This keto pumpkin bread is a healthy twist on a fall classic. It’s tender and full of warm pumpkin spice. And it’s made with coconut flour so it can be totally nut-free!
There is nothing in the world that smells quite as good as a fresh loaf of pumpkin bread baking in the oven. It’s even better when said pumpkin bread is keto friendly so you can enjoy it guilt free.
Of course, my keto pumpkin cream cheese muffins smell pretty great when they’re baking too!
I have had quite a lot of requests for keto pumpkin bread lately, and I decided it was high time to fulfill them. The truth is that I already had a pumpkin bread recipe but it lived over on the Bob’s Red Mill Blog.
And since it was from 2012, and my keto baking skills have improved immensely since then, I wanted to start afresh. Trust me, my friends, you will be glad I did!
Pumpkin bread with coconut flour
Coconut flour is a great way to make keto pumpkin bread, because the dryness of the flour helps offset the moisture in the pumpkin puree.
But it can also be a tricky ingredient for those who aren’t used to it. And that is compounded by the fact that coconut flour differs brand by brand. Some are more absorbent than others, some are more fine, and this can affect the outcome of your recipe.
I have plenty of advice for baking with coconut flour. But perhaps the best tip I can offer is to adjust your liquids as needed. In this recipe, I don’t specify the amount of water at all, but simply say “water as needed”.
Always start with a very small amount, like 1 to 2 tablespoons and adjust from there. Depending on how thick the pumpkin puree is and what brand of coconut flour, you may not need any.
How to make keto pumpkin bread
This is an easy low carb pumpkin bread recipe. It takes one bowl, ten minutes of prep time, and about an hour to bake. And then you can enjoy the sweet pumpkin spice deliciousness! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Grease the pan well. Work the oil into the corners of the pan so the bread doesn’t stick. If your pan is not a good non-stick pan, consider lining it with parchment paper. I also highly recommend a metal pan for this bread, as glass and silicone simply don’t conduct heat very well.
- Use thick pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin is usually quite thick and needs to scooped, which is perfect. Homemade pumpkin puree is often much thinner so you likely won’t want to add any additional water.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. Make sure the melted butter isn’t hot so it doesn’t curdle the eggs when you add them.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients. Coconut flour has a tendency to clump so work out the clumps with a rubber spatula. You can also sift the coconut flour before adding it in.
- Add water as needed. Be sure to take note of the visual clues in the recipe. In this case, I indicate that the batter should be scoopable but not pourable.
- Spread the batter in the pan. Since keto batters are thick, you need to use a knife or an offset spatula to spread it to the edges.
- Let cool in the pan. You want the sides of the pan to be completely cool to the touch before removing the bread. Keep in mind, however, that leaving it too long may cause it to stick more to the pan. About one hour of cooling time is sufficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gluten is a protein and in its absence another dry protein powder helps keto baked goods rise and hold their shape. I don’t recommend skipping it. Whey protein powder and egg white protein powder work best. Collagen protein can make baked goods gummy and hard to cook through.
Absolutely. The pecans are just decorative (and delicious). But you can skip them altogether or replace them with something else like chocolate chips or pumpkin seeds.
Yes, any sweetener should work here but I recommend a bulk sweetener to give the bread more structure.
You bet! Just replace the butter with some melted coconut oil and it will be absolutely delicious!
Storage information
Keto pumpkin bread is quite moist and should be kept in the refrigerator at all times. Wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap, and it will keep nicely for up to a week.
This bread can also be frozen for 2 months.
More delicious keto quick bread recipes
- Easy Keto Banana Bread
- Keto Zucchini Bread
- Sweet Keto Blueberry Bread
- Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- Cheesy Skillet Bread
- Keto Focaccia Bread
Keto Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup Swerve Brown
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 2 egg whites room temp
- 1/3 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup egg white protein powder (or whey protein powder)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Water as needed (depends on brand of coconut flour and pumpkin puree)
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan well. You can use a 9×5 inch pan but the bread will be less high and will cook through faster.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar subsitute, eggs, egg whites, butter, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk in the coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk in just enough water to make the batter scoopable but not pourable.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with chopped pecans.
- Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
Michelle says
Made this tonight after scouring through tons of low carb/keto pumpkin recipes (I plan to make them all!) and chose this one because I had the ingredients and it seemed so simple.
It was indeed easy to make and tastes amazing! A smear of butter on a slice and it can be breakfast, snack or dessert! Thank you so much for making my T2 journey so easy – I don’t have to give up anything that I love because of you. I will be making this a few more times before fall is over!
Sherry says
Just put a loaf in the oven. I used chopped hazelnuts because I had them handy. Can’t wait for.tje next 55 minutes to go by!
Stephanie says
This pumpkin bread is delicious! Whole family enjoyed it!
