Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
This easy recipe for gluten free chocolate chip pumpkin bread is better than Starbucks pumpkin loaf! Made with gluten free flour and pumpkin, it can be made healthy with dairy free or vegan options. It’s the best breakfast or dessert to bring to any fall gathering or Thanksgiving table.
As much as I love a good banana bread, pumpkin bread might have a slight edge as far as I’m concerned. It’s moist and dense like cake but also has a great warming seasonal fall flavor.
This pumpkin loaf is made gluten free and with the added addition of chocolate chips for a sweet treat everyone will love!
🎃 What You’ll Need
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – although you could make this recipe with all purpose flour, this recipe uses a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. More notes on gluten free flour below!
- Pumpkin Puree – this is NOT pumpkin pie filling which already contains sugar and spices. Plain and simple pumpkin puree is used in this recipe and thankfully can be found all year round in most grocery stores.
- Brown Sugar Only – I am a big fan of the flavor and density of brown sugar. There is no granulated white sugar in this recipe because I believe that using only brown sugar gives the pumpkin bread a dense cakey consistency that works really well!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – one of my favorite spice blends gives a touch of warm holiday flavor
- Chocolate Chips – The addition of chocolate chips in this bread turns it from a good pumpkin loaf to an even better one! If you don’t like chocolate chips, feel free to omit them.
- Loaf Pan (9×5) – this loaf pan is the perfect size to make pumpkin bread or banana bread or even regular bread! A staple in any home kitchen. USA Pans is my go-to!
- Parchment Paper – since this pumpkin bread is baked for a longer time in the oven, it’s more likely to stick. Layering your loaf pan with parchment paper and making “handles” is a great way to get the bread out in tact once it’s cooled.
Gluten Free Flour Blend:
For this recipe I used a pre-made gluten free flour blend. Most gluten free flours are made with the idea that it can replace regular all purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio.I find this to be true in most cases and for this recipe.
Gluten Free flour blends are usually made with a proprietary blend of rice flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour in different combinations.
When choosing a gluten free flour blend, make sure your mix has Xanthan gum in the ingredients. This is an ingredient that helps give back a bit of the thickness and chewiness that is in baked goods containing wheat gluten.
You could always purchase some Xanthan Gum to add to your blend, but it’s in the perfect ratio in pre-made blends. My favorite one to use lately is King Arthur Gluten Free Flour.
Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread:
The only ingredient that contains dairy in this recipe is the butter. You could replace this with coconut oil or avocado oil to make this dairy free.
If you’re using chocolate chips, make sure they are dairy free as well. I like these by Enjoy Life.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread:
This pumpkin bread may be made vegan by substituting the following:
- Butter -> Replace with coconut oil or avocado oil
- Eggs -> Replace with flax egg or Egg Replacer
- Milk Chocolate Chips -> Vegan Chocolate Chips
NOTE: Substituting these ingredients may change the taste or texture of this pumpkin bread
📖How To Make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl add in wet ingredients: butter, eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree. Whisk everything together until evenly combined.
- To the bowl, add all dry ingredients except chocolate chips: gluten free flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin puree.
- Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a thick batter is formed. Then fold in chocolate chips saving 2 tbsp to top the pumpkin bread.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease the loaf pan after. I spray mine lightly with avocado oil but any oil will work.
- Transfer the batter from the bowl to the lined loaf pan spreading until it is even. Top with remaining chocolate chips and press them into the top of the loaf.
- Bake for 55-50 minutes or until fully baked when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool COMPLETELY before removing from the pan, cutting and serving. Dust the top with confectioners sugar for garnish.
Substituting Mix Ins?
Not set on chocolate chips in your pumpkin bread? Try these instead!
- ½ cup Chopped Pecans
- ½ cup Walnuts
- ½ cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 cup Dried Cranberry
- 1 cup White Chocolate Chips
- ⅓ cup Cocoa Powder (for chocolate pumpkin bread)
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Bread?
Yes! Right off the bat, I try and freeze half of my baked goods once they are cooked. This keeps me from overeating them and also keeps them fresh for another time.
Place sliced pumpkin bread in a freezer bag or vacuum sealer bag and remove as much air as possible without crushing the bread. Will last up to 6 months.
When ready to eat, defrost on the counter for 2-3 hours or place in the microwave and heat gently at 10-15 second intervals until warmed through.
Check Out These Popular Pumpkin Recipes:
- Dairy Free Pumpkin Panna Cotta
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie Bites
- Vegan & Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Creamer
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups Gluten Free Flour Blend with xanthan gum
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter room temperature
- ½ cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl with hand mixer. Add in brown sugar, granulated sugar and room temperature butter. Mix until sugars and butter are creamed together.
- Add in pumpkin puree, egg, vanilla extract and mix until all wet ingredients are fully combined.
- In separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: gluten free flour blend, baking soda, and salt.
- Add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches while slowly mixing until a dense cookie dough batter is formed.
- Once all ingredients are fully incorporated, fold in chocolate chips.
- Using an ice cream scoop or measuring spoon. Scoop out cookie dough in 2 inch even balls and flatten into discs 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
- Firm up cookies in the fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 30 minutes before baking.
- 5-10 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes rotating pan halfway through. Let cool completely before serving.
