Sweet and Moist Pumpkin Bread
I’m so glad it is pumpkin season and I’m very happy seeing all sorts of pumpkin recipes on many other food blogs and in magazines.
I realized I haven’t shared a pumpkin recipe in a while, and the only pumpkin recipes I’ve shared so far are for drinks: Pumpkin Spice Smoothie and Pumpkin Spice Latte.
October has arrived and it is time to make some pumpkin bread. I love enjoying a slice of this moist pumpkin bread with my morning or afternoon coffee.
Healthy Pumpkin Bread With Coconut Oil And Greek Yogurt:
I decided to transform my original pumpkin bread recipe into something a little healthier and surprisingly it worked, without changing the taste and texture of the bread.
I reduced the amount of sugar with 1/4 cup, but added a ripe mashed banana, which brought extra sweetness.
Although I’ve always made this bread with regular unbleached flour so far, I substituted about half of the flour with whole wheat (I’m still too scared to use whole wheat flout only, since my last attempts were disastrous).
Instead of canola oil I used melted coconut oil, which made this bread light and moist.
I topped with raw unsalted pumpkin seeds, which created extra crunch after baking.
Using low fat Greek yogurt made this bread extra smooth moist and creates unique flavor.
Tips to make Moist Pumpkin Bread:
Make sure you leave bread cool inside the pan for at least 20 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack, until it cools completely. This step is important, otherwise bread will fall apart and will not be as fluffy!
Feel free to add some walnuts, pecans or even chocolate chips to this bread. I just prefer it plain, since the nutritional values and flavor can change a little.
This bread can be wrapped in plastic wrapped and stored in a dry place for up to 3 days. We had some friends over for the weekend, so it was gone in no time, but I’ll make it again!
What ingredients do you need to make this Sweet and Moist Pumpkin bread?
- sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- whole wheat flour
- white all purpose flour
- coconut oil
- Greek yogurt
- pumpkin puree
- ripe banana
- sea salt
- pumpkin pie spice
- baking powder
- baking soda
- pumpkin seeds
- cooking spray
Tools:
- loaf pan
How to make this Healthy Moist Pumpkin Bread?
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Preheat oven to 400 F.
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Beat egg and sugar for 1 minute. Add coconut oil and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
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Dissolve baking soda in yogurt and add to egg mixture. Then add banans and pumpkin pure. Mix until incorporated.
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In a separate bowl combine wheat flour, unbleached flour, salt, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice and stir.
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Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.
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Oil and flour a baking pan (I used 9×5 in pan) and pour mixture. Top with pumpkin seeds.
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Bake on 400F for 10 mins. Then reduce temperature to 350 F for 45 mins.
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Take out of the oven, but leave bread in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and set on a cooling rack until it cools to room temperature.
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Cut and enjoy!
What Makes This Pumpkin Bread Moist?
Oil in breads, usually produces a moist texture with a fine crumb. Unlike butter, which makes cakes and breads more dense and less moist.
In this pumpkin bread I used coconut oil, but olive or vegetable oil could be substituted.
Make sure you melt the coconut oil, but then bring it to room temperature before you use it in the recipe.
Greek yogurt also brings moisture to the bread.
Adding banana, also helps, but also used it for the extra sweetness and subtle banana flavor. Make sure it is as ripe as it can be.
Healthier Pumpkin Bread:
What makes this Sweet and Moist Pumpkin Bread recipe healthier?
Even though white sugar is used in the recipe, I’ve tried to use minimal amount and add extra sweetness to the bread with one ripe banana.
I substituted half of the white flour with whole wheat flour.
Using pumpkin pure, adds extra fiber to the bread.
Greek yogurt helps make the texture of the bread super moist, but stable and adds protein.
How long to bake pumpkin bread in the oven for?
Bake in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan for 45 minutes at 350 F.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
Don’t have time to bake a whole bread? Try this Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake from Eat At Our Table instead. For the Keto dieters : this Low Carb Pumpkin Pie is worth trying.
Try even more desserts made with pumpkin puree:
Sweet and Moist Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil — (not hot)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 cup pumpkin pure
- 1 medium ripe banana mashed
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- cooking spray
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 F.
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Beat egg and sugar for 1 minute. Add coconut oil and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
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Dissolve baking soda in yogurt and add to egg mixture. Then add banans and pumpkin pure. Mix until incorporated.
-
In a separate bowl combine wheat flour, unbleached flour, salt, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice and stir.
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Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.
-
Oil and flour a baking pan (I used 11x7 in pan) and pour mixture. Top with pumpkin seeds.
