Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Delicious whole wheat, honey-sweetened pumpkin bread that only requires one bowl! This recipe is healthy, easy to make and positively delectable.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Well friends, I had every intention of posting a recipe or two last week, but a sore throat got in the way. I lugged my laptop along on a four day trip to Cleveland but spent every spare moment trying to sleep off this head cold. I’ll try to share more about my trip later this week, once I get my thoughts organized and my life back in order. I will say this: Cleveland is a delicious city!
I’ve already made two batches of this pumpkin bread, which is adapted from my ultimate banana bread recipe. It’s my trump card and I’ve been waiting until the right time to share it. Today I present it to you as a peace offering for my lackadaisical posting schedule.
This quick pumpkin bread is everything pumpkin bread should be: moist but not too oily, with a delectable spiced crumb that rises high in the oven. It’s made with 100% whole wheat flour, unrefined coconut oil and sweetened with honey, but you don’t have to tell anyone it’s healthy—they’ll just think it’s the best pumpkin bread they’ve ever had. Topped with a smear of peanut butter or a drizzle of coconut butter, it’ll stick with you from breakfast to lunch time.
And, bonus! This bread is easy to make and only requires one bowl, hence its title as the “ultimate” pumpkin bread recipe.
I’m sure some pumpkin purists would argue that I should have used homemade pumpkin purée for this recipe. I’ve heard mixed results on homemade pumpkin purée, though, and I justified my decision to use canned, organic purée by assuming that most of you would use it, too.
If you’re interested in learning how to make your own, here’s a post that shows you three ways to make pumpkin purée. But hey, if you get a craving and crank open a can of pumpkin in an off season, I won’t judge!
See all those pale yellow, round dots in the bread below? It’s millet, which you may recognize as bird seed, but people can eat it, too! It took a couple of slices for me to warm up to the crunchy element, but now I really like it.
If you’re feeling adventurous, mix some millet into your batter. It’s an idea I got from Joy the Baker’s whole wheat and millet banana bread recipe.
Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Whole wheat, honey-sweetened pumpkin bread that only requires one bowl to make. You don’t have to tell anyone it’s healthy!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour
- Optional- ⅓ to ½ cup rinsed millet
- 1 teaspoon baking soda*
- ¼ cup hot water*
- Optional- turbinado (raw) sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and beat well.
- Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla, then the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Stir in flour, just until combined. If you’re adding millet, stir that in as well.
- Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon, and swirl with the tip of a table knife for a pretty marbled effect. Sprinkle a big pinch of turbinado sugar on top for a light, sweet crunch.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. If the top of the bread jiggles when you pull it out of the oven, it’s NOT done! Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Adapted from my Ultimate Banana Bread.
- If you need a great loaf pan, I love my Le Creuset stoneware loaf pan. It’s non-toxic, heats evenly and cleans easily.
- *Update 10/13/14: After several years of being baffled by the hot water/baking soda trick, I can now definitively report that it’s an unnecessary step. If you prefer, you can just stir in ¼ cup water or milk (any kind) into the oil/honey/eggs and whisk the baking soda in with the spices.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
My family loves this pumpkin bread! Which honestly shocked me. We have tried and enjoyed many classic pumpkin bread recipes that include a lot of sugar. We are making better choices now and I thought I would give this recipe a try. Instant hit! My 3 year old son is my biggest critic, so I was most curious about his response. He literally took a bite, looked up at me with big, round surprised eyes and said, “Mommy, this is the yummiest pumpkin bread ever.” So, THANK YOU! He helped me make another batch just this morning. I love how much pumpkin is used in the recipe, the use of whole wheat flour and how light and yummy it turns out. Here’s to yummy food and fun family memories!
Hooray! I’m glad this recipe is a hit with your family, Laura. If your kids like bananas, I bet they would enjoy the banana bread version, too.
I made this today and YUM!!!!!! I didn’t have the millet but plan to add it to the next batch.
Glad to hear it, Sarah! Thanks for commenting!
