Easy One-Bowl Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Who wouldn’t want a moist, delicious, and sweet gluten-free chocolate chip pumpkin bread to enjoy this fall while sitting in front of a cozy fireplace? My pumpkin bread is exceptionally easy to make, offers a remarkably moist crumb, and provides the intense pumpkin flavor you crave every fall. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

While I love pumpkin treats year round, I particularly love pumpkin recipes in the fall when stores offer pumpkin-spiced everything, leaves fall off the trees, and a chill is in the air, reminding me that winter is only a few weeks away.

To celebrate the fall season this year, I wanted to make a moist, delicious, and sweet gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe bursting with pumpkin flavor!

I knew my family would go crazy for this recipe, as they love banana bread, so I could only imagine how much they’d love pumpkin bread, too.

I love baking with pumpkin because it adds intense moisture to gluten-free baked goods. Gluten-free baked goods are often crumbly and require extra moisture to mimic the taste and texture of gluten.

Pumpkin is comprised of 94 percent water, which empowers pumpkin purée to create intense moisture in baked goods. I add pureed pumpkin to my chocolate-glazed gluten-free donuts and pumpkin pancakes; it truly enhances the texture of so many baked goods.

Pumpkin also offers many nutritional benefits. It’s loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, boosting your immune system during cold and flu season. Did you know that one serving of pumpkin contains 245 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A? It’s also packed with potassium, vitamin C, and plenty of antioxidants.

This gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe contains sugar and chocolate chips, so it’s far from a healthy treat. But I do love knowing there are some nutritional benefits.

A Few Notes About this Recipe

Before you embark on baking this delicious gluten-free pumpkin bread, please note the following:

(1) You can mix everything by hand. No stand or handheld mixer is required.

(2) This one-bowl recipe makes cleanup a breeze!

(3) Whereas most gluten-free pumpkin recipes made two loaves of bread, this recipe was adapted to make a single loaf.

(4) The pumpkin bread has a moist crumb and intense pumpkin flavor. It’s perfectly sweet and can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert.

(5) The best part is that this gluten-free pumpkin bread will last for days, so there’s no rush to eat it. You can even make it a day or two ahead of time.

Step-By-Step Pumpkin Bread

Here’s how to make the best gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe in five easy steps.

Step #1: Gather a Few Simple Ingredients

Head to your favorite grocery store to gather the following ingredients:

• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (150 grams)
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar (100 grams)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil, but you could also use olive oil)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée, canned (340 grams)
• 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend (222 grams)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (if dairy-free, use dairy-free chocolate chips)

*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp ginger instead.

Remember, flour matters! Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend is made of a combination of gluten-free flours, starches, and xanthan gum, all that work cohesively to mimic the taste and texture of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.

If using a different gluten-free flour, make sure it’s a blend of various flours, starches, and xanthan gum, which is needed to hold everything together when there’s no gluten present. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add 1 1/2 teaspoons to your dry ingredients.

Step #2: Prepare the Oven and Loaf Pan

Adjust your oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a standard loaf pan with cooking spray. See below for more information on what type of pan to use.

Step #3: Create the Batter

Whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, and pumpkin purée in a large bowl. Blend with a whisk until smooth.

Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the bowl and use a spatula to mix all the ingredients until the flour is well incorporated.

Fold in the chocolate chips (or other add-ins – see below) with a spatula until combined. How’s that for an easy gluten-free recipe?!

Step #4: Add Batter to Loaf Pan

Distribute the batter evenly into your loaf pan and place it in your oven to bake for 60-65 minutes.

Step #5: Bake

The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This is a very moist bread and will need to bake for the full 60-65 minutes. Oven times will vary, so check your bread to ensure the middle is cooked through and the top doesn’t overbrown.

You might be tempted to cook it for a shorter period of time, but trust me; it needs the full 60-65 minutes for the flour to soak up all the moisture. The bread will start to brown at about 30 minutes, so tent the pan with foil to prevent the top from over-browning and cook for the remaining 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.

Allow the pumpkin bread to rest and cool in its loaf pan for several hours (or overnight) on top of a wire rack before removing it from the pan and slicing it.

