This delicious healthy pumpkin bread is bursting with Fall flavors and made with tons of healthy ingredients. This recipe can be made with or without chocolate chips.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check out these Pumpkin Muffins, these Pumpkin Cookies, or this Pumpkin Cake.
Healthy pumpkin bread
Call me crazy, but I started experimenting with this healthy pumpkin bread recipe since at start of the summer! The first trial run was in May sometime and it was a complete failure. I was trying to make the recipe with blended-up old fashioned oats and no refined flour.
Unfortunately I was never able to get a bread that worked with only oats.
Ones that tasted good? Yes, actually they did! They just weren’t very “sliceable” and tended to burn around the edges and tops. The insides were actually pretty delicious though.
Flash forward many more trial runs to a bread that I am confident is one of the best healthy pumpkin bread recipes you’ll find. And as a bonus, it doesn’t burn on the tops or sides 🙂
Ingredient substitutes
I tried making this healthy pumpkin bread with almond flour and regular flour, but I like this version best with oat flour. Oat flour is made by simply blending up old fashioned oats – and it’s much healthier than using regular white flour.
I never could find a good substitute for sugar, so this recipe does have some refined sugar in it. However, this sugar replaces a great deal of less-healthy ingredients (such as butter and vegetable oil). This isn’t necessarily a low-calorie healthy pumpkin bread, but the calories you are eating are far better for your body than your typical pumpkin bread. Low calorie does not always mean healthy!
What makes this healthy?*
- Oats: Rich in antioxidants and contain powerful soluble fiber.
- Greek Yogurt: High in protein and packed with probiotics, potassium, and calcium.
- Coconut Oil: High in healthy saturated fats which can boost fat burning and provide your brain and body with quick energy. Also raises HDL cholesterol (GOOD cholesterol) in your blood which is linked to reduced heart disease risk.
- Egg: Good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
- Pumpkin: Highly nutritious! Rich in vitamin A, antioxidants, and immune-boosting vitamins.
- Cinnamon: One of the healthiest spices on the planet! Lowers blood sugar levels and reduces heart disease risk factors.
- White Whole Wheat Flour: A healthy alternative to white flour. Read more here.
Tips for this recipe
- My top tip for success: use good quality ingredients! I’ve found Libby’s pumpkin to be the thickest (least watery) and have the most flavor. I love LouAna’s coconut oil (make sure to measure AFTER it’s melted not before), and Greek Gods honey vanilla yogurt. None of this products are sponsored on this website, but I have found them to make the BEST healthy pumpkin bread! Do not try to use a low fat Greek yogurt or a plain (non-Greek) yogurt in this bread as they won’t yield the same result.
- To add chocolate chips or not: If using dark chocolate chips, you’re still keeping this pumpkin loaf on the healthier side — dark chocolate has healthy fats and plenty of antioxidants! That said, you can absolutely remove the chocolate chips and still make a delicious pumpkin bread. If you opt to not have the chocolate I would increase the pumpkin spices a bit (add an additional 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice). You can also add chopped nuts in the place of the chocolate chips (1/2 cup).
- Don’t over-mix it: if you over-mix the batter, you’ll end up with a denser loaf of bread. Mix until ingredients are JUST combined and then pop it in the oven! I like to grease the bread pan with nonstick spray AND lightly dust with flour — that way this healthy pumpkin bread comes out like a breeze (let it cool 10 minutes before removing from the pan).
How to make “oat flour”
Oat flour tends to make a baked good more moist than wheat flour and it also adds-in some extra flavor. Exactly what we want in this healthy pumpkin bread recipe! Making oat flour at home is easy – here’s how:
- Place the oats (you can use old fashioned OR quick oats) into the bowl of your food processor or small blender jar.
- Pulse the oats until they are ground into a powder-like consistency that resembles flour.
- Depending on the speed and power of your food processor or blender, this takes about 60 seconds or less.
- Stir the oats around if needed to ensure that ALL the oats have been finely ground. (See photo below)
- Make sure to measure your oat flour measurement for this recipe AFTER it’s been turned to flour and not in the whole oat form beforehand.
FAQs
How many calories are in this healthy pumpkin bread recipe?
