A match made in heaven, chocolate + pumpkin spice. As if Fall couldn’t get any better, let me introduce you to my latest favorite breakfast / snack / dessert, Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.

This gluten free pumpkin bread is moist, fluffy, full of chocolate, and oh so decadent. Between the chocolatey pumpkin bread and the chocolate ganache on top, this is every chocolate lovers dream!

A slice of chocolate pumpkin bread with chocolate ganache sits on a ceramic plate. There's extra pumpkin bread and chocolate ganache sitting to the side. Florals and extra forks sit in the background.

Whether you enjoy as healthy dessert or decadent breakfast, this gluten free + dairy free pumpkin loaf recipe is sure to be a keeper. I suggest pouring a glass of cold almond milk or warm coffee then slice a thick piece and dive in.

If you’re looking for something more pumpkin and less chocolate (no judgement), check out these Gluten Free Pumpkin Oat Muffins that are soft and fluffy, plus extra hearty with oats and the warm flavor of pumpkin spice.

Sliced chocolate pumpkin bread sits on a parchment lined wood board with forks and chocolate ganache to the side.

Ingredients in Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Coconut Sugar – My favorite refined sugar free sweetener. Gives a slight caramel esc flavor and isn’t too sweet.

Eggs – Give rise and structure to this gluten free pumpkin bread. I haven’t tested it with any vegan egg alternatives but please comment below if you do!

Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to use pumpkin puree and *not* pumpkin pie filling. Big difference in flavor and texture.

Coconut Oil – I use refined coconut oil so that it has a neutral flavor and doesn’t make this pumpkin bread taste like coconut.

Apple Cider Vinegar – A flavorless addition that reacts with the baking soda to help this pumpkin bread rise while baking.

Gluten Free Flour – Note, you must use a Gluten Free cup-to-cup flour blend for this recipe to turn out as expected! My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF baking flour, but King Arthur and Cup4Cup are also good options.

Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour – The combination of almond flour + the gluten free flour blend creates the most fluffy and soft texture for this pumpkin bread. Make sure to use a fine ground, blanched almond flour and not almond meal!

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Adds the rich chocolate flavor to this pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Spice – It wouldn’t be a proper pumpkin bread without it!

How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together coconut sugar and eggs. Add pumpkin puree and stir until combined. Whisk in melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
To the mixing bowl, fold in dry ingredients until just until moistened.
Last, gently stir in chocolate chips until just combined.
Pour batter into the parchment lined 9”x 5”loaf pan and spread into an even layer with a spatula. Move to the oven and bake at 350F for 48-52 minutes (mine took 50 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean, top is slightly raised, and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool then frost with ganache!

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

To be honest, this chocolate pumpkin bread is delicious as is but why not make it absolutely unreal with this simple chocolate ganache glaze?! It seems like an easy choice to me, more chocolate = a big yes.

All you’ll need are semi-sweet chocolate chips, coconut oil, coconut cream, and vanilla extract. And if you’re unsure with the coconut cream, it’s just the thick white layer from a can of full fat coconut milk.

Then all you do is add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate has melted. Remove and stir in your coconut cream and vanilla extract until smooth. It’s as simple as that!

Chocolate pumpkin bread glazed with chocolate ganache sits on a white backdrop partially sliced. Another slice, a glass of milk, extra ganache, and forks sit to the side.

Recipe Substitutions

Eggs – I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you try making this recipe with flax eggs, I would love to hear how it turns out in the comments below!

Coconut Sugar – If you don’t need this recipe to be refined sugar-free, I would suggest subbing this with either light or dark brown sugar. Just note that the bread might be sweeter with either or those options.

Apple Cider Vinegar – This acid helps react with the baking soda to help the bread rise. I haven’t tested with any other option, but would suggest either white wine vinegar or lemon juice if you don’t have access to apple cider vinegar.

Gluten Free Flour – I would not suggest subbing this for any other ingredient, aside from all purpose flour if you don’t need this recipe to be gluten free.

Almond Flour – I have not tested this recipe with any other flour. I would not suggest replacing with extra gluten free flour as the bread would become dense. If you’re looking for a grain-free pumpkin recipe, you can check out my Pumpkin Coffee Cake and Pumpkin Sugar Cookies which both use almond flour!

3 slices of chocolate pumpkin bread on top of a piece of white parchment paper. A fork is cutting into the top piece.

How to Store Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

With the temperatures hopefully cooling down (plus with AC), I find it best to keep this chocolate pumpkin bread on the countertop. So long as it’s in an airtight container, the bread will stay perfectly moist and soft for up to 4 days. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week, it just won’t stay quite as moist and soft, so I would suggest reheating in the microwave before eating.

You can also freeze a few slices to thaw/reheat later when the sweet craving strikes. Just be sure to place parchment paper between the slices so they don’t freeze together!

A fork cuts into a thick slice of chocolate pumpkin bread with a ganache glaze.

Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes

Considering the Fall season is upon us, I’m diving head first into all the pumpkin baked goods. These are a few of my favorite easy pumpkin recipes that are healthy, delicious, and sure to get you in the Fall spirit.

Pumpkin Pie Bars – A grain free cassava flour crust layered with a creamy pumpkin pie filling and a swirl of whip cream on top. These pumpkin pie bars are easier than traditional pumpkin pie yet just as tasty!

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies – Soft grain free pumpkin cookies with a sweet cinnamon sugar sprinkle overtop. These remind me of traditional sugar cookies but with a fun pumpkin spice twist!

Pumpkin Cupcakes – Fluffy gluten free pumpkin cupcakes infused with warming notes of pumpkin spice and topped with maple cream cheese frosting. These are healthy + decadent and perfect for a Fall themed dessert.

If you try any of these recipes, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Chocolate Pumpkin Bread 🙂

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Author Casey Colodny

Prep: 10

Cook: 45

Total: 55

Servings: 9 slices

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Soft and moist chocolate pumpkin bread with a rich chocolate ganache glaze overtop. The chocolate and pumpkin spice combination makes this the perfect Fall dessert!

Ingredients

Wet

1 cup coconut sugar packed
2 large eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Dry

1 cup GF flour must be a 1:1 flour replacement
¾ cup super fine blanched almond flour
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Ganache*

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut cream thick white liquid from a can of full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together coconut sugar and eggs. Add pumpkin puree and stir until combined. Whisk in melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
To the mixing bowl, fold in dry ingredients just until moistened.
Stir in chocolate chips until just combined.
Pour batter into the parchment lined 9”x 5”loaf pan and spread into an even layer with a spatula. Move to the oven and bake at 350F for 48-52 minutes (mine took 50 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean, top is slightly raised, and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Make your chocolate ganache frosting – in a microwave-safe bowl, add your chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate has melted. Remove and stir in your coconut cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
Top cooled cake with chocolate ganache. Slice & enjoy!

Notes

*If you don’t want to do the chocolate ganache topping, you can add extra chocolate chips to the top of the batter before baking.

Storage – I like this cake best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Otherwise, the cake can be refrigerated for up to a week in the fridge, and warmed in the microwave before enjoying.