This delicious peanut butter pumpkin bread is full of amazing fall flavors and is made with oodles of healthy ingredients. Make it with or without chocolate chips to fit your personal taste! Gluten free + dairy-free
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Now, I truly am not complaining (okay, maybe I am a little). Fall in Southern California is not like fall most other places in the Northern Hemisphere. Don’t get me wrong, I love San Diego. We get perfect sunny days 95% of the time and the beaches are literally what postcards are made of. I love the vibe of the west coast and see why so many flock here for vacations. Heck, my husband and I decided to intentionally plant our roots after we both grew up in New England. However, the Maine girl in me deeply misses the cool fall vibe of the east coast once the calendar rolls over to September.
Plus, fall in San Diego is hot. Hella hot. It basically feels like summer until about Thanksgiving.
So, I (along with pretty much everyone else in San Diego) get my fall feels on by getting silly excited about everything pumpkin related (well, that and the Halloween section at Target). And this peanut butter pumpkin bread is 100% making me feel like the seasons are changing…even though I am still running my AC around the clock just to be able to stand wearing clothing (just saying).
This peanut butter pumpkin bread is so easy to make in ONE bowl and is made from just a handful of real food ingredients you might already have kicking around. It is naturally gluten free, though no one will be able to tell since this bread is so soft and spongy. And, it serves up some serious pumpkin spice flavor!
Where to find pumpkin puree
Pumpkin puree is one of my favorite things to have on hand to make veggie-loading all the foods super easy. I find it quite easily in the fall and winter in my local grocery store. It is usually stored with the other canned vegetables.
Just a quick heads up! When you grab a can of pumpkin puree, make sure it is JUST pumpkin on the ingredients and not “pumpkin pie filling”. The filling has added spices and sugar. Which are nice, but will throw this recipe a bit.
If you can’t find canned pumpkin or you are just someone who likes to keep things as homemade as possible, you can absolutely make it yourself. And it is pretty easy! Just follow this simple recipe and store leftover puree in your freezer for when you want to make something else pumpkin-loaded!
How to make peanut butter pumpkin bread nut-free
If you follow me, you know nut butter based baked goods is a favorite of mine. But with nut allergies on the rise, I often get asked how to make these kinds of recipes nut-free.
I love using sunflower seed butter as a nut butter replacement. However, there is a trick to it.
You see, when sunflower seed butter and baking soda are combined in a recipe and then baked….the baked good will turn green. It will be totally edible, just a little funky to look at. So this is what I suggest you do when subbing the nut butter in this recipe with sunflower seed butter.
Add 1/3 cup cocoa powder to the batter. This will add to the chocolatey goodness of the bake AND hide the funky green color!
Suggested adaptions for making peanut butter pumpkin bread
- Sub the pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree. I find these are pretty interchangeable in most recipes! Plus, sometimes butternut squash or sweet potato puree is easier to find if you are baking this bread “off season”
- Make it Paleo. Just switch the peanut butter for almond butter!
- Make them as muffins. Portion them out in a lined muffin tin and bake at the same temperature about 20 minutes. Let them cool for another 15 before digging in!
- Skip the chocolate chips. I love chocolate and pumpkin together. But if its not your jam or you want to reduce the sugar in this bread, you can leave them out!
Other awesome pumpkin recipes you are going to adore
- Pumpkin Almond Butter Cookies
- Breakfast Pumpkin Soufflé
- One-Bowl Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp sea salt omit if nut butter you are using is salted
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional) + for sprinkling on top
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl. Stir until throughly combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean and the top of the loaf is completely set.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before enjoying.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Can I double the recipe to use an entire can of pumpkin?
I haven’t tried it, but might work! I like to freeze leftover pumpkin puree for future batches too
I can’t believe how EASY this recipe was and with such amazing results! I’ll be making it again and again this fall. Hoping you make similar recipes for other seasons!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! I have an avocado chocolate bread you might also like!
Hi! Really looking forward to trying the recipe this weekend. Am I reading things correctly that there is no flour of any kind in the recipe? I am not a baker by any stretch, but I was wondering how it cooked up in a bread like consistency without any flour. Thanks again!! Can’t wait to try it!
You are correct. There is some magic that happens between the nut butter and the eggs to create a spongy texture for the bread.
The easiest recipe EVER!! It’s so yummy!!
You are a wonder – DELICIOUS! This morning I’m going to toast a slice in a pan and put some yogurt and blueberries on top. 🙂
I’m so glad you are enjoying it! And I want to come to your house for breakfast! Those toppings sound heavenly
I’ve been giving this in mini loaves for Christmas gifts and EVERYONE has loved it. Great recipe, Taesha.
I’m so glad! And what a great gift!
We absolutely love this recipe! I have two boys – ages 2 & 4 – who ask for it all the time. I usually make them mini muffins and have enough left for a small loaf for us. It’s been in heavy rotation since pumpkin season last year, and I just stocked up on pumpkin puree for the summer months when it’s harder to find around here!
I’m so glad your family enjoys this!
Can you use flax eggs with this recipe ?
I’ve made nearly every one of your muffins with flax eggs. Love the dairy free, gluten free recipes !!
I haven’t had a lot of success making any of my nut butter based baked goods without eggs or with egg replacements. Well, at least not getting the same results. I know some of my followers have made this with flax eggs and had them come out more like brownies vs a loaf….which actually sounds pretty yummy. But I haven’t personally experienced it myself.
So…this is just a reminder to let adults read instructions in addition to their children. My 1st grader is working on fractions but told me to add 1 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of 1/4 cup. It will make a delicious bread pudding. Oops! I guess we have some more work on those fractions!
This made me laugh out loud! As someone who is also teaching her child fractions, I totally can relate
Do you think this recipe would work with flax eggs subbed in lieu of chicken eggs? (We’re not vegan, we just can’t get any eggs at the moment!)
I have not had a lot of success making nut butter based baked recipes nut free. These cookies night be of interest to you though and they are egg free
https://thenaturalnurturer.com/vegan-peanut-butter-cookies-with-pumpkin/