Store the gluten-free pumpkin loaf covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for four days or refrigerate for up to one week. The loaf will stay intensely moist for a long time.

Tip! I slice the bread, individually wrap each slice with plastic wrap, place the slices inside a freezer bag, and then place the bag inside my freezer. You can pack them for lunch, and they’ll defrost just in time!

Pumpkin Bread Tips & Tricks

Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Can I Make this Recipe Ahead of Time?

You can make this recipe beforehand, and I suggest you do. The pumpkin bread needs ample time to rest and firm up after baking to taste amazing the next day (and for several days afterward).

What Kind of Pan Should I Use?

I’ve baked this in a standard 8.5 x 4.5 metal pan and a ceramic loaf pan with similar results. You could also use a 9 x 5″ pan for a slightly wider vs. tall pumpkin loaf.

What Other Add-Ins Can I Use?

You could add walnuts, raisins, or both. You can also omit the chocolate chips and simply enjoy plain pumpkin bread.

I like to warm leftover slices of bread in the microwave for a few seconds and then drizzle a bit of honey or maple syrup.

What Gluten-Free Flour Do You Recommend?

Be sure to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend because it contains a mix of flours, starches, and xanthan gum to give this pumpkin bread the just-right taste and texture.

I did not use almond flour because almond flour adds more fat and moisture, which this exceptionally moist pumpkin loaf does not need.

I also didn’t use oat flour, so this recipe could be enjoyed by those who don’t tolerate oats.

Some pumpkin bread recipes use coconut flour, coconut oil, or coconut sugar. I don’t like the taste of coconut, so you’ll see I rarely use coconut ingredients.

Pumpkin Purée vs. Pumpkin Pie Mix?

Pumpkin purée is unsweetened canned pumpkin. Be sure to use canned pumpkin purée, not canned pumpkin pie filling. There’s a huge difference.

Canned pumpkin pie filling contains all the spices and sugars needed to make pumpkin pie, whereas canned pumpkin purée is unsweetened, unflavored pumpkin, ready for baking.

If you’re up for the task, you could also make homemade pumpkin purée.

How Do You Make It Vegan?

To make this pumpkin bread vegan, you’ll want to use dairy-free chocolate chips, or you can simply omit the chocolate chips altogether. Also, be sure to use a dairy-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour. Cup4Cup contains milk. All the other ingredients are dairy-free.

To be vegan, you’ll also need to swap out the eggs. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer or a flax egg substitute.

Each flax egg is made by combining three tablespoons of warm water with one tablespoon of flaxseed meal. Mix the water and flax together and let the mixture rest for five minutes until it forms a gel. Remember, for this recipe, you’ll need two flax eggs.

What Is the Best Way to Store Leftovers?

Store leftover pumpkin bread in a zip-top bag or sealed container on your countertop for four days or in your fridge for up to a week. It will stay moist and taste great for a long time.

Can I Make Pumpkin Muffins Instead?

Yes, this recipe will make about 15-18 pumpkin muffins. Bake them in your muffin tin for about 20 minutes at 350º F.

You can also use this recipe to make mini loaves in a mini-loaf pan. It’ll make about eight mini pumpkin loaves, depending on the size of the mini-loaf pan you’re using. Adjust the cooking time as needed.

Help, My Pumpkin Bread is Undercooked in the Middle?

I’ve made this recipe often, and sometimes the middle is gooey. Be sure to bake the bread for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the very center of the bread comes out clean. If the top of the bread is browning too fast, tent it with aluminum foil after about 30 minutes of baking.

Should I Add a Maple Syrup Glaze?

Some people like adding a maple syrup glaze to their pumpkin bread creations. Because my pumpkin bread contains chocolate chips, it’s already sweet and perfect.

But if you omit the chocolate chips, feel free to drizzle this beautiful loaf with maple syrup icing made from maple syrup, powdered sugar, and milk.

More Pumpkin Recipes

For more delicious and easy gluten-free pumpkin recipes, scroll through this list of 16 Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes, which includes gluten-free pumpkin squares, ultra-chewy chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin scones amoung other pumpkin-licious recipes!

Did you make my recipe? Please share by leaving a comment. Thank you!