Just made this and wow! It is so moist, not too sweet and I don’t feel any guilt eating it. Tastes great plain, but can’t wait to try it with almond or peanut butter. Thanks for the recipe :)
Thank you, Michelle!
I made your pumpkin bread last night (didn’t use millet, though. just made it traditional-style). It’s soo good. I love your banana bread recipe, too. I’ve made the banana bread recipe a few times, which is so sweet and delicious, and it’s a brilliant recipe made of all healthy things! The whole wheat/honey combination just makes it taste so warm and home-y. The pumpkin bread is also just as amazing for a sweet pumpkin treat that’s healthy. Thank you so much for sharing your smart, awesome recipes. I really appreciate it!
Thanks, Courtney! I’m so glad you’re enjoying both bread recipes. Thanks for sharing your substitution notes, too!
Also, if anyone else is interested, I substituted a banana for the two eggs, and it still turned out really well. If you are conscious about your cholesterol, a half of a banana can be substituted for one egg in a baking recipe, if you didn’t already know that. However, depending on the recipe you’re using, bananas might ruin the flavor, so be careful.
Thank you again, Kate!
I made this into muffins using maple syrup to sweeten and adding the millet. Oh my gosh, it’s totally my new favorite muffin (I prefer muffins for portion control). So tender and the perfect level of sweetness. Thank you!
Maggie, I’m happy to hear that you are enjoying the pumpkin bread! I’ll have to try making it into muffins. I could really go for a muffin right now…
How long did you bake the muffins?
I made this bread and it came out very dense and heavy. The only change I made was with the honey. I used Sohgave, its a blue agave sweetener. I do not know if it this that made the difference in the bread. I have made a banana bread and did not use this as the sweetener and my bread came out really nice.
Hmm, Maria, I’m not sure what went wrong. Different liquid sweeteners behave differently so it could have been the agave. You might also want to check the expiration date on the baking soda.
Hello Kate,
I am relatively new to baking. I tried the pumpkin bread recipe as described, but ended up with a denser, heavier center. It tastes alright, but feels slightly underbaked, with a brown crust.
However, I did use unsifted white whole wheat flour and not pastry flour. I mixed the batter well (can over mixing be an issue?). I did read about over mixing causing a denser loaf. The batter felt smooth without any grittiness at the end of mixing.
I dispersed the baking soda in cold water and added to the batter before mixing well.
I will retry with WW pastry flour, sifted, with parchment paper lined loaf pan. I was hoping to have a good loaf made tomorrow. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes.
Hi RG, I’m very sorry your comment slipped by me. Your dense loaf could have resulted from a few factors. Overmixing the bread does toughen up the gluten, so easy does it! I measure my flour using the scoop and swoop method—if your flour is more packed in your measuring cups than mine, that would make the loaf more dense. Check the expiration date on your baking soda, too. Also, the recipe specifies mixing the baking soda with hot water, not cold, so that might have something to do with it. Apologies again for not getting back to you sooner!
Thank you Kate. I did manage to make several versions and experimented with several ratios of white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour. Results were interesting and since I needed it before a particluar date settled on a ratio of 1:3 of WWWF : WWPF. Followed the rest of your advice. I wasnt fully satisfied with the end product, but the person I made it for was kind enough to say it was good. I will try some of your other recipes soon.
We’re having a cool spell & a can of pumpkin has been catching my eye in the pantry. So glad I stumbled upon this recipe. Perfectly sweet with a great texture. Baked up beautifully. Added the millet and everyone enjoyed the crunch. Will try to sub the eggs next time. Thx for the recipe.
Kelly, I’m so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin bread! Thank you for commenting. I just heard from another commenter that flax eggs worked well in my banana bread recipe, which is almost the same as this one.
Made this today with chia seeds. Turned out Great!
Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! Thanks, Samantha!
I just baked this recipe to welcome in the first day that really felt like fall in NYC. Fantastic. Couldn’t find millet when I was buying supplies, but I can’t wait to try that next time. Love your whole site!
