This gluten free pumpkin bread has a trick up its sleeve that changes everything – heating the canned pumpkin on the stovetop removes extra moisture and concentrates the pumpkin spice flavor for a loaf that’s ultra moist, light, and fluffy instead of dense and compressed. It’s the easiest hack for the best GF pumpkin loaf you’ve made, and it yields two full loaves.

a stack of three slices of pumpkin bread with streusel topping on a blue and white flower plate
Don’t make the mistake of taking a traditional pumpkin bread recipe and swapping out GF flour. It will be dense, heavy, and oily. Try my easy technique instead!

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get affordable and easy gluten-free recipes delivered each week!

World’s Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread (Seriously)

Although pumpkin spice gets uber popular in the fall months, this moist and yummy gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe is a hit year-round. In fact, not only do I keep it stocked in my freezer for busy weekday mornings, but it’s a welcoming gift for neighbors or house guests.

No matter who is enjoying, the taste, texture, and flavor is so spot on, no one will guess this homemade pumpkin loaf is gluten-free! (Just watch the astonishment on their faces.🤯) Where other recipes have a tendency to be dense and heavy, this version maintains a moist crumb, while the texture is light and fluffy.

The method is a little unconventional compared to other GF pumpkin bread recipes. Instead of simply dumping canned pumpkin into the mixture, we remove some of the excess liquid first. In these chewy gluten-free chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, it’s blotted away with a paper towels, but for this recipe that uses a full can of pumpkin I needed to go a little further.

When making these 5-star-reviewed gluten-free pumpkin streusel muffins I cook down the canned pumpkin puree on the stove first. This evaporates some of the moisture from the pumpkin, which has a harder time being absorbed in gluten free flour starches. It also concentrates the pumpkin flavor while yielding a light, fluffy crumb instead of dense and heavy, like traditional pumpkin bread. 

On day 3 and still moist and delicious. Love the spice level- perfect for fall. One of the best gluten free recipes I’ve made.

—Kelly

Ingredient Tid Bits

  • Canned Pumpkin Puree – For all my gluten-free pumpkin baking recipes, I highly recommend using Libby’s canned pumpkin. It has a thicker consistency without as much water content. Remember GF starches have a hard time with excess moisture, so it helps with texture and structure.
  • Spices – I use a combo of cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, but swapping those out with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice also works.
  • Sugar – Remember this recipe makes two loaves, so the sugar amount is divided between. If you’d like to reduce the sugar amount, it can be cut back as well.
  • Cream Cheese – I recommend using full-fat, but dairy-free may be used as well. The cream cheese adds moisture and tenderness.
  • Gluten-Free Flour – I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, but if you have another preferred brand, gluten-free quick bread recipes are usually more forgiving.

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Start with the streusel topping

In a small bowl place place butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use fingers to rub butter into the dry ingredients or use a fork to combine thoroughly. 

streusel topping for pumpkin bread.
If you’re not feeling the extra step of making a crumb topping, this can also be left off. Sometimes I just do a simple sprinkling of coarse sugar on top.

Cook down the pumpkin

Use a large saucepan because the remaining ingredients will all be added to this pan. Start with cooking down the canned pumpkin to reduce the moisture. Over medium heat, cook and stir for about 7-8 minutes, or until it starts to darken and reduce slightly.

Remove it from the heat and add sugar, brown sugar, and cream cheese. Whisk vigorously until cream cheese melts and smoothly combines in mixture. You may still see a few clumps, but they will bake out.

brown sugar and cream cheese being whisked into the pan.
It will all come together in this saucepan, so make sure it’s big enough.

Finish batter and bake

Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, milk and oil until it’s smooth, then stir in the dry ingredients. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans, smooth tops, and sprinkle on streusel. Bake for 50-54 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Stirring the flour into the saucepan.
Quick breads are a little more forgiving with swapping out different GF flour brands, but my preferred to use is Cup4Cup brand for the softest texture.
pumpkin bread sliced open
Just look at that crumb! Light, fluffy, tender and with full pumpkin spice vibes.

More Adaptations and Ideas

If you’d like to bake this bread in mini loaf pans, each 8.5 X 4.5-inch loaf pan equals 4 mini loaves, so this recipe will make 8 total. Bake for a reduced time of 35-38 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle to make sure the bread is cooked through.

The recipe may also be halved to make a single loaf. Refrigerate the remaining canned pumpkin up to a week or freeze up to 3 months.

Love mix-ins? Add up to 1 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds), chocolate chips, coconut, dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates. 

close up of streusel topping on stacked gluten-free pumpkin bread
Feel like going the extra mile? Add a little gooey vanilla glaze to the top.

Save this recipe to your pinterest board!

Pin Now, Bake Later!

Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

a stack of three slices of pumpkin bread with streusel topping on a blue and white flower plate
4.74 stars (15 ratings)

Fluffiest Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread (Not Dense!)

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 24
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 52 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 7 minutes
This gluten free pumpkin bread has a trick up its sleeve that changes everything – heating the canned pumpkin on the stovetop removes extra moisture and concentrates the pumpkin spice flavor for a loaf that's ultra moist, light, and fluffy instead of dense and compressed. It's the easiest hack for the best GF pumpkin loaf you've made, and it yields two full loaves.
Print Pin Rate Remove Ads

Ingredients
 

Streusel Topping:

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8 ½" X 4 ½" loaf pans. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl place all the streusel topping ingredients. Use fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients or use a fork to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
    1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon gluten-free all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • In a large saucepan (all the ingredients will be added to the saucepan, so make sure it is big enough) combine the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook and stir over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. The mixture will reduce as the liquid from the pumpkin evaporates.
    15 ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Remove from heat and add sugar, brown sugar, and cream cheese. Whisk vigorously until cream cheese melts and smoothly combines in the mixture.
    1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 4 ounces cream cheese
  • Add eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil. Whisk to combine.
    4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ cup oil, ¼ cup milk or non-dairy milk
  • To the pumpkin mixture add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir until well combined and no flour pockets remain. The batter will be very thick.
    2 ½ cups gluten-free all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • Divide batter between the two prepared loaf pans and smooth tops. Sprinkle streusel topping on. Bake for 50-54 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes before turning out of pans to cool completely on rack.

Notes

 
Dairy-free modification
Since the batter uses oil instead of butter, it’s easily transformable into a gluten free and dairy free recipe. For the milk and cream cheese, simply swap out with your favorite non-dairy substitutes. 
 
Using a different size pan
If you only have 9X5 loaf pans available they may also be used. However, the baking time will reduce by 5-10 minutes and it might not be as domed shaped on top.
 
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Calories: 196kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 176mg, Potassium: 103mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 2849IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below. It helps others when searching for recipes and I LOVE feedback!