Fall is the season of pumpkin, and for me, Paleo pumpkin bread. Do you notice it pretty much feels like pumpkin spice is taking over the world? I am not mad about it though because I love pumpkin spice everything! The trouble is that all the pumpkin spice things you can buy at the store are loaded with crap and full of refined sugars. So. Much. Sugar. However, with just a little effort it is pretty easy to make your own Paleo pumpkin bread, filled with the bold spicy flavors you are craving, but free of the gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. I even crafted a nut-free bread this time using cassava flour, which is most similar to traditional flour.
Nut-free baking
Eating nuts can really be a slippery slope for us. All of the sudden we look down and realize we’ve eaten half a bag of nuts, and then our stomachs pay for it. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s way too easy to eat too many nuts. Baking without traditional flour easily lends itself to using nut flours, which is great, but can similarly lead to eating too many nuts. So, this year for the baking season I decided I would play with cassava flour, which is a resistant starch made from yuca, a root vegetable. On a mostly unrelated side note, if you are ever in the Portland, OR area go to a restaurant called Andina and have their yuca fries. They are delicious and served as a gluten-free alternative to their typical bread appetizer. They also have a full gluten-free menu. Not everything is Paleo friendly but there are definitely options! Ok, back to this Paleo pumpkin bread.
More About Cassava Flour
Cassava flour is naturally nut and gluten-free and also Paleo friendly. We use Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour because they have a proprietary process that leads to a higher quality cassava flour compared to other brands. It is most similar to a traditional wheat flour, and in some applications can even be substituted in a 1:1 ratio. Like all things new, it may take a little getting used to in order to figure out the proper amount for any given recipe. I played with this Paleo pumpkin bread recipe a bit, noting that the this flour is a little dense and settles quickly, so you don’t want to use packed measurements. You will definitely have more success if you quickly whisk your flour just before measuring per Otto’s recommendation on their website. You’ll notice the texture and how similar it looks to a traditional bread recipe.
Fall Flavors
There is just something comforting and cozy about pumpkin spice flavor. It is a little spicy and bold, yet warming at the same time. Go ahead and slather some coconut butter or grass-fed butter on a slice of our Paleo pumpkin bread and let the fall flavors take you away. Perhaps enjoy it with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or one of our pumpkin chai lattes. So much deliciousness to be had as the seasons change.
Your Turn To Make Our Paleo Pumpkin Bread
Now it is your turn to make a loaf of our Paleo pumpkin bread. It is simple and full of the bold and spicy fall flavors you are craving! Let us know how it goes by leaving a comment below. Then, take a photo and tag us on Instagram @realsimplegood, so we can check it out!
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Paleo Pumpkin Bread (GF, Nut-, Dairy-, + Refined Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup cassava flour, (we order online from Amazon)
- 1/8 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
Wet ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter, - melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Topping:
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, (pepitas)
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit, and either line a bread pan with parchment paper or grease your pan with coconut or avocado oil.
- Place all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and whisk together until evenly mixed.
- Place all of the wet ingredients in a larger mixing bowl. Whisk until all the ingredients are smooth and creamy.
- Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet and continue mixing until all of the flour is thoroughly mixed into the wet ingredients.
- Pour batter into bread pan. Roughly chop your raw pumpkin seeds, and sprinkle them on top.
- Place in the oven to cook for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once finished cooking, let cool. Slice and serve!
I really like that this is not too sweet as some pumpkin breads are.  I also like the texture, not too moist or too dense. I’m going to make this again! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review. I appreciate hearing your feedback. 🙂
Was searching for a paleo friendly pumpkin bread and came across this – just so happen to have all the ingredients in my cupboard – quick, simple and loved it! If your looking for savory – this is it! Delish and will do again!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for giving our recipe a try and also thanks for sharing on Instagram! Appreciate you taking the time to come back to our site to leave a review. 🙂
Going to try this recipe. Is it super moist or semi dry? Thank you.
Hi there! I have to admit it has been quite some time since I last made a loaf. I think it’s in between. Not super moist but not too dry either. Make sure to whisk your cassava flour before measuring, otherwise it can end up quite dense. Hopefully you enjoy it! Let us know how it goes.
Can I use almond flour instead of cassava flour?
We haven’t tested it so can’t recommend using almond flour or the quantity you would need to substitute. They are very different flours and could change the bread significantly.
How many carbs are in the Paleo Pumpkin bread recipe?
Thank you
J
We don’t track the nutritional information, but you cold calculate it with an online calculator like myfitnesspal.com
Can you use almond flour instead of coconut?im just not a fan.
Unfortunately not. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond flour, so you can’t just swap it out at a 1:1 ratio. I haven’t played with it in this recipe, so I’m not sure how much almond flour you’d have to use in place of the coconut flour. You could give it a try and just slowly add more almond flour until the consistency feels about right. I haven’t tried it though, so I can’t say how well it will turn out compared to the recipe as is. I don’t mind coconut flour, so you might still be able to taste it a bit, but I feel like the other flavors in this bread mask the coconut flavor well. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips! Do you mean sifting the cassava flour before measuring it?
Yes, exactly! And then measure right away before it settles. It settles quickly!
Just a regular size loaf pan, like 8×4? I’m thinking of doubling it. Thanks!
Yes, the recipe as written is for a regular sized loaf pan. I like the idea of doubling it! It never lasts long enough! 😉
Thanks! I’m making it now so I”ll post an update when they are done.
Yay! Can’t wait to hear! 🙂
Well, unfortunately these did not turn out for me. They were extremely flat, which may be a function of doubling the recipe, and also kind of bland. I’m wondering if my pumpkin pie spice was old or something. Just not enough flavor. I’d like to try again as I like the ingredients and it was easy to throw together. And I guess I won’t double next time and see if it rises better. Thank you!
Dang! That’s super unfortunate. Try sifting your cassava flour next time too. It is quite dense and settles quickly, so that could lead to them not rising much. Hmmmm…you could also add more pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon too if you feel like it needs a little boost! Sorry it didn’t quite turn out for you. Thanks so much for trying our recipe!
Looks delish! Have you tried making muffins instead of a loaf?
I haven’t, but that’s funny you ask because I was just thinking about it this morning! I think they’d turn out great! Not having tried it yet I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess they’d bake for 18-20 minutes. If you try you’ll have to report back on the baking time. I’ve got it on my to-do list to try as well. Thanks for visiting! Hope to see you again soon! 🙂
This looks so good, I am ready to make the recipe! I instantly pulled out my bag of raw pumpkin seeds and then noticed that the recipe doesn’t mention the pumpkin seeds at all. They are only in the picture. My question is: Are the pumpkin seeds toasted before using? Do I mix the seeds into the bread batter before baking? Or do I sprinkle them on the top of the batter before baking the loaf?
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Shelly! Great question! I did not toast the pumpkin seeds before, and just roughly chopped them and sprinkled them on top right before placing the loaf in the oven. I’ve updated the recipe to include this. Thanks again. Hope you enjoy! 🙂