Awesome! Glad to hear you enjoyed the pumpkin bread, Emily. Thanks for letting me know!
my eight year old asked if she could bake pumpkin bread. I told her that if she could find a recipe without refined sugar and using whole wheat bread, it was a go. she found this recipe (and website!) and she baked it all by herself. She also found five or six other salads/breakfast/dinner recipes that she is dying to make next week. Thank you! for inspiring my little chef to eat whole foods in a delicious way!
Kirsten, thank you! Your comment made me smile. I hope you both enjoy the other recipes just as much as the pumpkin bread!
Love this bread! (Also tried your peach & oat pancakes, and again a delicious success!)
I really like the crispy texture on the top — have you ever tried baking the loaf pan first, then pouring in the mixture and baking? I haven’t, but I’m wondering if that might give it a crispy kind of outside all around? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Hey Kimberly! Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes! No, I haven’t tried making bread like that, but it’s probably worth a shot. You might need to decrease your baking time a bit. I bet you could also bake the bread in a wider pan—maybe a square baker?—for maximum top crust. Again, you would need to decrease baking time. Please let me know if you try either method!
I have tried this twice now (and made two loafs the second time) and they both came out raw inside, even after a full hour+. I am using a glass pyrex bread pan – maybe this is the difference. What is cooked though and what I have eaten, has been AMAZING. I will not rest until a bake a perfect loaf of this bread!
Katie, I’m sorry to hear that! I’ve never encountered that problem but I think it’s happened to a couple of other commenters. Are you sure your baking soda hasn’t expired?
I never thought of that! That would do it, eh?
I recently made this bread and I wanted to say it that I think it was the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. I’m ditching my sugar and fat laden old standby recipe and making this one from now on! I added some frozen cranberries in as well, they make a great addition :)
Thanks, Ash! Glad you enjoyed the bread! Your cranberry version sounds delicious.
I made this bread this afternoon and I can’t keep my hands off it! I keep cutting tiny little pieces, thinking that just one more bite will be enough. :) All that to say — I love it! (Though my oven must run too hot; I over-baked it.)
So glad you’re loving the pumpkin bread, Rachel!
Ha, ha, that is exactly me right now!
I didn’t expect this to turn out great but it was really amazing.delicious and healthy at the same time.I used olive oil this time but I rather use another oil next time,I didn’t like the olive oil taste so much.can I use another kind of oil?(where I live we don’t have coconut oil here)
thanks for the recipe
Zara, I’m glad the bread turned out well! You can use vegetable oil if you’d like.
Just made this with my 3-yr-old son: easy, delicious and great way to incorporate leftover pumpkin in a recipe.
Will make this again for sure!
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, thanks Nella! I have a pumpkin muffin recipe based on this recipe that you might also enjoy!
Cookie and Kate,
That’s a really enjoyable bread; fun to assemble and very, very edible. The first time making it, I followed your recipe fairly closely, going real easy on the sweet and oil. Second time, today, I sweetened (~1/4 cup) with a blend of honey and maple syrup and added about 1/4 cup of freshly brewed (drip method) black coffee. Like the first time, I added half-handfuls of raisins and raw sunflower seed, plus a dozen or so almonds.
As testimony to the bread’s worthiness, my spouse, who rarely touches my home-made whole-wheat bread, devoured more than half that first loaf.
You’ve got a winner!
Thanks.
P.S. I rate this five stars (rating tool below seems not to be working well).
Bill
Thanks, Bill! Glad you both enjoy the bread. Coffee sounds like a really interesting addition!
Wonderful! Delicious!! Great recipe!!
Thanks, Stacey!
Wonderful recipe (I didn’t try millet) thank you! I was looking for a healthy recipe for my 2 yr old and she couldn’t get enough of it! I especially liked the cane sugar on top which added just the right sweetness.
Thanks, Robin! So glad you’re both enjoying the bread. You might also like my banana bread!
