WHY WE LOVE PUMPKIN BREAD
It’s the end of August, so yes, we’re rushing the season a bit, but why not – fall is our absolute favorite time of the year! Warm days and cool nights bring a lovely crispness to the air, and we finally get to wear our warm and comfy sweaters. The scents of fall remind us of football games, family gatherings, and the upcoming holiday season, which brings us back to why we’re here: The best pumpkin bread recipe that’s keto-friendly and low carb. Your home fills with aromas of pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and vanilla, while your mouth explodes with the flavors and texture of this scrumptious sweet bread. The taste of fall is in every delicious bite of our easy pumpkin bread recipe.
Several followers asked us to create baked goods with the flavor of pumpkin. You asked, we listened. We’ve added the sweet-spicy flavors of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla, and the buttery flavors and crunch of pecans, to create a sweet bread you’ll want to eat for breakfast, afternoon snacks, or dessert.
WHAT IS PUMPKIN BREAD?
Pumpkin bread, like our zucchini bread, are both categorized as moist quick breads – they bake up faster than traditional yeast breads. Our easy pumpkin bread recipe uses 3 teaspoons of baking powder as a leavening agent instead of yeast, saving us the rise time. And there’s also no kneading the dough – another time-saver. We use canned pure pumpkin to bring a vibrant pumpkin flavor to the quick bread.
Since we love the flavors and texture of our Keto Low Carb Zucchini Bread, we decided not to reinvent the wheel. We started with the same basic recipe, made adjustments here and there, (like brown sugar substitute – a zero carb sweetener – to add yummy caramel and toffee flavors) and voilà, we’re in love. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, and (I know you’ve heard this before) but truly, it’s an easy pumpkin bread recipe to make. Don’t let the number of ingredients deter you. We needed every single ingredient for the flavors to shine and the texture to be just right. It takes about 15 minutes to prep, and 55 to 60 minutes to bake. Our sweet spot is 58 minutes. But here’s the difficult part of the recipe: remember, keto/low carb baked goods need plenty of time to cool – several hours, or best, overnight. If you plan on frosting (we highly suggest) wait until the bread is completely cooled.
PUMPKIN BREAD INGREDIENTS
Almond and Coconut flours – We use a combination of the two to best mimic the qualities of white four.
Baking powder – A leavening agent containing both a base and an acid. It’s used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough, causing the batter to rise during the baking process. Make sure your baking powder is fresh. You can test the freshness by mixing a cup of hot water with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. If there’s an immediate fizzing reaction that dissolves all of the powder, you know you’re good to go.
Salt – Flavors are enhanced in the presence of salt.
Pumpkin Pie Spice and ground cinnamon – spices with flavors that scream FALL!
Psyllium husk powder – Used to retain moisture and helps to keep baked goods from getting crumbly.
Butter – For this recipe, use at room temperature. Butter aids in creating a light, tender texture in quick breads and assists in trapping steam and carbon dioxide in the batter as it is bakes, helping your cake to rise.
Brown sugar substitute – We use either truvia Sweet Complete Brown, which uses erythritol and stevia leaf extract, or Swerve Brown, containing erythritol and oligosaccharides. Both are granular sugar substitutions.
Vanilla extract – Vanilla adds it’s own sweet, almost caramelly flavor while bringing out flavors of other ingredients, too.
Pumpkin – We use Libby’s brand of canned pure pumpkin, but any canned pumpkin will do fine.
Pecans – We love the taste and texture of pecans, but you can use walnuts in their place, or simply delete nuts entirely.
IS PURE PUMPKIN THE SAME AS PUMPKIN PUREE?
Yes! Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing. Both are simply pumpkin and nothing else. This recipe calls for pure pumpkin which is essentially cooked and pureed pumpkin. Pumpkin pie mix is already sweetened and seasoned with spices.
WHAT TYPE OF PAN SHOULD I USE FOR THIS PUMPKIN BREAD?
