkin bread stays good in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw the pumpkin bread at room temperature before slicing and eating.

3 MORE HEALTHY PUMPKIN RECIPES

I really think you’ll love this healthy pumpkin bread as much as I do. Guess what?  I have 3 more healthy pumpkin recipes for you. Woohoo! These  pumpkin recipes will come in handy during the Fall for sure.

FRESH PUMPKIN ICE CREAM

I know ice cream is a Summer staple, but I like my ice cream year round. However, I like to adapt my ice cream to seasonal flavors and aromas. This is how this Fresh Pumpkin Ice Cream was born.

Prepped in 15 minutes, packed with pumpkin spice flavors, vegan, and healthy, this ice cream is easy to make and makes a delicious Fall dessert. Get the recipe.

PUMPKIN PIE OVERNIGHT OATS

This recipe combines the flavors of pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, and oatmeal in a delicious Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats breakfast.

This recipe makes a yummy and healthy breakfast you can make ahead for stress-free mornings. Get the recipe.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

Another breakfast option for this Fall is this Pumpkin Cheesecake Protein Smoothie. This smoothie is healthy, high in protein, and very easy to make.

The best thing about this Pumpkin Cheesecake Protein Smoothie, besides the amazing pumpkin spice flavors, is the fact that’s ready in less than 10 minutes. Bonus – the smoothie is highly nutritious and totes delicious. Get the recipe.

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