Just made this! The amount of sweetness is perfect – so many other pumpkin bread recipes I’ve looked at just use waaaaay too much sugar (and oil). The extra sugar and cinnamon on top is a great idea. I used only whole wheat flour because I don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, but I think making it again I would use 50% regular whole wheat and 50% AP flour. Some people may like the extra texture but I’m not a huge fan. Thanks Kate!
Thank you, Annie! Delighted to hear that you enjoy this bread!
Thanks for a great recipe! We have tried MANY versions of pumpkin bread (talking years here), and never were satisfied with the outcome (always too flat, or waaaay too much sugar).
I made minor changes: doubled the recipe, used AP flour (handy), butter for the fat, 1 can of pumpkin + 1/4 C. applesauce for the doubled pumpkin, and added about 12 oz. of mini chocolate chips for 2 loaves. Sprinkled lightly with cinnamon suger. Placed a baking sheet in the bottom of my oven to keep the crust lighter, and baked a little longer, with foil covering for the last 15-20 minutes to be sure it cooked through and wouldn’t fall. These rose beautifully, yielded tender loaf w/great flavor. At long last success! Can’t thank you enough! If I make this with whole wheat flour, I will either adapt the recipe to allow for soaking the flour first, or add 1/2 tsp. Calcium Carbonate per loaf, to break down or lock up the phytic acid present in whole grains (AP flour is very low in phytic acid, so this step is not required). I am a very happy camper, and so grateful that you posted this! God bless you and yours.
Thank you, Morgan! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this bread three times already since discovering the recipe 3 weeks ago. I absolutely love it! I mixed in some chopped walnuts for an added nutty crunch.
Thank you, Jennifer! Glad to hear it!
Great recipe! I was looking for healthy snack to send in my daughters lunch, as she just started school. This is a winner. She gobbled it up :) Thanks so much!
Hooray! Thanks, Beth!
Kate, I baked a pumpkin and had an abundance of puree. I made this amazing pumpkin bread tonight as well as your pumpkin soup. I made 4 small loaves (2 to eat and 2 to give away) and baked them for 28 minutes. I topped them with the turbinado sugar per your suggestion. I also added some golden raisins and chopped walnuts. The bread is delicious and moist. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you, Nancy! :)
I’m eating a slightly warm slice right now (couldn’t wait!) and it’s fantastic! I love how it’s not too sweet. Thank you so much!
Hooray! Thanks, Caroline! Great to hear from you. :)
Lovely recipe. I made two different types of pumpkin bread and I think this is my favorite. It’s not too, too sweet and the millet is a great little addition.
I’ve heard about adding millet to baked goods before, but this is my first time trying it. I love the texture!
Thanks, Breanna! Glad to hear it!
Kate, I have a serious problem with this recipe. I’ve made it four times in the last three weeks, once putting a loaf in the freezer for sometime down the road, then defrosting it within a week of baking it. Two loaves in the oven as I type. Yes. My name is Rose and I’m a C&K pumpkin bread addict. No rehab or intervention for me, though, just more and more of this delicious bread! Another outstanding recipe. Thanks Kate!
Your first line got me worried! So glad you’re loving this pumpkin bread, Rose! :)
Hi Kate,
Tried your wholewheat honey banana bread recipe and absolutely loved it. It has become my family favorite now. Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe.
I would like to try this pumpkin bread, however would like to make it as muffins. Any idea on the baking time?
Thank you, Deep! I have a recipe for pumpkin muffins based on this bread, over here.
So yummy! I used applesauce instead of oil and regular whole wheat flour, and skipped the millet and allspice because I didn’t have any. I made it in an 8-inch springform, as a cake, and frosted with cream cheese frosting. I topped it off with a chocolate spiderweb, and it was a big hit as dessert at our pre-Halloween get-together. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you, Marnie! Glad it turned out well! Love your spiderweb idea. :)
I’m so glad I discovered this recipe AND your website!! I made the bread this morning, with coconut oil and white whole wheat flour, in a bundt pan. I ended up needing to turn the oven up a bit, but it came out SO yummy!!
Thanks, Jeannine! Love that you used a bundt pan!
