The pumpkin spice craze seems to start earlier and earlier every Fall. I try to hold out a little longer than everyone, but when I finally give in, the first thing I make is this gluten-free pumpkin bread. I am always surprised at how dang good it is. It may be in the form of loaf but it is so light and fluffy, it can be a cake too. I have used this recipe for cakes and cupcakes and it is always a hit.
The recipe is super simple and you don’t need a mixer. Wet ingredients in one bowl and dry in the other. Combine and mix until smooth. This recipe will make a loaf or 20 muffins.
Rum Icing
This pumpkin bread is probably my favorite Fall recipe just on its own, but a 4 ingredient rum icing takes it to another level! The kick of rum with the sweet pumpkin spice is perfect. I highly recommend drizzling it on right before serving. Just mix 2 tsp of dark or spiced rum (Captain Morgan Spiced Rum is great for this) and 1-2 tsp water with 3/4 c powdered sugar. That’s it!
Gluten-Free Flour
I have used several different gluten-free flour blends for this gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe and they all worked well. My custom blend of sorghum, millet and brown rice flours with potato and tapioca starches is my favorite. It lends much more flavor to baked goods than your average rice flour blend.
Here is my special flour blend that I love for this recipe and many more of my gluten-free recipes:
- 1 c sweet white sorghum flour
- 3/4 c millet flour
- 1/4 c brown rice flour
- 2/3 c potato starch
- 1/3 c tapioca starch
I know that seems like a lot of ingredients but I think it’s worth it. I you want something more simple, see the notes in the recipe for a super easy DIY gluten-free flour blend or my blog post on gluten-free flours and flour blends. If you prefer the convenience of a store bought blend, I like King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten-Free flour the best.
Pumpkin Bread Variations
- Spices – I include just cinnamon, allspice and ginger in this gluten-free pumpkin bread but you can also add ⅛ tsp of ground cloves and a pinch of nutmeg for extra spice. And you may think it sounds odd, but a pinch or two of cayenne pepper is great for an extra kick in this sweet bread.
- Butternut Squash – If you can find canned butternut squash puree, it makes for a nice substitute for the canned pumpkin and it’s a little bit sweeter.
- Chocolate Chips – These bring this pumpkin bread closer to a dessert. The chocolate with the spice is a great flavor combination. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips when the batter is combined and us a 9″ loaf pan.
- If you really want to steer this pumpkin bread all the way to the dessert side, drizzle on this chocolate ganache. This ganache is an easy two-ingredient, dairy-free glaze that will create a beautiful smooth topping.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
This gluten-free pumpkin bread is sweet and light and can double as a dessert or breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp
- 3 large eggs
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice (optional)
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger (optional)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Rum Icing (optional)
- 3/4 c powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsps dark or spiced rum
- 1 Tbsp sour cream (vegan versions ok)
- 1-2 tsp water
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin bread
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8½" loaf pan if not adding nuts or a 9" loaf pan if using nuts.
- In medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum together,
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Then stir with a whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the nuts if using.
- Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Then cover with a foil tent and bake another 20-25 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
Make the Rum Icing
- Add the sifted powdered sugar to a small bowl.
- Stir in the rum and 1 tsp water. Stir until smooth. Stir in the sour cream. If it is too thick, add more water, 1 tsp at a time.
- Drizzle over the cooled loaf just before serving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1 1/2" sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 356Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 48mgSodium 283mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 2gSugar 37gProtein 4g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated using information from the Nutritionix database. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Hi, I want to try this recipe, just I have a doubt can I replace the millest flour for another one, which could be ?
I’m from Mexico and I don’t know what the millest flour is…
Hi Giselle! You could use sorghum or brown rice flour in place of the millet. Let me know how it goes!
I want to try this recipe but I’m confused by Instruction #3 which says add the agave. I do not see agave in the list of ingredients.
Hi Laura. I’m so sorry for that error. Thank you for for pointing it out. I will correct it right away. It there is no agave in the recipe. Everything else is correct.