Use a loaf pan, preferable metal. Because metal heats up faster than glass, it contributes to a better rise. Metal pans also provide a more golden, even crust.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING OUR EASY KETO PUMPKIN BREAD
Preparation: Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set your oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and psyllium husk powder, the latter acting as a binding agent. Set aside.
Beat together: In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar substitute on high for 3-5 minutes, until well-blended. Add in the room temperature eggs, pure vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. We use Libby’s canned, but any will do fine. Beat an additional 2 minutes.
Blend dry ingredients: Either stir in the dry ingredients mixture by hand, or beat in on lowest speed of your mixer, just until blended.
Fold in nuts: Either chopped pecans or walnuts.
Pour and bake: Transfer the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper allowing tabs to hang over the sides of the loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon, leaving the center slightly mounded. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil halfway through the bake to prevent over-browning.
Cooling: Place on wire rack to cool.
HOW TO TEST THIS QUICK BREAD FOR DONENESS
While the bread is still in the oven, insert a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, or with just a crumb or two sticking to the skewer your bread is done. If the toothpick has any raw batter sticking to it, continue cooking for about 5 minutes before you check the bread again.
COOLING PUMPKIN BREAD
Place on a wire rack to cool (several hours or overnight is best). Waiting is the difficult part of the recipe: remember, keto/low carb baked goods need plenty of time to cool – several hours, or best, overnight. After cooling, remove from pan using parchment paper tabs. If you plan on frosting (we highly suggest) wait until the bread is completely cooled.
HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN BREAD
Room temperature: Store covered with parchment or foil for 4-5 days.
Refrigerator: Our favorite storage is in the fridge, which creates a firmer structure, makes for cleaner slices, and increases storage time a few days. Store covered with plastic wrap, foil, or an airtight container.
Freezer: You can also freeze the entire loaf for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap first, then foil. Thaw in refrigerator or on countertop before serving.
CAN I MAKE KETO PUMPKIN MUFFINS INSTEAD OF PUMPKIN BREAD?
Can you make keto low carb pumpkin muffins instead of pumpkin bread? Of course you can! Using a metal cupcake/muffin pan, drop in cupcake liners or use a non-stick baking spray for easy release. This pumpkin bread recipe will make 24 muffins. Bake at 350 degrees F but reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes. Use the toothpick method (directions above) to check for doneness.
FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
This simple recipe for cream cheese frosting is a keto staple – you’ll see it in just about every keto recipe site, and also on the back of truvia confectioners package, so it’s not our original. Do not frost until the bread has reached room temperature. To make 1.5 cups of frosting – (the perfect amount for this bread) – you’ll beat 4 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). On low speed, add 1/2 cup of truvia confectioners, (you can use any powdered erythritol) and 1 tsp pure vanilla extra. After they incorporate, return to high speed and beat for about 2 minutes. You can thin it with a little bit of heavy whipping cream if you prefer. Trust us, you’ll want to scrape the bowl with your fingers for this frosting! Each slice of pumpkin bread contains 3 net carbs. If you add the frosting on top, you’ll add 1 additional net carb, and 50 additional calories. The frosting is optional, of course. It takes 5 minutes to make, and we believe the creamy texture and sweetened cream cheese slathered on top is well worth the effort!
WHY WE LOVE PUMPKIN BREAD
It’s the end of August, so yes, we’re rushing the season a bit, but why not – fall is our absolute favorite time of the year! Warm days and cool nights bring a lovely crispness to the air, and we finally get to wear our warm and comfy sweaters. The scents of fall remind us of football games, family gatherings, and the upcoming holiday season, which brings us back to why we’re here: The best pumpkin bread recipe that’s keto-friendly and low carb. Your home fills with aromas of pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and vanilla, while your mouth explodes with the flavors and texture of this scrumptious sweet bread. The taste of fall is in every delicious bite of our easy pumpkin bread recipe.
Several followers asked us to create baked goods with the flavor of pumpkin. You asked, we listened. We’ve added the sweet-spicy flavors of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla, and the buttery flavors and crunch of pecans, to create a sweet bread you’ll want to eat for breakfast, afternoon snacks, or dessert.