This is perfect, I don’t eat refined flour or sugar so I will have to add this to my list. The banana bread as well…
Hope you love it, Brook! I do my best to avoid refined flours and sugar so most of my baked goods are whole grain and naturally sweetened.
just made it!!!!
i did however replace the honey w/ maple syrup since that’s what i had in my kitchen! so excited!
Yay, hope it tasted amazing!
Absolutely delicious! My husband’s comment: I like this more than cake. This is definitely becoming a regular in our house. Thank you Kate!
Better than cake! That’s quite a compliment! Thanks, Lezanne!
Made this tonight and I am having to restrain myself from eating any more. It is so good. I am sure it will be even better after sitting overnight. As long as a certain husband doesn’t find it after I’m asleep :)
Hooray! Thanks, Elizabeth!
Can you substitute some quantity of pumpkin pie spice for the spices you have listed and if so how much
Yes, you can use pumpkin pie spice to replace the spices listed (excluding salt). They total 1 1/2 teaspoons, so I’d use that much pumpkin spice blend.
the problem with this bread is that we cannot stop eating it. it’s AMAZEballs!
Hooray! Thanks, Tonisha!
Hi there – hoping to make this recipe tomorrow. When you say one can of pumpkin puree, what size of can are you referring to?
Thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes – although based on the comments so far, I’m sure it will be a hit.
Oops – just re-read to see that it says one “cup”!! That makes more sense….Will let you know how it goes :)
Can you replace the honey for maple syrup??
I was looking for a pumpkin bread recipe that is sorta healthy and found this.
I made it at the last minute before going on a camping trip; and omg it was delicious and disappeared in no time. I got comments from my friends about how it was tasty and moist.
I made it with pumpkin puree from pumpkins, I don’t do cans if I can avoid it, and that was great.
I added chopped walnuts but no millet.
I just ate the last slice I had saved for myself at home and still loving it! I am going to make this again soon, thank you for sharing a great recipe :)
I LOOOOVE THIS BREAD!!! Thank you so much, Kate! I want to make some for my mother who is really trying to lose weight but she wants to know the nutritional info? Anyone have any idea? Thank you
For the ultimate pumpkin bread recipe I am confused by the *, if we use milk instead is that to replace the water and baking soda or just water? Ie, would we add milk and baking soda or just milk and no baking soda?
Very dry looking muffins, not like my usual ones. Won’t try this recipe again. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil. They did not rise like my usual ones .
Delicious recipe! I didn’t have ginger, but added pumpkin pie spice instead. This is a new favorite in my kitchen and will be made again!
This turned out really great! It wasn’t too sweet and I’m happy with the way it baked with the whole wheat flour. Thank you for the recipe!
I have made the banana and zucchini breads. They are excellent. I cannot express the amount of gratitude for providing these recipes. I will try the pumpkin bread next. Do you have recipes for cookies?
Thank you, Diane! Delighted to hear that my recipes are turning out well for you. Yes, I have lots of cookies here!
Hi Kate,
I’m trying to incorporate whole flaxseed into my diet. Would this be a good substitution for the millet in your pumpkin bread recipe? I’ve never used either, so just checking – Thanks! Shelly
Hey Shelly, I think it would be a fine substitute. You might also look into chia seeds. I have heard that flax seeds need to be either ground up or chewed as you’re eating them in order to be absorbed—guess our stomachs can’t really unlock their health benefits otherwise.
Hi Kate! Thank you so much for the great recipes! I made two loaves of the banana bread a couple weeks ago and made two more today along with two loaves of pumpkin bread. Delicious!
I didn’t read all of the reviews so it may have already been suggested – perhaps the people who had issues with the bread not fully rising are baking at a high altitude. A Google search will explain the necessary adjustments.
To avoid over mixing, I thoroughly mixed my dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another and then gently folded the wet mixture into the dry until just blended.
Thank you, again! I have really enjoyed these recipes!
Thanks, Dawn! I hadn’t considered the altitude issue. Maybe that’s it.
Can I make this recipe in a cake pan to make it like a cake?