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Bake on 400F for 10 mins. Then reduce temperature to 350 F for 45 mins.
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Take out of the oven, but leave bread in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and set on a cooling rack until it cools to room temperature.
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Cut and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 232, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 163mg, Potassium: 175mg, Carbohydrates: 30g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g, Protein: 4g, Vitamin A: 3205%, Vitamin C: 1.7%, Calcium: 31%, Iron: 1.4%
I love that you made this pumpkin bread into a healthier version! Look so delicious, especially with the pumpkin seeds on top! Adding a banana is a great idea, too! I always try to bake with greek yogurt, makes everything so moist and is healthier than regular oil. Definitely trying this out!
Thanks Gayle, I’m glad you like it 🙂 Greek yogurt makes breads healthier, moist and I believe helps with rising while baking!
Yum!! This pumpkin bread looks delicious Mira!! The pumpkin seeds on top look so pretty 🙂 I actually made pumpkin bread with pecans this evening! Pinned onto my Pumpkin Board!!
Thanks Ceara ! I think adding pecans is a great option and will make another one with them soon 🙂
I so want to have a big slice of this with a big cup of tea. It sounds yummy.
Thanks Dannii 🙂
Love your idea of adding greek yogurt to the bread to keep it moist. Such a great idea! Pinning!
Thanks for pinning Chris! I’m glad you like it 🙂
You captured the bread beautifully, I can actually see how moist it is. The addition of the banana must add so much flavor. I need to try this recipe.
Thanks! I hope you like it 🙂
Beautiful!! Your photos are just stunning! I could eat a nice big slice of this right now!
Thanks so much Annie! I’m glad you like it 🙂
YUM!! This looks delicious!! …and you are so right… it’s perf for fall!! Gotta love pumpkin this time of year! It’s just so seasonal and I love it!! Great recipe!!
Thanks Cailee!
Beautiful! looks so moist, loved that you used banana and greek yogurt! Pinned!
Thanks for your pumpkin bread recipe Manali, it reminded me to share mine!
Amazing job pairing the colors from the pumpkin bread & pepitas with the leaves! I love how moist this does look, especially since a lot of the times that I try to make a healthier bread it ends up heavy and dense. Pinning this!
I’m so glad you like the pictures Cheryl! I think adding pepitas on top makes this bread look healthier!
Oh YUM! I love that you’ve used pumpkin seeds on this, you don’t usually see that. And I know this will be super moist because you’ve used greek yoghurt in it! I’m convinced that’s the secret to super sweet baking 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Nagi !!! I also think using Greek yogurt is one of the secrets for moist bread!
This looks like a perfect pumpkin bread! I love how you’ve ‘healthified’ it with mashed banana and reduced sugar – I usually reduce sugar in cakes because I find they’re often needlessly super sweet.
Thanks Helen! I agree, I always try to reduce sugar as much as I can!
What a gorgeous pumpkin bread! It reminds me of the one at Starbucks, only more delicious! i will never grow tired of your pumpkin recipes. Bring ’em on! 🙂
Thanks Meggan! When I first made this bread, I wanted to bake something similar to the Starbucks one 🙂
Thanks Meggan!
WOW! this looks amazing! … you sold me at moist… i love bread that is like melt in your mouth soft and moist so I would totally be a fan of this bread 😉 YUMMM!
Thanks Michele! This one did turn moist, even though I used some whole wheat flour 🙂
You did a fantastic job making this pumpkin bread healthier! This look so moist and delicious, the pictures are gorgeous too. Pinning this!
Thanks so much for pinning Danielle!
One of my favorite smells in the kitchen is pumpkin bread baking. I love that you’ve made this healthier yet retained all of those delicious flavors!
Thanks Kathleen 🙂
I love the smell of fresh baked pumpkin bread! Love the addition of the pumpkin seeds too!
Thanks a lot Ashley!
Love how you used healthier ingredients in this pumpkin bread! And the pepitas on top are just gorgeous with the pumpkin color… Feel free to share more pumpkin recipes! Your pictures are just amazing, Mira!
Thanks for the nice comments Heather!
Love this time of year when you get to see all these creative pumpkin recipes. This bread look incredible, Mira! So moist and pretty with the pumpkin seed topping!
Thanks Kelly! I’m glad you like it!
I am crazy for anything pumpkin! This is not only delicious, also very healthy.
thanks Angie!
There is just nothing better than a big slice of pumpkin bread! This looks fabulous!
This looks great and I love the pumpkin seeds on top!
This would be a great day starter!
Has anyone tried it gluten free? Thanks.