Gluten-Free Flours/Starches: In this gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe, I’ve used a mixture of gluten-free flours including brown rice flour, sorghum flour, corn starch and tapioca starch because I like how the higher-fiber brown rice and sorghum flours balance out the other starches well. If you don’t have all these flours on hand, you may also use a pre-made gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.

Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the substitute for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not include it, make sure to add xanthan gum.

Sugar: I used normal white sugar in this recipe, but feel free to use cane sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute with zero glycemic index).

Spices: I used a mix of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg for extra fall flavors, but you could substitute them for equal amounts of pumpkin pie spice instead.

Baking Powder: Since this is a quick bread recipe, baking powder is required to help the batter rise, so make sure you add it in. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure you use certified gluten-free baking powder.

Vanilla Extract: I like adding in a bit of vanilla extract for extra flavor, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer or if you don’t have it on hand.

Pumpkin Puree: I personally prefer to use homemade fresh pumpkin puree because it doesn’t contain the additives and preservatives that come with the canned version. However, if you only have canned pumpkin on hand, it’ll work perfectly fine in the recipe.

Almond Milk: I love using an unsweetened version of my 5-minute homemade almond milk but you can also use any other non-dairy milk such as this 5-minute cashew milk. If you can tolerate lactose or dairy, feel free to use normal dairy milk.

Maple Syrup: Feel free to replace the maple syrup with equal quantities of agave nectar. Alternatively, if you are not vegan, you may use honey instead.

Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. Alternatively, you may also use other vegetable oils or even melted coconut oil if you prefer.

Pumpkin Seeds: I like topping the batter with crunchy pumpkin seeds for extra contrast in color and texture, but they are optional. You could also use chopped walnuts, pecans, or other nuts of choice.

Pan Size Determines Bread Height: I usually prefer to use an 8″ x 4″ metal loaf pan before it results in a higher loaf. Bear in mind that if you use a bigger pan (such as 9″ x 5″ or larger), the loaf will be wider and not as tall. 

Let Bread Cool Fully: Allow the bread to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan before removing it and letting it finish cooling on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. As with all gluten-free baked goods, it’s very important for the bread to fully cool so that it firms up and doesn’t fall apart when you handle it. 

Use a Serrated Knife: I recommend using a serrated bread knife (knife with ridged edges) for slicing this pumpkin bread so it cuts better and doesn’t flatten the bread in the process.

Note: This recipe was originally published in 2016, but has been republished with step-by-step process shots, ingredient notes and substitutes, as well as clearer instructions.