Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread made with an all purpose gluten-free flour blend and of course iconic pumpkin pie spice for a fall explosion of warmly-spiced pumpkin bliss. This amazing gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe is the perfect cozy celebration of fall.

Fall is my comfort zone. 

It’s the time of year that I’m finally allowed to be in bed by 7pm, and fuzzy socks take up permanent residence on my feet.

The cooler weather and darker evenings is my permission to hibernate.

Most importantly, It is my permission to bake sweet carb-forward treats and pepper them around my friends and family like I’m the treat fairy spreading little seeds of love all asunder.

This delicious gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe has been a favorite for years, because it is the perfect combination of warmly-spiced pumpkin and gooey chocolate. Plus, the texture is out of this world! 

It is moist and fluffy, studded with blossoming dreams (i.e. delicious chocolate chips), and warmly spiced to perfection for a treat you’ll find yourself craving in no matter the time of year.

The combination of pumpkin, warm spices, and chocolate is thoroughly scintillating on the taste buds!

The best part is this easy gf pumpkin bread uses ingredients you can find at any grocery store and is also easy to adapt depending on dietary restrictions.

Let’s dive right in to the best gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe!

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:

Canned Pumpkin: Pureed pumpkin is what gives this bread that ultra autumn appeal, a natural sweetness and creaminess.

Be sure you use pure pumpkin purée rather than accidentally picking up a can of pumpkin pie filling, as pumpkin pie filling has other additions like sweetener and spices added in as well. Use homemade pumpkin puree if you’d like!

Large Eggs: The fluff maker! We use eggs to make this bread nice and fluffy. I haven’t tested the recipe without eggs yet, but I suspect any egg replacer will work fine because there are plenty of leavening agents in gluten-free flour blends.

If you try it with an egg replacer, drop a comment below and let us all know how it turned out.

Butter: The fat that makes this bread ultra moist and also reacts with the baking soda to leaven the bread. You can replace it with vegan butter spread, avocado oil, melted coconut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.

I personally prefer the flavor of the butter version but a neutral-flavored oil will do the trick. I don’t recommend using olive oil because you will be able to detect the flavor.

Vanilla Extract: Optional but always recommended in bread and cookies to give that familiar warm flavor.

Gluten-Free Flour: The main event here! Pick your favorite tried and true gluten free all purpose flour blend. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe, which turns out with the perfect texture and a moist crumb.

It contains potato starch, tapioca flour, rice flour, and xanthan gum for a blend that mimics the soft, fluffy texture of regular flour. I’m confident Pamela’s and King Arthur’s gluten-free blends will work great too, but I haven’t tested the recipe with them yet.

Coconut Sugar: Used to sweeten this bread, coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar, resulting in a sweet treat that shouldn’t have as large of an impact on blood sugar.

Coconut sugar also has a natural caramel-nutty flavor, which is a lovely pairing for fall treats. If you don’t keep coconut sugar on hand, you can use regular white sugar or brown sugar as a replacement. 

If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand, you can also use raw cane sugar, brown sugar, or granulated cane sugar. You can also use a sugar-free sweetener to make the bread sugar-free.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: YOU MUST NOT SKIP! Sorry for yelling. Pumpkin pie spice is what gives anything that iconic pumpkin flavor. A pumpkin bread without the pumpkin spice is…well, it’s still great, but trust me, the pumpkin spice makes a big difference in making you feel like you’re eating fall.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves (or all spice), and ½ tsp ground nutmeg.

Baking Soda & Sea Salt: For leavening and for flavor! Baking soda helps the bread rise AND holds it together, and the sea salt enhances the flavor. Don’t skip either one!

Chocolate Chips: The ingredient that makes everything better. The chocolate chips add a nice gooey flavor infusion to the bread, making it extra extra palatable! I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and cinnamon chips work great too.

Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients list for this easy gluten free pumpkin bread recipe, let’s bake a loaf!

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.

Add the canned pumpkin puree, eggs, and melted butter (and vanilla extract if adding) to a large mixing bowl and whisk together to combine (wet ingredients). You can do this by hand or use an electric hand mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and sea salt and stir well until combined (dry ingredients). Note: you can also turn this into a one-bowl recipe by simply pouring all of the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients.

Pour the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture and stir until well-combined.

Toss the chocolate chips in 1 teaspoon of gluten free flour, then add it to the mixing bowl with the bread batter. Stir until well-combined.

Transfer the bread batter to the parchment-lined loaf pan. If you’d like, you can sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the batter, or even pumpkin seeds for decoration.

Cover the bread pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes covered with foil, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until the bread has risen substantially, is golden-brown, and tests clean.

Baked goods are considered fully cooked once they reach an internal temperature of 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You can insert a digital thermometer into the center of the loaf to ensure the bread is fully baked.

​Let bread cool completely (I know, it takes patience) before slicing into individual slices and serving.

I love heating up a thick slice in the microwave with a pat of butter.

How to Store Pumpkin Bread:

Cover the cooled loaf pan with plastic wrap and store at room temperature on the counter for up to 2 days (only do this if you don’t live in a humid area).

Store leftover bread in an airtight container (or zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze pumpkin bread in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Remove bread from oven and allow it to cool at least 40 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can I Use Small Loaf Pans?:

Yes! This recipe works great for mini loaves. You can divide the batter between two 8” x 4” loaf pans and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. You can use three 5 3/4 x 3-inch loaf pans and bake for 33 to 38 minutes.

Can I Make This Grain-Free or Paleo?:

Yes! For a grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free Paleo version of this recipe, make my Chocolate Chip Paleo Pumpkin Bread which uses coconut flour and pure maple syrup.

Can I Make This Into Muffins:

For the muffin version of this recipe, line a muffin tray with muffin liners, fill the holes 3/4 of the way up with batter and bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes. 

Recipe Adaptations:

• I haven’t tested this recipe using any other flour so I’m not sure which other flours will work as a 1-to-1 replacement just yet. I suspect that oat flour and cassava flour will work well too. If you use a different flour besides gluten-free flour blend, please drop a comment below and let me know what you use!
• Use two flax eggs instead of chicken eggs for vegan pumpkin bread. To do so, mix two tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Allow it to sit and thicken for 15 minutes, stirring it every couple of minutes or so. 
• Replace the butter with melted coconut oil or avocado oil.
• If you aren’t adding chocolate chips, you may want to add a little additional sugar, as the bread may need additional sweetness depending on your sweet threshold.
• Looking for a sugar-free option? Replace the cane sugar with sugar-free sweetener of choice and use sugar-free chocolate chips for a sugar-free version of this bread. I like using Swerve in this recipe!
• Add ⅔ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Omit the chocolate chips if you aren’t into the pumpkin chocolate combo. Love a good glaze? Drizzle ‘er up!
• If you love a cream cheese frosting, feel free to whip one up and turn this into a pumpkin cake experience.

And that’s it! If you love quick bread recipes, also try these reader favorites.

More Delicious Healthy Bread Recipes:

• The BEST Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
• Paleo Morning Glory Quick Bread
• The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe
• Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Paleo Carrot Cake Banana Bread
• Paleo Cranberry Orange Banana Bread

Enjoy this gluten-free pumpkin loaf!

I originally shared this recipe on September 23, 2020. I updated the photos and information but the recipe remains the same.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.