- 194 calories per slice. While not very low calorie, remember most of the ingredients are REAL foods that are good for your body.
Can I freeze this pumpkin bread?
- Yes! Freeze the freshest bread you have. If you just baked it, allow the bread to cool completely before freezing to avoid soggy bread or mold. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and then seal it completely in an airtight container or bag. Freeze the loaf of bread. Bread freezes safely for 3 months. Individual slices of this healthy pumpkin bread defrost in under 10 minutes at room temperature and take slightly longer to defrost in the refrigerator.
How long does this healthy pumpkin bread last?
- 2-3 days at normal room temperature (wrapped tightly/stored in an airtight container). After 3-4 days, this bread is more prone to molding because of the moistness of it and the ingredients used.
Do I need to refrigerate this healthy pumpkin bread?
- After 1 day of the bread being at room temperature, I recommend refrigerating it and warming individual slices in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. While not necessary to refrigerate the bread, it will keep it fresher for longer.
Other healthy pumpkin recipes:
- Healthy pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins
- Skinny Pumpkin-Pie Shake
- Healthy and flourless pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
- Flourless Pumpkin Cake
The best ever healthy pumpkin bread is bursting with Fall flavors and made with tons of healthy ingredient swaps. This healthy pumpkin bread with yogurt can be made with or without chocolate chips.
- 1 cup pumpkin*
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (must be Greek yogurt)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, measured when melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup flour, all-purpose white or white-whole wheat (regular whole wheat not recommended)
- 1/2 cup oat flour (blended up old fashioned oats)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped nuts optional
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bread pan (I use 4.5 x 8.5 inch pan) and set aside.
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In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, Greek yogurt, egg, vanilla, coconut oil (measure in MELTED and slightly cooled form), and brown sugar until well combined.
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In another bowl, stir together the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, flour, and oat flour (measure oat flour AFTER blending the oats; to make oat flour, put old fashioned or quick oats in a blender and pulse them until they resemble flour). Stir in chocolate chips or nuts if desired. You don't need to use chocolate or nuts for this bread, but if you leave them out I recommend adding 1 additional teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
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Mix the wet and dry together until just combined (over-mixing will yield a denser bread). (Increase spices if desired.)
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Pour into the prepared bread ban and bake for 40-55 minutes or until a fork when inserted into the center comes out clean or the bread starts to pull away from the edges. If needed, tent the top with tin foil if the top of the bread is baking faster than the rest.
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Store in an airtight container in the fridge. (I microwave a piece for 10-15 seconds before enjoying). Best eaten within 2-3 days otherwise tightly wrap individual pieces and freeze.
*Make sure you are using regular canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Also make sure to only use 1 cup and not an entire can! To ensure the best bread make sure you are using high quality and not watery pumpkin.
*While I have my background in Exercise and Wellness (BA), all the content in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult a doctor or dietician for any specific dietary needs/questions.
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen says
Looks so delicious Chelsea 😀 I used to bake with pumpkin quite a lot but haven’t in absolutely ages! This bread looks and sounds so comforting with all the warmth from the spices. Perfect! 😀
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I’m so glad you kept experimenting with this bread, Chelsea! It looks amazing! And I’m loving that this healthier version is packed with chocolate chips. Gorgeous pictures, too!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
The only thing better than pumpkin bread is pumpkin bread with chocolate–it’s practically a no-brainer!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
So happy to see some pumpkin action! Bring on the fall baking! And I love that you really took the time to test this bad boy, because it looks perfect! Pinned!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
This looks delicious- so moist! And I really appreciate all the testing that went into it 🙂 Pinning!
Susan Bryan says
There was no recipe – just the blog! How do I get to the recipe???
chelseamessyapron says
The recipe is at the bottom of the blog post after you scroll through the pictures and text. Is that what you mean? It is outlined in a box 🙂
[email protected] says
Wow, you’ve worked hard on this recipe, but no doubt it’s perfect! Those melty chips look amazing!
