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Close-up square photo of two thick slices of moist healthy pumpkin bread on a cream plate topped with pepitas and a light maple Greek yogurt drizzle.

One-Bowl Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe Card

A moist, tender healthy pumpkin bread recipe made in one bowl with a full 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, white whole wheat flour, pure maple syrup, Greek yogurt, and warm fall spices. Free of refined white sugar and butter, with tested swaps for dairy-free, vegan, high-protein, and gluten-free diets.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Cooling Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Healthy Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices (1 standard loaf)
Calories 175 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 8.5×4.5-inch or 9×5-inch light-colored metal loaf pan Light aluminized steel prevents dark, overbaked edges
  • 1 Sheet of unbleached parchment paper Cut to 8×14 inches to form an overhanging lifting sling
  • 1 Digital Kitchen Scale Measures flour (198 grams) and pumpkin puree (425 grams) accurately.
  • 1 Large glass or stainless steel mixing bowl Minimum 4-quart capacity for the one-bowl method.
  • 1 Balloon whisk Emulsifies the oil, pure maple syrup, Greek yogurt, and eggs
  • 1 Flexible silicone spatula Folds in the whole wheat flour without overworking gluten and scrapes the bowl clean
  • 1 Sheet of aluminum foil Roughly 12×12 inches, used to tent the loaf at the 30-minute mark
  • 1 Instant-read digital food thermometer Verifies the center reaches 190 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit
  • 1 Wire cooling rack Allows air circulation underneath the loaf so steam escapes without soggy bottoms

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons 28 grams / 30 milliliters, extra virgin olive oil or melted and cooled refined coconut oil, mild flavor (plus 1 teaspoon for greasing the pan).
  • 0.5 cup 156 grams / 120 milliliters, pure maple syrup or raw honey, room temperature (use dark grade A pure maple syrup for stronger maple flavor).
  • 0.25 cup 60 grams, plain non-fat or 2% Greek yogurt, room temperature (substitute unsweetened applesauce or dairy-free Greek-style yogurt for a dairy-free loaf).
  • 2 large 100 grams out of shell eggs, room temperature (place cold eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes before cracking).
  • 1 can 15-ounce, 425 grams / about 1.75 cups, 100% pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling (Libby’s brand recommended; blot with paper towels to 400 grams if using watery homemade puree).
  • 2 teaspoons 10 milliliters, pure vanilla extract.
  • 1 teaspoon 5 grams, baking soda, checked for freshness (must be opened within the last 3 months).
  • 0.5 teaspoon 3 grams, double-acting baking powder, aluminum-free. (gives secondary oven lift to support the full can of pumpkin)
  • 2 teaspoons 5.2 grams, ground cinnamon (or substitute all four individual spices with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice).
  • 0.5 teaspoon 1.1 grams, ground ginger.
  • 0.5 teaspoon 1.1 grams, freshly grated or ground nutme.
  • 0.25 teaspoon 0.5 grams, ground cloves or allspice.
  • 0.5 teaspoon 3 grams, fine sea salt.
  • 1.75 cups 198 grams, white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour, weighed on a digital scale or fluffed, spooned, and leveled.
  • 2 tablespoons 18 grams, raw pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), optional for sprinkling on top before baking.
  • 0.5 cup 85 grams, mini dark chocolate chips or chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, optional mix-in

Instructions
 

Prepping the Oven and Loaf Pan

  • Position your oven rack in the center slot and preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) [8].
  • Brush the inside bottom and walls of an 8.5×4.5-inch or 9×5-inch light metal loaf pan with 0.5 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil [10]. Lay an 8×14-inch strip of parchment paper across the width of the pan so the ends hang over the two long sides by 2 inches, and brush the top of the paper with the remaining 0.5 teaspoon of oil [10].

