Not all of my fall romantic notions go according to plan—giant pile of leaves I dove into expecting a nice, cushy landing, I am looking at you. Others, like this moist Paleo Pumpkin Bread, exceeded my every autumn dream.
I’m a proud connoisseur of pumpkin breads, so my expectations for this loaf were exceptionally high. It needed to be moist but not mushy (a hard balance with many Paleo baked goods), healthy but not bland, and every bite needed to sing with spice. It also needed to stand out among the orange array of other pumpkin bread recipes and pumpkin muffin recipes I’ve previously shared, of which there are, admittedly, many.
I have my reasons.
Committing to a single pumpkin bread recipe would be like committing to a single pair of boots. IMPOSSIBLE. You need more than one! I love each of the pumpkin bread recipes equally, but differently.
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread. Delicious, easy, and perfectly moist!
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread. Classic, all-purpose, naturally sweetened with honey, and 100% whole wheat.
- Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. My original pumpkin bread love. It’s hearty, the oats are chewy and yummy, and the amount of chocolate will feel excessive. Go with it anyway.
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins. For when I want my pumpkin bread in a tidy little muffin package. They’re pleasantly perfect in every way, and no one will suspect they are vegan!
- Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread. For when only butter and sugar will do.
And now the latest addition to the pumpkin bread family, Paleo Pumpkin Bread!
Why I Love This Pumpkin Bread
Paleo Pumpkin Bread is the recipe for when you want your pumpkin bread to be as densely moist as possible, you’re looking for a low-carb pumpkin bread, and/or you feel like trying something different and delicious.
Oh, and if you are following a Paleo diet. I don’t think I needed to tell you that one though!
I don’t follow a Paleo diet myself, but after this Chocolate Chip Paleo Zucchini Bread recipe turned out to be a) one of my favorite quick breads ever and b) one of YOUR favorites (it’s still one of the most popular recipes on my site), I decided to see what fall-themed Paleo goodness I could create.
For another delicious Paleo quick bread recipe using almond flour, check out my Almond Flour Banana Bread.
Making Paleo Pumpkin Bread
In place of wheat flour (Paleo diets are grain free), I made this Paleo Pumpkin Bread with almond flour.
It’s available at many grocery stores and online, and I’ve also included a recipe note to make your own from slivered almonds if you prefer. (Use up any extra almond flour in these tasty Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins.)
The chocolate chips were a spontaneous addition (well, as spontaneous as chocolate can be for a gal who eats it daily), but I’ve baked the bread both with and without them, and it’s delicious both ways.
Almond Flour Tips
- Be sure to use blanched almond flour, which is finely ground from blanched almonds that have the skin removed, not coarse almond flour (often called “meal”), which has the brown skins. No other flour can be substituted, as almond flour has very unique properties.
- To Make Your Own Almond Flour. Place blanched, slivered almonds in a food processor and pulse until you have a fine powder. About 1 1/2 cups of slivered almonds will yield the 1 1/2 cups flour needed for the recipe. Be sure to measure before baking. Depending upon your food processor, you may also want to process the almonds in two batches to ensure they blend evenly.
For an extra dose of filling flavor, I topped my Paleo Pumpkin Bread with almond butter, and I suspect that if I had any left, it would be yummy smeared with Slow Cooker Apple Butter too.
You can also keep it simple and enjoy a plain slice of Paleo Pumpkin Bread lightly warmed in the microwave.
The lovely notes of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are more than enough to make even the most romantic of pumpkin bread wishes come true.
More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
Paleo Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Up to 1/2 cup mix-ins: chocolate chips be sure to use dairy free, Paleo-friendly chocolate chips if necessary, chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper so that the paper drapes over the sides like handles, then lightly coat with spray again.
- In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, kosher salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet. Gently stir, just until combined and the flour disappears. Fold in any desired mix-ins.
- Scrape into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes. Gently lift out the bread with the parchment overhang and place on the rack to finish cooling completely. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- *Be sure to use blanched almond flour, which is finely ground from blanched almonds that have the skin removed, not coarse almond flour (often called “meal”), which has the brown skins. No other flour can be substituted, as almond flour has very unique properties.
- To make your own almond flour: Place blanched, slivered almonds in a food processor and pulse until you have a fine powder. About 1 1/2 cups of slivered almonds will yield the 1 1/2 cups flour needed for the recipe. Be sure to measure before baking. Depending upon your food processor, you may also want to process the almonds in two batches to ensure they blend evenly.
- I have not yet experimented with making the bread vegan. If you’d like to play around, you could try swapping the eggs for flax eggs. Please note that because this recipe does have a large number of eggs, this is a riskier substitution. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it comes out!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container lined with paper towels in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This bread tastes even better the second day, once the flavors have a chance to marry. Bread can be tightly wrapped and frozen for 3 to 4 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Hi! I have pumpkin spice seasoning. Instead of using the ground cloves and ground nutmeg, how much pumpkin spice seasoning would you suggest using? Thanks!
Hi Amy! I have not tried the recipe this way, but another reader has commented that it turned out well. It will alter the flavor slightly, but I believe it will still be delicious. I hope you love the recipe!
Ooo really excited to try this one!! I have food allergies but can have everything in this so I really appreciate the recipe. :)
I hope you love it, Ana!