WHAT IS PUMPKIN BREAD?
Pumpkin bread, like our zucchini bread, are both categorized as moist quick breads – they bake up faster than traditional yeast breads. Our easy pumpkin bread recipe uses 3 teaspoons of baking powder as a leavening agent instead of yeast, saving us the rise time. And there’s also no kneading the dough – another time-saver. We use canned pure pumpkin to bring a vibrant pumpkin flavor to the quick bread.
Since we love the flavors and texture of our Keto Low Carb Zucchini Bread, we decided not to reinvent the wheel. We started with the same basic recipe, made adjustments here and there, (like brown sugar substitute to add yummy caramel and toffee flavors) and voilà, we’re in love. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, and (I know you’ve heard this before) but truly, it’s an easy pumpkin bread recipe to make. Don’t let the number of ingredients deter you. We needed every single ingredient for the flavors to shine and the texture to be just right. It takes about 15 minutes to prep, and 55 to 60 minutes to bake. Our sweet spot is 58 minutes. But here’s the difficult part of the recipe: remember, keto/low carb baked goods need plenty of time to cool – several hours, or best, overnight. If you plan on frosting (we highly suggest) wait until the bread is completely cooled.
PUMPKIN BREAD INGREDIENTS
Almond and Coconut flours – We use a combination of the two to best mimic the qualities of white four.
Baking powder – This is our leavening agent, which replaces the gluten in white flour. Make sure your baking powder is fresh. You can test the freshness by mixing a cup of hot water with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. If there’s an immediate fizzing reaction that dissolves all of the powder, you know you’re good to go.
Salt – Flavors are enhanced in the presence of salt.
Pumpkin Pie Spice and ground cinnamon – spices with flavors that scream FALL!
Psyllium husk powder – Used to retain moisture and helps to keep baked goods from getting crumbly.
Butter – For this recipe, use at room temperature. Butter aids in creating a light, tender texture in quick breads and assists in trapping steam and carbon dioxide in the batter as it is bakes, helping your cake to rise.
Brown sugar substitute – We use either truvia Sweet Complete Brown, which uses erythritol and stevia leaf extract, or Swerve Brown, containing erythritol and oligosaccharides. Both are granular sugar substitutions.
Vanilla extract – Vanilla adds it’s own sweet, almost caramelly flavor while bringing out flavors of other ingredients, too.
Pumpkin – We use Libby’s brand of canned pure pumpkin, but any canned pumpkin will do fine.
Pecans – We love the taste and texture of pecans, but you can use walnuts in their place, or simply delete nuts entirely.
IS PURE PUMPKIN THE SAME AS PUMPKIN PUREE?
Yes! Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing. Both are simply pumpkin and nothing else. This recipe calls for pure pumpkin which is essentially cooked and pureed pumpkin. Pumpkin pie mix is already sweetened and seasoned with spices.
WHAT TYPE OF PAN SHOULD I USE FOR THIS PUMPKIN BREAD?
Use a loaf pan, preferable metal. Because metal heats up faster than glass, it contributes to a better rise. Metal pans also provide a more golden, even crust.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING OUR EASY PUMPKIN BREAD
Preparation: Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set your oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and psyllium husk powder, the latter acting as a binding agent. Set aside.
Beat together: In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar substitute on high for 3-5 minutes, until well-blended. Add in the room temperature eggs, pure vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. We use Libby’s canned, but any will do fine. Beat an additional 2 minutes.
Blend dry ingredients: Either stir in the dry ingredients mixture by hand, or beat in on lowest speed of your mixer, just until blended.
Fold in nuts: – either chopped pecans or walnuts.
Pour and bake: Transfer the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper allowing tabs to hang over the sides of the loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon, leaving the center slightly mounded. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil halfway through the bake to prevent over-browning.
