Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips is the best kind of fall treat! Naturally sweetened, this easy gluten free pumpkin bread recipe calls for pumpkin puree, almond butter, dark chocolate and oats. This recipe is simple to make and share! Makes 1 loaf.
In the mood for all things pumpkin? Don’t miss Cranberry Pumpkin Cold Brew Coffee Drink and Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup!
This recipe originally appeared on My Cooking Spot, where I was a contributor.
October is one of my favorite months because the weather is usually nice, and I can use pumpkin in everything.
Today’s recipe—a delightful GLUTEN FREE Pumpkin Bread—is no different.
Not only is it gluten free, but it’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup. And it has oats!
That sound good to you? It should!
Why I love this recipe:
This Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips was made with a mama friend and her kiddo in mind. They both have allergies to gluten and dairy.
Whenever I host friends, I want to make sure I have food to offer everyone, including them, and this bread ended up becoming a favorite.
This Pumpkin Bread with Oats is pretty simple to put together and doesn’t call for specialty ingredients or gluten free flours. (So if you’re not gluten free, like me, but love someone who is? This recipe is for you.)
If you’re looking for a more classic Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread, this might not be it because the texture takes on some of the chew from the oats.
Everyone in our little playgroup loved this bread. I mean… how could we not?
More gluten free breakfast recipes that are great for sharing: Scrambled Eggs with Veggies | Andouille Sausage Breakfast Tacos | Broccoli Quiche Lorraine Bites | Baked Bacon | Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Need some breakfast or brunch inspiration? Head on over to my Breakfast Recipe Index for more ideas.
What you need to make this recipe:
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Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need:
- Almond butter—unsweetened, if possible. If you don’t have almond butter or have an almond allergy, peanut butter would work in its place, too. Sun butter is not an acceptable substitute.
- Pumpkin puree—please read the label on your can and ensure that you’re using this, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sweeteners added to it.
- Maple syrup—pure maple syrup is what you want to use here, not maple-flavored syrup.
- Maple syrup—the real deal, NOT the syrup that’s maple-flavored
- Eggs—these give our batter structure and will help the pumpkin oatmeal bread rise. Make sure they’re at room temperature.
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats—while you can use whatever rolled or old fashioned oats you have, please confirm they are gluten free if you’re serving this bread to someone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity. Read the label.
- Ground cinnamon—cinnamon and pumpkin work beautifully together. If you want to use the same amount of pumpkin pie spice if you’d like. We use this in the muffin and the streusel.
- Leaveners—this pumpkin bread recipe calls for both baking soda to give it a little lift
- Kosher salt—I like to use a fine grain kosher salt for baked goods. You can use the same amount of a fine grain sea salt.
- Chocolate chips—use your favorite brand. I am partial to bittersweet or dark chocolate chips. If you’re serving someone with an allergy, read the label.
Food allergy swaps and substitutions:
- Oats: Many of them are gluten free. (Bob’s Red Mill is our go-to and is labeled gluten free.) Please read the label on yours to ensure they are.
- Almonds: If you or a guest has a tree nut allergy, peanut butter would be a good swap here. Sun butter is not a good swap. (We’ve tried it, and it was a gigantic fail.)
- Dairy: Read the label on your chocolate to confirm it is dairy free. Dark chocolate chips are my favorite for this reason, but you can certainly use bittersweet or even milk chocolate if you’re not feeding this to someone with a dairy sensitivity or allergy.
How to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
First and foremost, preheat your oven and spray your loaf pan. (It’s important to get these things going first!)
You’ll need a large bowl, measuring cups and a hand mixer. You could also do this by hand with a whisk, though I like to make things easy on myself these days. But hey—you do you!
In your bowl, measure in the almond butter, pumpkin puree and maple syrup. Mix ’em up with the hand mixer until smooth, then add in the eggs, and mix those until silky smooth, too.
Next, you’ll measure in the (gluten free!) rolled oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir these wet ingredients into your batter using a rubber spatula. Mix until just combined—we don’t want to overwork things here.
Our last step in putting together the batter is measuring in the chocolate chips and folding them in with the rubber spatula.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, and bake.
Once it passes the toothpick test—which is to say an inserted toothpick comes out clean!—remove it from the oven, and let it cool completely.
Once cool, free the bread from its pan and slice before enjoying.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
I’m not going to lie: This Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread is on repeat whenever we host playgroups during the fall months. It’s incredibly easy, and it meets the needs of our friends.
This Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread recipe has come in clutch for years, and it’s pretty versatile while also being utterly delicious for everyone who’s tried it.
Here are some more ideas if you’re planning to make this bread to share with friends or family:
- Make it the night before. No use in stressing yourself out the morning you’re hosting guests, especially since this bread does better slicing when it’s at room temperature.
- Transform it into muffins. Whether you’re using a regular tin or a mini ones, kids a-d-o-r-e these as bite-sized breakfast treats. The baking time will be closer to 15-20 minutes instead of 50-55 minutes, so keep your eye on ’em.
- Leave out the chocolate. If you’d rather this be a traditional Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Oatmeal, leave it out.
Now who’s ready to bake?
Scroll on down to get my recipe…
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter unsweetened, if possible
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats not the instant kind
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips dark chocolate
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a bread pan with baking spray, and set aside. (My loaf pan is 8" x 4 ½" x 2 ¾" high.)
- In a large bowl, blend the almond butter, pumpkin puree and maple syrup together using a hand mixer, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once smooth, crack in the eggs and mix until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Measure in the rolled oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- Pour in the chocolate chips, and fold into the batter using the rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the bread has browned and an inserted knife comes out clean. (This may vary from oven to oven.)
- Let the bread cool, then turn over the loaf pan and free the bread from it. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Oats: Many of them are gluten free. Please read the label on yours to ensure they are.
- Almonds: If you or a guest has a tree nut allergy, peanut butter would be a good swap here. Sun butter is not a good swap. (We've tried it, and it was a gigantic fail.)
- Dairy: Read the label on your chocolate to confirm it is dairy free. Dark chocolate chips are my favorite for this reason, but you can certainly use bittersweet or even milk chocolate if you're not feeding this to someone with a dairy sensitivity or allergy.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Oooohhh I LOVE that this is GF and sweetened with maple syrup! I’ve been looking for something healthy and Fall-ish to bake for a wedding DIY day tomorrow, and this might be it!
Thanks so much, Jenna! It’s fun to make things GF and naturally sweetened sometimes, ya know? I hope you enjoy this recipe to bake for a wedding DIY!