This gluten free dairy free pumpkin bread has a chocolate swirl baked right through the center, and it is just as pretty as it sounds. Getting here took a mushy loaf, a swirl that turned into a muddy mess, and one loaf I left in the oven for an undetermined amount of time because life happened and the timer did not. We have all been there. The version you're looking at now is moist, warmly spiced, and proof that the best recipes are worth figuring out.
Pumpkin puree is what keeps this bread tender without any dairy, and it stays soft for days (yes really!) which means it actually survives the week in your fridge without turning into a brick.
The coconut vanilla yogurt adds a subtle hint of coconut that pairs really naturally with the warm spices without competing with the chocolate swirl. If you've made my Double Chocolate Banana Bread, you already know we don't turn down an opportunity for chocolate in a quick bread. This one is just a little more fall about it.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Gluten free and dairy free with no compromise on flavor or texture
- That chocolate swirl looks like art and no two loaves ever look exactly the same
- Coconut vanilla yogurt keeps the crumb moist without any dairy
- Stays soft all week in the refrigerator - that counts as a win
- Freezer-friendly for future you
What You'll Need
A few ingredients worth calling out before you get started.
- Gluten Free Flour - Use a 1-to-1 blend that already has xanthan gum included. Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 in the blue bag is a reliable option and works well in quick breads like this one.
- Canned Pure Pumpkin - Grab the pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. They look nearly identical on the shelf and they are absolutely not the same thing. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added, and it will throw the entire flavor balance off. Ask me how I know.
- Coconut Vanilla Yogurt - The dairy free MVP of this recipe. It adds moisture and a subtle richness that keeps this loaf from tasting like it is missing anything. It goes into both the pumpkin batter and the chocolate swirl. Nobody knew this was dairy free. Check the dairy free yogurt section at your grocery store.
- Espresso Powder - This goes into the chocolate swirl only. You will not taste coffee in the finished loaf. What it does is deepen the cocoa flavor so the swirl tastes like rich chocolate instead of just brown. Do not skip it. Worth it.
- Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips - Mini chips distribute more evenly through the thick swirl batter than regular sized chips. Worth grabbing a bag if you don't already have them.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1:Preheat and mix the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the gluten free flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together until combined. Set aside
Step 2: Mix the eggs and sugars In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined.
Step 3: Add the remaining wet ingredients. To the eggs and sugars, add the pumpkin puree, oil, coconut vanilla yogurt, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick and a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix. Overmixing gluten free batter leads to a tougher, drier crumb. Stir until it just comes together and stop.
Step 5: Make the chocolate swirl batter. Transfer ½ cup of the batter into the now-empty medium bowl. This small scoop is what becomes your chocolate swirl.
To the reserved batter, add the espresso powder, coconut vanilla yogurt, and cocoa powder. Whisk together until combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
The chocolate batter should smell rich and deeply chocolatey at this point. If it doesn't, your cocoa powder may need to be replaced.
Step 6: Layer into the loaf pan. Spread a layer of pumpkin batter across the bottom of the greased loaf pan. Drop a few spoonfuls of chocolate batter on top, then a few spoonfuls of pumpkin batter. Continue alternating until all the batter is used.
Step 7: Swirl it. Using a knife, gently swirl through the batter in a figure-eight pattern. Four to five passes is enough. Do not overswirl or the two batters will fully combine and the swirl pattern will disappear.
Every loaf looks a little different and that is the whole point. It is like making art, but in pumpkin bread.
Step 8: Bake, tent, and cool. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Tent the loaf loosely with aluminum foil around the halfway mark to keep the top from getting too dark. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Start checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark since every oven runs a little differently.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. The starches in gluten free baked goods need time to set as the loaf cools. Slicing too early leads to a gummy, sticky crumb. Future you will be grateful.
Tips and Tricks
Use a metal pan, not glass. Metal conducts heat more evenly and gives you a more consistent bake. Glass retains heat differently and can throw off your results.
Do not skip the foil tent. Gluten free loaves can darken quickly on top. Tenting around the halfway mark protects the top while the inside finishes baking.
The batter is supposed to be thick. Do not add extra liquid. The thickness is intentional and it is what gives this loaf its moist, dense crumb.
Less is more with the swirl. Four to five figure eight passes with the knife is all you need. Overswirling turns everything one muddy color and the whole visual payoff is gone.
Cool completely before slicing. Minimum one hour on the rack. Future you will be grateful.
Looking for more easy baking recipes that work for restricted diets without sacrificing flavor? We have plenty.
Ingredient Swaps
Flour - Any gluten free 1-to-1 flour blend with xanthan gum will work. If you do not need to eat gluten free, all-purpose flour works with the same measurements.
Coconut Vanilla Yogurt - Use any dairy free vanilla yogurt you like. Almond milk or oat milk yogurt both work. If you can tolerate dairy, regular vanilla yogurt is a great swap.
Vegetable Oil - Melted coconut oil or avocado oil both work. Coconut oil adds a very subtle coconut note that pairs nicely with the yogurt and the warm spices.
Cocoa Powder - Swap in Dutch processed cocoa powder for a darker, richer chocolate flavor in the swirl. It is a small change that makes the chocolate layer look and taste more intense. Either option works great.