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
Crazy? No. Genius? Yes. I’m ready to try any kind of healthy pumpkin bread…I can’t get enough of pumpkin! The exact same thing happened to me when I made my first pumpkin bread (funny story there, my oven’s gas was finished..*covers face*) but I can tell from how amazing this looks that this bread tastes GREAT!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
Love healthier versions of baked goods — everything in moderation I think! And I am SO ready for all the fall flavors!
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
All your hard work paid off because this looks like one awesome loaf! I’ll have to try a healthier version even though I’m partial to my super sugary loaf 😉
chelseamessyapron says
Haha the super sugary loafs are always such a fun treat! 🙂
Ana | Espresso My Kitchen says
Yay for fall baking. This looks fantastic and it’s healhty too, YUM! Pinned!
mAGI says
How pumpkin should be prepered before stiring ? 😀
chelseamessyapron says
I’m sorry, not quite sure I’m understanding your question..
Emily says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
Do you have any suggestions for alternatives to using coconut oil? I unfortunately have a coconut allergy.
Thanks so much!
chelseamessyapron says
Thank you Emily! Unfortunately I haven’t tried anything in place of the coconut oil so I can’t say for sure what would perfectly replicate the taste and texture. In some of my other recipes I have had readers comment that canola oil has successfully worked in place of the coconut oil so perhaps that would work here as well too. Sorry to not be of more help! I typically use coconut oil instead of adding something like butter or shortening so those two could perhaps work in place as well, but I can’t say for sure without further recipe testing.
Annabelle says
I always replace the oil with apple sauce!
Mimi says
This was lovely! I messed around with the recipe to make it gluten-free. Everything the same except:
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. Bob’s Red Mill GF Baking Flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
no coconut oil — I melted it in my microwave but then forgot to add it! The loaf came out lofty and moist even without. (Must have been the extra egg.)
Using a ceramic loaf pan I had to bake for an extra 20 minutes, and I tented with foil after an hour to keep the top from burning.
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks so much for leaving a comment and telling others how you made this GF — I’m sure this will help a lot of people 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed the bread!!
Mimi says
Oh, almost forgot — also added 1/2 tsp. baking powder.
Amanda says
I loved how this turned out! I was wondering, would this apply to a muffin tin as well or would I have to adjust the time/temperature? I see that you have a {Skinny & Healthy} Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Muffins recipe, so I probably should just follow that one. Just wondering, why no greek yogurt for that one?
chelseamessyapron says
So glad you enjoyed this bread!! I’m not sure about converting the bread to muffins as I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The reason the muffins don’t have Greek yogurt is because they would be too wet/moist with the pumpkin and the yogurt. I haven’t been able to figure out a recipe (yet!) where oat flour can bake well with that much moisture which is why this bread combines oat flour and white whole wheat flour with the pumpkin and yogurt.
[email protected] says
Love all the healthy swaps. With chocolate and pumpkin in the mix, what could be better? Thanks for the recipe.
chelseamessyapron says
You are welcome!! Thanks for the comment!
Laura J says
Yum! I doubled the recipe and it made 6 mini loaves, great for gifting. I accidentally forgot to double the sugar, and honestly I don’t miss it! I used canola oil and it was fine. Delicious spread with a little cream cheese or goat cheese!
chelseamessyapron says
Yeah so great to hear!! And isn’t that the best feeling — less sugar and it’s still tasty?! Thanks for your comment! And yum on the cream or goat cheese!
blayne says
Looks delicious!!!!! Did I miss the size pan to use?? Thanks so much, cant wait to try!!!!
chelseamessyapron says
Sorry for the late response, I just saw this! I use an 8 and 1/2 by 4 and 1/2
Amanda says
Very delicious and moist! I used whole wheat pastry flour (plus the oat flour – thanks for the tip on grinding my own), plain Greek yogurt, and I subbed raisins and chopped walnuts for the chocolate chips and cut down the brown sugar by a quarter cup. It didn’t rise quite as much, probably, but it still had a light texture and a delicate crumb. Not sure if I can wait for breakfast!
chelseamessyapron says
Yeah!! So great to hear! 🙂 Isn’t oat flour the easiest?! And raisins + walnuts sound amazing. Thanks for the comment Amanda!