Emulsifying the Wet Base in One Bowl

  • Pour 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of oil and 0.5 cup (156 grams) of pure maple syrup into a large 4-quart mixing bowl and whisk briskly for 30 seconds until unified [8].
  • Add 0.25 cup (60 grams) of room-temperature plain Greek yogurt and 2 large room-temperature eggs to the bowl, then whisk for 45 seconds until smooth and slightly frothy [6], [7].
  • Add the entire 15-ounce can (425 grams) of pumpkin puree and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, then whisk until you have a smooth orange mixture [5].

Dispersing the Leaveners and Spices

  • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 0.5 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon of ground ginger, 0.5 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 0.25 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 0.5 teaspoon of fine sea salt evenly across the surface of the wet pumpkin batter [8], [10].
  • Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds so the leaveners and spices distribute thoroughly through the wet mixture without needing a second bowl [8].

Folding the Flour and Baking

  • Switch from the whisk to a flexible silicone spatula, add 1.75 cups (198 grams) of white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour, and fold gently from the bottom of the bowl up and over in 15 to 20 strokes until dry flour streaks disappear [6], [9]. Stop mixing immediately so the loaf stays tender [6].
  • If you want optional mini dark chocolate chips or chopped nuts, fold them in now with 3 gentle strokes [9].
  • Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan, smooth the top evenly into the corners with your spatula, and scatter 2 tablespoons of raw pepitas over the surface [5], [13].
  • Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, then open the oven door, lay a loose tent of aluminum foil over the top of the pan to prevent over-browning, and bake for an additional 25 to 32 minutes (55 to 62 minutes total for an 8.5×4.5-inch pan, or 48 to 54 minutes total for a 9×5 loaf pan) [7], [8].
  • Verify doneness by inserting a toothpick into the deepest center crack to check for moist crumbs with zero wet batter, and confirm an instant-read thermometer reads 190 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit in the center [6], [7].

Cooling and Slicing

  • Remove the loaf pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes [5].
  • Run a butter knife along the two unlined short ends of the pan, grasp the parchment paper overhang handles, and lift the loaf onto the bare wire rack to cool for 30 to 40 minutes before slicing with a serrated bread knife [6], [10].

Notes

  1. Weigh Your Flour for Guaranteed Moisture because a 1-cup volume scoop of white whole wheat flour ranges from 110 grams (lightly spooned) to 150 grams (packed into the cup). Use a digital kitchen scale to weigh out 198 grams of flour and 425 grams of pumpkin puree so your healthy pumpkin bread recipe never bakes up dry [3], [4].
  2. Pumpkin Pie Spice Shortcut allows you to replace the 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon ginger, 0.5 teaspoon nutmeg, and 0.25 teaspoon cloves with 1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) of store-bought pumpkin pie spice [5].
  3. Oil and Browned Butter Swaps let you replace the 2 tablespoons of oil and 0.25 cup of Greek yogurt with 0.33 cup (75 grams) of melted refined coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or browned butter [5], [6]. If browning butter, melt 6 tablespoons of raw butter first to account for water evaporation so you end up with 0.33 cup of liquid fat.
  4. Vegan and Egg-Free Option works when you choose pure maple syrup, swap the Greek yogurt for 0.25 cup of unsweetened applesauce, add 0.25 teaspoon of extra baking powder, and replace the 2 eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons warm water, rested 5 minutes) [8], [14].
  5. Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Instructions require swapping the white whole wheat flour for 210 grams of a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour containing xanthan gum and resting the batter in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before baking [8], [11]. Do not use almond flour or coconut flour [8].
  6. Muffin and Mini Loaf Times require raising the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and baking 12 standard muffins for 20 to 23 minutes, 24 mini muffins for 12 to 15 minutes, or 3 mini loaves for 32 to 36 minutes [5], [11].
  7. Paper-Towel Storage Trick keeps the crust from getting sticky; store the cooled loaf in an airtight container lined on the bottom and top with a dry paper towel for 3 days at room temperature or 7 days in the fridge, or freeze parchment-separated slices for 3 months [6], [7].
Keyword Greek yogurt pumpkin bread, healthy pumpkin bread recipe, maple sweetened pumpkin bread, one bowl pumpkin bread, whole wheat pumpkin bread