Healthy Pumpkin Bread
This one-bowl healthy pumpkin bread is made with nourishing whole grains and protein-packed Greek yogurt. It's sweetened with maple syrup for a fall breakfast that is as nourishing as it is tasty!
🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- ⏰ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🕰️ Bake Time: 50 minutes
- 🎃 Flavor Profile: Sweet, packed with pumpkin spice flavor. Tender and moist.
- 💪 What Makes It Healthy: Made with 100% whole grains, fiber-packed pumpkin, and protein-rich Greek yogurt-plus sweetened with maple syrup! 5g protein and 3g fiber per slice.
- 🥄 Good For: Grab-and-go breakfasts, easy snacks, light dessert, enjoying alongside a homemade pumpkin latte or pumpkin white hot chocolate.
- 🧡 Difficulty: It's all done in one bowl! Easy to make. Fewer dishes. Double win.
"Oh my God, I have no words! This turned out so moist and perfect. "
- GURO -
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🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Hey fellow pumpkin lover! You cannot beat pumpkin for breakfast. If my pumpkin spice overnight oats or my pumpkin pie smoothie wasn't enough pumpkin-ness for your breakfast table, how about you try my (one bowl!) healthy pumpkin bread?
Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Nourishing to the max: healthy whole grains, protein-rich Greek yogurt, fiber-filled pumpkin, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
- One bowl: Ain't nobody got time for 100 dishes. This pumpkin bread comes together using one bowl and one spoon.
- Rich, pumpkin spice flavor: This recipe is everything pumpkin bread should be-moist, sweet, and packed full of flavor just like my homemade pumpkin pie recipe!
🎃 The Ingredients You Need
- White whole wheat flour:This is the key ingredient to this whole grain pumpkin bread! White whole wheat flour is still 100% whole grain, but it has a lighter texture and flavor than traditional whole wheat flour.
- Pumpkin puree: You can make pumpkin puree or use the store bought canned kind.
- Greek yogurt: This might seem like an odd ingredient, but the acidity of the greek yogurt pairs with the baking soda to leaven the bread. Plus, it helps keep the bread moist!
- Maple syrup: This all-natural sweetener adds moisture and a great maple flavor.
- Melted coconut oil or butter: Either works! If you use unrefined coconut oil, it will give a hint of coconut flavor.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.
🔁 Variations & Substitutions
- Make it gluten-free: I've had good luck making this recipe subbing in a good gluten-free 1:1 flour like Cup4Cup.
- No greek yogurt? Sub in equal parts regular yogurt or sour cream.
- Any liquid sweetener works: Use equal amounts honey, agave, or brown rice syrup in place of the maple syrup.
- Can't find white whole wheat flour? Regular whole wheat flour will work, just know the final texture will be a touch more dense.
- Add in goodies: ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans are all delicious add-ins.
- Use pumpkin pie spice: Skip the individual spices and instead use 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
- Make mini loaves: I often bake this pumpkin bread in mini loaf tins for handmade food gifts for Christmas! Wrap in a cellophane bag and tie on a pretty bowl. Voila! Easy, affordable, and thoughtful holiday gift.
🥣 How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and coconut oil or butter.
Step 3: Spread into an 8" x 4" loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Step 4: Bake in 350°F oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is brown and cracked, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
Step 5: Let cool completely before slicing.
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🙋🏻♀️ Healthy Pumpkin Bread FAQs
Pumpkin bread can range from being a rich dessert-like bread to a hearty whole grain affair. Traditional recipes often have large amounts of refined sugar and flour, but you can increase the nutrition of pumpkin bread by using whole grain flours, reducing the sugar, changing to natural sweeteners, and adding in nutritional powerhouses like Greek yogurt.
Moist pumpkin bread is great on it's own, but it can also shine with a small smear of softened butter, cream cheese, crockpot pumpkin butter, or even peanut butter. Serve it alongside coffee or tea for a wonderful breakfast or afternoon snack.
Quick breads like pumpkin bread are great options for the freezer! Wait for the bread to cool completely before freezing. For loaves, you can drop them right into a freezer-safe container and stick it in the freezer. For slices, freeze the slices in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until frozen solid. Then you can transfer them to a freezer bag or glass food storage container. Both loaves and slices can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature, or pop frozen slices right in the toaster.
👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- White whole wheat flour is your friend: This 100% whole grain flour has all the health benefits of whole wheat with a lighter texture and flavor.
- Customize your mix-ins: Chocolate chips, walnuts, and pecans are all great added to this bread.
- Cool before slicing: This is a dense, moist bread that is pretty soft straight out of the oven. Cool it completely before slicing.
🧇 More Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Pumpkin Bread or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil or melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" x 4" loaf pan with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and coconut oil or butter. Stir until just moistened-do not overmix or the bread will be tough. The mixture should be thick.
- Spread into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is brown and cracked, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- White whole wheat flour is a 100% whole grain flour that has all the health benefits of whole wheat with a lighter texture and flavor. If you can't find it, you can sub it equal amounts of whole wheat flour, just know your bread will be a touch more dense.
- You can sub in 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, if you prefer.
- Feel free to add ½ cup of walnuts, chocolate chips, or pecans for a flavorful crunch.
Hi Cassie,
I’ve been looking for a whole wheat pumpkin bread recipe from while, and came across your website. How long do you bake the mini loaves at 350 degrees for? I am willing to give your recipe a try.
Hi Michelle! It really depends on your oven, and the exact size of the mini loaf pans you use. But ours typically take between 30 and 40 minutes at 350°F. You could start checking around 20 minutes the first time just to be safe. But once you know the time in your oven and pans, you'll be good to go!
yogurt is a peculiar one, whats a good substitute for that?
Sour cream would work!
Can half and half or something else be substituted for the yogurt?
Sour cream would work or any non-dairy yogurt. 🙂
Oh my God, I have no words! This turned out so moist and perfect. I used honey instead of maple syrup (waaay to expensive here in Brazil) and it turned out very good 🙂 Maybe I could experiment with molasses next time? Thank you for this amazing pumpkin week, I love it!
How is it the Big Ten got so lucky with so many gorgeous college campuses?
It's still a little too hot out here in PA for me to start with pumpkin just yet, but I am stoked to bring a bunch of these recipes to our first tailgate in October!
this sounds like the perfect way to ring in pumpkin season!!