Cooling: place on wire rack to cool
HOW TO TEST THIS QUICK BREAD FOR DONENESS
While the bread is still in the oven, insert a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, or with just a crumb or two sticking to the skewer your bread is done. If the toothpick has any raw batter sticking to it, continue cooking for about 5 minutes before you check the bread again.
COOLING PUMPKIN BREAD
Place on a wire rack to cool (several hours or overnight is best). Waiting is the difficult part of the recipe: remember, keto/low carb baked goods need plenty of time to cool – several hours, or best, overnight. After cooling, remove from pan using parchment paper tabs. If you plan on frosting (we highly suggest) wait until the bread is completely cooled.
HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN BREAD
Room temperature: Store covered with parchment or foil for 4-5 days.
Refrigerator: Our favorite storage is in the fridge, which creates a firmer structure, makes for cleaner slices, and increases storage time a few days. Store covered with plastic wrap, foil, or an airtight container.
Freezer: You can also freeze the entire loaf for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap first, then foil. Thaw in refrigerator or on countertop before serving.
CAN I MAKE PUMPKIN MUFFINS INSTEAD OF PUMPKIN BREAD?
Can you make pumpkin muffins instead of pumpkin bread? Of course you can! Using a metal cupcake/muffin pan, drop in cupcake liners or use a non-stick baking spray for easy release. This pumpkin bread recipe will make 24 muffins. Bake at 350 degrees F but reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes. Use the toothpick method (directions above) to check for doneness.
FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
This simple recipe for cream cheese frosting is a keto staple – you’ll see it in just about every keto recipe site, and also on the back of truvia confectioners package, so it’s not our original. Do not frost until the bread has reached room temperature. To make 1.5 cups of frosting – (the perfect amount for this bread) – you’ll beat 4 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). On low speed, add 1/2 cup of truvia confectioners, (you can use any powdered erythritol) and 1 tsp pure vanilla extra. After they incorporate, return to high speed and beat for about 2 minutes. You can thin it with a little bit of heavy whipping cream if you prefer. Trust us, you’ll want to scrape the bowl with your fingers for this frosting! Each slice of pumpkin bread contains 3 net carbs. If you add the frosting on top, you’ll add 1 additional net carb, and 50 additional calories. The frosting is optional, of course. It takes 5 minutes to make, and we believe the creamy texture and sweetened cream cheese slathered on top is well worth the effort!
Keto Low Carb Pumpkin Bread
Our Keto Low Carb Pumpkin Bread is a scrumptious sweet bread that's perfect for breakfast, dessert, or afternoon snack. Flavored with pumpkin pie and cinnamon spice, pure vanilla, and pumpkin puree, it's tender and moist on the inside, and golden-brown on the outside. Sugar-free, gluten-free, and only 15 minutes prep.
- 9 x 5 inch loaf pan
- Hand-held or stand mixer
- 2¼ cups almond flour (blanched)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
- ½ cup butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar replacement (Swerve brown, truvia brown)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup pecans (chopped )
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, extending a few inches over the top of long sides. This makes easy removal from pan after baking.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together almond and coconut flours, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and psyllium husk powder. Set aside.
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Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat together softened butter with brown sugar substitute on high for 3-5 minutes, until well-blended.
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Add eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Beat an additional 2 minutes.
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On low speed, beat in dry mixture, just until blended. Fold in pecans or walnuts.
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Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. To prevent over-browning, tent with aluminum foil after 30 minutes. Bread is done when top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, or with a crumb or two sticking to the toothpick. If it has any raw batter sticking to it, continue cooking for about 5 minutes and check the bread again.
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Remove from oven and place on wire rack, allowing several hours (overnight best) for bread to completely cool. Remove from pan using parchment paper tabs. If desired, top with cream cheese frosting. (See blog post for easy directions).
What is the frosting recipe
The cream cheese frosting recipe is at the end of the blog itself, right before the pumpkin bread recipe!
How important is the psyllium husk powder?. I’m having a hard time finding it.
