Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread That Stays Moist for Days

Sliced gluten-free pumpkin bread on a wooden board with pumpkin puree, cinnamon sticks, and autumn leaves

October is pumpkin season, and gluten-free pumpkin bread is one of the few quick breads that can taste better without gluten. Pumpkin puree does the heavy lifting: it keeps the crumb moist in a way that gluten-free flour blends struggle to do on their own.

The flour blend matters more than the recipe card suggests. A 1-to-1 gluten-free blend that already contains xanthan gum gives the best structure. Skip the rice-flour-heavy mixes, which dry out by day two. If you bake with your own blend, add a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of flour.

Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling comes pre-sweetened and pre-spiced, which throws off the sugar and spice balance. Let the puree come to room temperature before mixing so it blends evenly and you avoid streaks of raw flour.

The doneness test is where most people go wrong. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not clean. Clean means the loaf baked past its peak. Pull it when the top springs back lightly and cracks run through the center, then let it finish setting in the pan.

Bake it this weekend. The full recipe with exact measurements and bake time is here: gluten-free pumpkin bread. It tastes even better on day two.

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