Carrie says
I made this bread last night and it was fantastic! I used roasted pumpkin from the garden, subbed white whole wheat flour for the oat flour (I was too lazy to grind oat flour…) and used roughly 1/2 cup of sugar but I don’t think any of those things changed the recipe appreciably. Thanks for putting in the hours coming up with a healthier pumpkin bread recipe that I don’t have to cringe in giving to my littles 🙂
chelseamessyapron says
Awe you are so sweet, thanks for the kind comment! So glad you all enjoyed these 🙂
Beth D. says
Delicious! My two boys absolutely love these for breakfast! And healthy (well, except for the chocolate chips, but life is short…)!
chelseamessyapron says
Hahaha!! I couldn’t agree more with you 🙂 Thanks so much Beth!!
Amy says
I pinned this recipe along several others a while. I randomly picked this one to try this year- it seriously was delicious. I usually get tired of my pumpkin bread because they are too spicy and it competes with the chocolate or taste more like plain pumpkin (I grow pie pumpkins so make my own purée). This recipe is delicious and dangerous as I’ve eaten half a loaf in 12 hours ?
chelseamessyapron says
Oh this makes me SO happy to hear!! I’m thrilled you loved this 🙂 And that is so awesome you grow your own pumpkins!
Collette says
Can’t wait to make this when fall comes around! I too am a big fan of chocolate and pumpkin. Making this with pumpkin flavored greek yogurt sounds like an awesome idea!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks Collette! I hope you love it 🙂
Virginia Yates says
Awesome recipe!
I did a little subbing because I was out of brown sugar, so I added 1/3 c raw sugar + 2 Tbs maple flavored agave syrup (pure maple would have worked fine I’m sure). I also added 2 Tbs flaxseed. Because I was afraid it would be too soggy I added an extra 1/4 cup flour (I was using BRM white bread flour). It turned out wonderfully!
chelseamessyapron says
So thrilled to hear you enjoyed this bread Virginia! 🙂 Your substitutes sound delicious and especially that flaxseed addition, yum! 🙂
Corrie says
I made this last night, we just cut into it this morning, & it’s already half gone! I love baking pumpkin bread every fall but really don’t love that it’s often saturated with sugar & oil. This turned out really good & the natural flavor just shines I think. I used organic sucanat in place of the brown sugar, it worked beautifully. I tried a recipe that called for sucanat recently & liked the results & thought it would work well here. I also decided to leave the dark chocolate chips out to make it as healthy as possible. Delicious pumpkin bread without the sugar crash, yay! Thank you!
chelseamessyapron says
I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this bread so much! Thanks so much for the comment Corrie! 🙂
Shannon says
Look forward to making this! Just a quick question…exactly how much pumpkin should I use? You say not the entire can but I can’t find where you specify how much to actually use.
Thanks!
chelseamessyapron says
It says 1 cup in the recipe, sorry its hard to see! Enjoy!
Katherine says
This bread looks and sounds amazing! I love pumpkin at any time of year.
Hannah says
Chelsea, you’ve done it again! This bread was absolutely delicious. This is probably the 20th recipe I’ve made from your blog and they ALWAYS turn out so well. Thank you thank you for making my life more exciting with your food. I also love that these are a little healthier than other recipes too.
chelseamessyapron says
I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this bread and so many recipes from my site 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment; it makes my day!
Vicki says
Made it tonight using coconut sugar. Delicious!
chelseamessyapron says
Yay soo glad to hear!! 🙂
Christie says
Best bread I’ve ever made/had – and it was so easy! Thanks for this recipe, I’ll be sure to share it with others!!
chelseamessyapron says
Ahh you’re so sweet! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks! 🙂
Emily Walker says
Searched until I found your recipe…this is exactly what I was looking for! My cookbook’s recipe called for a freaking 3 cups of sugar. I tripled your recipe (big family) and it was delicious. My kids raved. Thank you.
chelseamessyapron says
So happy to hear this bread was a hit! 🙂 I’m glad you were able to find this recipe! Thanks for the comment Emily 🙂
Sunshine baker says
This is really good! I made only two changes. I used canola oil instead of coconut oil. I used 1 heaping teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and a half teaspoon of cinnamon. I left out the nutmeg as the kids don’t like it. I will definitely make this again.