Easy homemade Starbucks pumpkin bread that is gluten free! Spiced and packed full of flavor and pepitas, you’ll love this seasonal favorite anytime.
Who doesn’t love a slice of pumpkin bread? This pumpkin bread is a copycat recipe of the one you find at Starbucks, only this time it is gluten free, dairy free, and nut free!
It is so packed with flavor thanks to the pumpkin spice we add and sprinkle crunchy pumpkin seeds on top. I love this bread for both breakfast with a cup of coffee or an afternoon snack. This quick bread is super delicious and no one will suspect is it gluten free!
Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, fish, shellfish, soy, sesame, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, corn, celery, and more
This classic pumpkin bread has a new spin with gluten free flour. It has a fluffy texture and Is super moist thanks to the pureed pumpkin. No special equipment or strange ingredients are needed for this gluten free pumpkin bread.
Need a slightly different recipe that is egg free? Check out my gluten free and vegan pumpkin muffins. Want something a little more dessert like? You’ll love these egg-free no-bake pumpkin cheesecakes!
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Ingredients
One of the best parts about this bread are the simple ingredients. And while there are a few more components to it, if you bake a lot, you probably already have everything you need in your pantry!
- Pumpkin - The star of the show! Make sure you use canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same thing! Pie filling not only has extra spices already added to it, but they can also use fillers that we don’t want. I’ve found different brands of canned pumpkin have different flavors and colors. Libby’s is my personal favorite. Note, this recipe does not use the whole can of pumpkin.
- Spices - What is pumpkin bread without oodles of cinnamon? This bread uses a lot of it! I love Saigon cinnamon for the intense flavor it brings. This pumpkin bread also uses ginger, allspice, and cloves. If you don’t have one of these spices you can omit them! You can also swap out the individual spices with a tablespoon of your favorite pumpkin pie spice if you have that in your pantry.
- Cornstarch - This is the secret to gluten free bread making. This helps to keep things light and fluffy. If you’re allergic to corn, swap for an equal amount of tapioca flour.
- Olive Oil - While you can use your favorite oil, such as canola oil or avocado oil, I like to use olive oil in this cake. It adds a depth of flavor and richness to the batter that gives great results.
Best gluten free flour
Different gluten free flours have different ingredients so not all gluten free flours will get you the same results as seen in this recipe. I have successfully used both King Arthur Measure for Measure and my own Homemade Gluten Free Flour in this recipe with great results!
If you try a different flour than the ones I listed, you may need to change how much liquid to add or subtract from this recipe to get similar results. Just be aware and use your best judgement!
Note. If you are using a gluten free all purpose flour that does not contain xanthan gum, make sure to add ½ teaspoon to this recipe. This recipe will not work with a single ingredient flour, such as almond flour.
Allergy Substitutions
If you are avoiding corn, replace the cornstarch with an equal amount of tapioca starch with no other changes. Make sure your baking powder is also corn free.
If you are dairy free, you can use any type of non-dairy milk you like in this. I’ve used oat milk, rice milk, and soy milk successfully with this bread. Almond milk should also work.
Instructions
For the full instructions with measurements and times, see the recipe card below.
Prepare a 9x4 bread pan with a light coating of oil and a piece of parchment paper. I love this baking pan that was specially made for gluten free baking. The tall sides help to conduct heat and give the bread something to climb, giving you the best results.
Now, in a medium sized bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, all of the spices you are using, and the salt. Set this aside.
Next, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, olive oil, vanilla extract, and milk of your choice. I used oat milk in these photos, but have used rice milk and soy milk with no issues. Give this a good whisk for about a minute to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. I switch from a whisk to a spatula at this point so nothing clumps inside the whisk. Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so you don’t miss any ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. If you are sprinkling on pumpkin seeds now is the time to do so!
Bake in a 375F oven for 65 to 75 minutes depending on the type of flour you’ve used and the elevation you live at. You’ll know the bread is done when it pulls slightly away from the sides of the pan as well. A toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the bread should also remove cleanly.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes before lifting it out via the parchment paper and letting it finish cooling on a wire rack.
Variations
There are so many ways to spice up this gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe! Here are some of my favorite ideas:
Chocolate Chips - Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter right before pouring into the pan.
Nuts - Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter right before pouring into the pan. Don’t use if allergic to nuts.
Streusel Topping - Mix up your favorite streusel topping and add to the top after pouring the batter in the pan but before baking.
How to Store
Countertop: This bread would keep for 3 days in a sealed container on the countertop wrapped in plastic wrap
Fridge: The bread keeps best in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Honestly, the bread never lasts that long in my house!
Freezing: After baking, you can store this bread in the freezer in a freezer safe and airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely before serving this bread from frozen.
Tip! If you are freezing this bread, slice it before you freeze. Place parchment squares in between the individual slices so you can have individual pumpkin bread servings anytime you like!
Happy baking!
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Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- 9x4 loaf pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup oat milk or other milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch or tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F making sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven. In your bread pan, lightly grease and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together gluten free flour, cornstarch, all spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, olive oil, vanilla, and oatmilk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk together until fully combined. Batter will be thick but still pourable.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 65-75 minutes or until the bread has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted pulls out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then carefully remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Marilyn Paret says
Laura! This recipe was dead on! You nailed it! I could not tell the difference from wheat or oat flour. The aroma, texture and taste was exactly like Starbucks! I can’t believe it! It was yummy and satisfying! Thank you!
Laura says
Wow! Thank you so much for this review. I'm so happy that you love the bread so much, this comment has totally made my whole day! Happy pumpkin bread season! 🙂