Hi, Barbara! Psyllium husk powder is a critical ingredient. I buy on Amazon and just checked to make sure it’s in stock. It is! Since we’re not using ingredients like white flour that contain gluten, we need a binding agent. The psyllium husk powder makes sure that the bread is nice and moist, and not crumbly. Thanks for a great question and for the visit!
I made your double butter chocolate chip cookie recipe and liked them. I bought xanthan gum to make that recipe. I have Amazon Prime, but Amazon puts its psyllium husk powder in to it’s “pantry” area, which means you don’t get free shipping. You have to buy $35 worth of pantry items to get free shipping. So the psyllium husk powder would wind up costing $10 to $15 just for 12 oz. I’d like to make some of these keto recipes and try them out without investing so much on each one. Frugal me!
Hi, Barbara! I hear you about Amazon pantry – I have the same issues with that (and I’m frugal, too). I found psyllium husk powder both at Kroger and Publix. Perhaps you could call your local grocery store and ask if they stock? One package will last a very long time. Happy to hear you liked the chocolate chip cookies, too!
I made your recipe, and I used a chart from ketoconnect.net to substitute Truvia brown sugar for Swerve Gold Sukrin, and the pumpkin bread recipe I made didn’t turn out sweet enough. I used to make a pumpkin muffin recipe with a whole can of pumpkin with a spice cake mix, and it was great. I think it was a weight watchers recipe. I looked at 2 recipes before I tried this, your recipe and another for pumpkin cream cheese cookies. I’m amazed that both of the pumpkin bread recipes I looked at only had one cup of pumpkin as opposed to 2 cups in the can.
Hi, Barbara! Sorry the pumpkin bread wasn’t sweet enough for you. Personally, our tastebuds think the Swerve Brown is the sweetest in taste. We kept the pumpkin to 1 cup so the bread wouldn’t get soggy, since this recipe is also gluten-free. Thanks for visiting us, and stay well.
I googled you could use flax or chia seed as a substitute for psyllium. I’ve never tried it so I don’t know how it’ll work.
Hi, Debbie! I’ve never used chia or flax seed as I’ve had success with psyllium. I have read that it works fine when used as a l:l substitute.Thanks for the question.
You can find Psyllium Husk Powder on vitacost.com as well.
This is the first time, I have ever baked any kind of bread. It’s amazing, My 12 year old son asked if it was really Keto.
Hi, Karen! I love that this is your first bread baking experience and it was a success! Also love that your 12-year-old son had no idea it’s keto. You’ve made my morning a good one. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. Stay well!
Can I make this as muffins instead of a loaf, adjusting the bake time?
Hi, Michelle! You certainly can make the Pumpkin Bread recipe into muffins. I’ve yet to do this, so I’ll be interested in knowing how much time they took to bake. Keep the temp at 350 F, and I’d start watching around the 20-30 minute mark, as they obviously will bake much faster. Also I’d have an aluminum foil tent at the ready in case the top starts to over-brown. You may have to sacrifice a muffin or two to get the perfect bake time!
Oh my (5) stars! Made this recipe as muffins and they are so moist and delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I am new to your site and find that your recipes are unique in comparison to the other Keto bloggers.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the pumpkin bread! Love that you made muffins with the same recipe, too. Thank you for your lovely comments!
Joanie,
How do I get on your email so I can receive your receipts? I thought I was signed up, but, evidently I’m not.
Thank you,
Grace
Grace, sorry your having difficulty signing up. Send me your email address at myketohome@gmail.com and I will register you. Thank you!
Pumpkin bread is delicious,
Why thank you, Lisa! And it doesn’t hurt that it’s topped with a cream cheese frosting, right? ; D.
This was sooo good! Thank you for all of these wonderful recipes!! I’m new to keto and they are all so helpful.
Thank you, Lauren. Thrilled to hear this, and to think we are a small part of your keto journey! Thanks for your support!
this was amazing, shocked how good it was….my new favorite keto dessert.
Hi, Ketogal! Thanks for letting us know how much you love our Keto Pumpkin Bread! We love it as much as you do. Stay well!