Thank you! Was a little concerned about this recipe as there was no baking powder or oil included. I made it according to your directions and it’s really good. I didn’t have any spices except cinnamon and it’s still delicious. The sweetness is perfect for me, it rose and is moist. Grateful for this recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Ellen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this today, and it was fantastic! I totally screwed up, though. I used regular almond flour, not blanched. When I realized this was a massive error, I threw in another egg and bit of tapioca flour to make bread batter texture. It actually turned out great! :) I appreciate the almond flour heads up with the recipe. I just wish I read it before I measured ingredients.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Melissa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Can you make cupcakes with this recipe?
Just let me know!
Thanks
Hi Pat! I’ve never tried this recipe as muffins, but multiple readers have reported success with it. If you decide to try it too, I’d love to hear how it goes!
So delicious! I added Lily’s dark chocolate chips, walnuts and drizzled a little confectioners sugar mixed with unsweetened almond milk and pure vanilla. I wish I could post a picture. Thanks for sharing! My Mom always makes a harvest loaf and this makes me feel like I’m indulging❤️
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Debbie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
One question, why the parchment paper? Does it absorb excess oil or is it just to get it out of pan easily? The recipe itself is fantastic! Planning to make several more loaves since I have a lot of puréed pumpkin. I used a maple syrup that had a bit of bourbon flavor and it made the bread incredibly good! And the chocolate chips took it over the top!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Pamela! Thank you for sharing this kind review! The parchment paper helps make it easy to remove from the pan.
Sooooo yummy! Just popped it out of the oven and gave it about a 15-minute rest before removing from the pan to cool on a rack. Smelled so good, we couldn’t wait. Smeared a little butter on a slice while it was still hot! Excellent recipe, definitely a keeper!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Julie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I really liked how moist this bread was and that it didn’t require too many hard to find ingredients (I’m new to paleo so don’t have the tapioca flour, coconut flour etc. yet). It had a lot of good flavor from the spices but unfortunately I didn’t taste too much pumpkin, I wonder how much extra pumpkin you could add without affecting the texture.
Hi Annie! I’m sorry to hear about the flavor. Many other readers have tried it and loved it, but I know everyone has different tastes. I truly wish you would have loved it! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I wouldn’t be able to advise if you could add more pumpkin and still get the same great bread. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
I was hesitant to try yet another almond flour pumpkin bread… am I glad I did this one! O. M. G. !!!!!
Folks, this recipe Rox!
I used 5 tsp. Of Pumpkin pie spice
1/4C of lakanto white because what I had
Tips from review:
*Let it rest 10 min b4 baking…🔑
Keto Buttercream cream cheese frosting & toasted pecans to garnish
Made into 12 muffins
350 for 30 min.
Thank you🙌🙌🙌
Hi Valarie! That makes me so happy to hear! THANK YOU!
This was yummy! Traveled well to a knitting retreat and was devoured!
Hi Michele! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is so delicious and easy!!! Thank you! Do you happen to know how the pure maple syrup factors into the nutrition? I used a carb free maple syrup so trying to figure out the nutrition. Thank you!
Hi BGrace! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Absolutely delicious paleo pumpkin bread and I added dark chocolate chips! My little granddaughter loves it too ❤
Hi Betty! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My son came home from preschool excited about the pumpkin bread they had at school. I agreed to make some at home with him but I wanted to be able to eat it too. He demanded there be chocolate so this was the perfect recipe. We made it together easily and he is only four years old. The texture is great and it tastes amazing. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Faith! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Erin, Can I substitute flex eggs instead real eggs
Hi Lois! I have not yet experimented with making the bread vegan. If you’d like to play around, you could try swapping the eggs for flax eggs. Please note that because this recipe does have a large number of eggs, this is a riskier substitution. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it comes out!
I was looking for a pumpkin bread that didn’t end up oily, which can happen with coconut oil, and also had a decent rise. This bread delivered! It’s a favorite that will stay in my recipe file, and there’s no guilt scoffing it down. Tonight I’m going to alter the recipe with molasses and spices to create a gingerbread. Since they are 1:1 substitutions for maple syrup and spices, keeping fingers crossed it comes out just as perfectly.
Hi Denise! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi!
First time Paleo baker here and VERY unimpressive standard baker. I’ve always heard almond flour can be really dry and flat and this was anything but!! Really good consistency. I feel like it’s one of the few times I’ve followed an online recipe exactly as they say and it turns out exactly as it should!
One thing: I wouldn’t call this a sweet bread. It definitely had more of a savory, buttery flavor than sweet. I didn’t need it to have a lot more sugar, but instead wished the pumpkin flavor came through more. It seemed pretty mild. I’d be hesitant to add more pure though, that it would ruin consistency. Any tips?
Thank you!
Hi Collette, So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review! I would not add more puree because it would affect the consistency.
DELICIOUS! I added both chocolate chips and walnuts to mine. It kept well for a few days and I thoroughly enjoyed it for breakfast or dessert hehe.
Hi Ashley! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was outstanding! Instead of the spices called for, I used pumpkin pie spice and I made a frosting with cream cheese and monk fruit sweetener and a splash of vanilla and it is FANTASTIC!! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Iris! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!