Wendy S Feggestad says
And another winning recipe! I have the most difficult time getting something in my system with the early start to my day, and I really need to to keep my BG under control. Your amazing breakfast bars and breads are the ticket. Fabulous recipes with very helpful tips and tricks to get it right. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your expertise!!
Sharon a Webb says
I made two loaves of this this morning. Followed the recipe VERY carefully and it turned out like a blue ribbon recipe at the county fair! My non-keto son claimed one loaf and my husband could hardly wait for it to cool enough to come out of the pan! Very tasty and moist. Thanks, Carolyn. I was missing a good go-with-coffee slice of sweet bread!
Carolyn says
That’s so great to hear and yay me, I am a blue ribbon pumpkin bread baker! Thank you.
Sarah G says
Carolyn, for several years now, I have lurked on this site, looking at and occasionally trying recipes, but never expressing my gratitude for your work. I, too, find sweets and baked goods very hard to give up, so it’s nice that I can come here and find healthier options. It seems that you love what you do, but I can only imagine the effort that goes into each recipe, and then there’s taking pictures, responding to questions, and I’m sure other things that we consumers don’t even know about. So thank you! I made this recipe last week and will probably be trying the apple scones next!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! <3
Jennifer says
Glass or metal pan make any difference?
Carolyn says
Please don’t use glass… it will take far too long to bake through. It makes a BIG difference.
Mark says
I made this yesterday and had it for breakfast today. It’s superb! I made this to try it this weekend to see if it’s Thanksgiving morning worthy and it really is. Another excellent recipe! Thank you!
Pam B says
This is a techincal question about recipes Why are they scoopable not pourable ? I have made many of your great recipes and I always wonder about the scoopab;e part.
Carolyn says
Because keto batters are often thicker than conventional ones and if you add too much liquid and make them pourable, you get a gloppy mess that won’t bake through. These are visual cues so you can determine when you’ve added the right amount of liquid.
Alexis says
How many servings total for the loaf? I want to make sure I’m counting the carbs correctly. Thank you!
Carolyn says
The recipe card always states the number of servings, both at the top and in the nutritional info.
Heather K says
I used to make pumpkin bread and cookies prior to going keto. Since then I haven’t been able to get anything to be as good as the regular stuff until now. Your pumpkin bread is fantastic! I made two of them within 3 days to use the rest of the pumpkin that I opened and because I felt I could share it with non-keto people who I know love pumpkin. Thank you so much.
Nancy says
I really want to make this, but coconut flour makes me sneeze and get a stuffy nose, so I avoid it… please, is there a possibility you can suggest almond flour or sunflower flour amounts, to substitute in place of the coconut flour? 🙏❤️😳
Carolyn says
Sorry but this recipe is tested and tried with coconut flour and almond flour is not a good sub. I have plenty of other keto breads made with coconut flour so you’re welcome to adapt those to pumpkin spice flavors.
Lidia says
Can I use monk fruit sweetener instead?
Carolyn says
Read the blog post, please!
Anna says
I have a question
The recipe of the pumpkin bread
Can I use regular flour I’m allergic to nuts ver badly
Thank you so much
Carolyn says
No, you can’t because regular flour and coconut flour don’t work at all the same. Are you allergic to coconut?
Kathy says
I made this today and the taste is wonderful. The only tip I would give is to test the internal temperature of your bread to make sure it’s cooked throughout. The internal temperature should be between 206-210 degrees F. I had to tent my bread with foil to prevent burning and it cooked an additional 15 minutes! If I had taken it out at 65 minutes, it would have been raw in the middle. Testing the internal temperature is a much better way to test for doneness than the toothpick test, especially for a dense bread like this. Great recipe!
Carolyn says
What kind of pan did you use? Also what brand of coconut flour?
Kim says
Can you use vanilla protein powder?
Carolyn says
YOu can but depending on the brand, they may have a bit too much vanilla flavor. I wouldn’t add any additional vanilla.
Joylene Culver says
I love ALL your recipes
Any substitutes for protein powder?
I hate buying g a large container..
Carolyn says
I specified in the FAQ.
Sherrie says
This turned out great and the taste was right on!! If I was to leave out the protein powder, and Baking powder, it wouldn’t rise, would it work for a jelly roll do you think?
Carolyn says
Actually, I don’t think it would, the cake roll would be too fragile and would crack. They’re very tricky to get right. I do have a pumpkin roll here: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-pumpkin-roll-with-coffee-cream/
Pat Kaufman says
Costco has a Monkfruit/Erythritol sweetner. Would this substitute for the Bocha Sweet? and, any reason I couldn’t use this batter in a muffin pan? I have a Nordicware autumn muffin pan that would be perfect.
Carolyn says
There is no BochaSweet in this recipe. Muffin pans are fine but the bake time will change.