Espresso Powder - If you do not have it, leave it out. The chocolate swirl will still taste good. But if you have it, use it. Worth it. It also makes excellent iced lattes with almond milk!
Special Diet Variations
Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread - This recipe is already dairy free as written. Just double check your mini chocolate chips. Many brands are dairy free but a quick label check is worth it. Nobody needs a surprise ingredient on a restricted diet.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread - To make this fully vegan, swap the two eggs for flax eggs. Mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 minutes before using. The texture will be slightly denser but still moist and delicious. This is one of the easier vegan pumpkin bread swaps you can make because pumpkin puree already adds so much moisture.
Low FODMAP Pumpkin Bread - Canned pumpkin is low FODMAP at ⅓ cup per serving according to Monash University testing. Use a gluten free flour blend and check your yogurt for high FODMAP ingredients. As always, follow your gut and modify as needed.
Pumpkin Bread Toppings
This pumpkin chocolate bread is great on its own straight from the refrigerator. But if you want to take a slice a little further, here are some easy options that are both gluten free and dairy free.
- Peanut butter and banana slices - Spread peanut butter on a warm slice and add a few banana slices on top. Filling, simple, and a really good flavor combination with the warm pumpkin spice. My teens eat it this way every time and have zero complaints.
- Dairy free butter - A classic. Let it melt into a slightly warmed slice.
- Drizzle of maple syrup - A little goes a long way with all the warm spice already in the loaf.
- Dairy free cream cheese - Adds a tangy contrast to the sweet, spiced bread.
- Sprinkle of flaky salt - Especially good on the slice that hits the chocolate swirl. The salty-sweet combination is everything.
What To Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
Wasting food is like throwing away money, and a can of pumpkin puree is too good to leave sitting in the fridge with no plan. A few ideas for what works.
Pumpkin Overnight Oats - Stir a few tablespoons of pumpkin puree into your overnight oats along with pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup. Gluten free and dairy free, and it basically tastes like dessert for breakfast. That counts as a win.
Swirl it into soup - My Easy Low FODMAP Chicken Tortilla Soup calls for a full can of pumpkin puree right in the base. It adds body and a subtle richness to the broth without tasting like pumpkin at all. One can of pumpkin, two completely different recipes. No waste. My kind of math.
Add it to Winston's food - Winston is our dog and he is absolutely spoiled. A small spoonful of plain pumpkin puree on his food makes him very happy and is great for his digestion. He does not get any of the pumpkin bread though. That one is for the humans.
Storing and Freezing
Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Gluten free baked goods hold their texture better when chilled after the first day.
Freeze: Slice the cooled loaf and layer parchment paper between each slice before placing in a freezer-friendly zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Pull a slice out, let it thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes, and breakfast is handled. Future you will be very grateful.
FAQs
Yes. Skip the chocolate swirl ingredients entirely and bake the full pumpkin batter as a straight loaf. Same temperature, same time.
No. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added, which throws off the flavor balance of this recipe. Plain canned pumpkin puree only.
Underbaking is the most common reason, and it happens more often than you think with gluten free loaves because the outside looks done before the inside is. Use a toothpick to check the center and make sure it comes out with only a few dry crumbs. Cutting too early is the other major cause - let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
Not really. The coconut vanilla yogurt adds moisture more than flavor. The pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and chocolate are the dominant flavors. Most folks would not pick up on any coconut flavor at all.
Yes. Chopped walnuts or pecans folded into the pumpkin batter work great. About ½ cup is a good amount.
Because you are making art. The way the batters move and interact in the pan changes slightly based on how you layer and how you drag the knife. Every loaf is its own little moment. Embrace it.
How To Serve Pumpkin Bread
A slice of this pumpkin swirl bread is great with a cup of coffee on a cold fall morning, which in Minnesota is basically any morning from September through May. It works for breakfast, a snack, or dessert without any convincing.
If you love the combination of coconut and warm fall spices in a dairy free recipe, my Creamy Low FODMAP Pumpkin Soup uses coconut milk and hits all the same cozy notes in a completely different way. Two very different recipes that both belong in your fall rotation. On heavy rotation, honestly.
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Recipe
Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread with a Chocolate Swirl
Equipment
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread Batter:
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour 1-to-1 blend with xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (Note 1)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut vanilla yogurt (Note 2)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Swirl:
- ½ cup prepared pumpkin batter reserved from above
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut vanilla yogurt (Note 2)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Note 3)
- ¼ cup dairy free mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the gluten free flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together until combined. Set aside. Even just whisking the dry spices together fills the kitchen with that warm fall smell - the kind that makes the whole house feel like October whether Mother Nature is cooperating or not.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, coconut vanilla yogurt, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick and a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
- Transfer ½ cup of the batter into the now-empty medium bowl. Set the remaining pumpkin batter aside.
- To the reserved batter, add the espresso powder, coconut vanilla yogurt, and cocoa powder. Whisk together until combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Spread a layer of pumpkin batter across the bottom of the greased loaf pan. Drop a few spoonfuls of chocolate batter on top, then a few spoonfuls of pumpkin batter. Continue alternating until all the batter is used. Using a knife, gently swirl through the batter in a figure eight pattern. Four to five passes is enough. Do not overswirl.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes. Tent the loaf loosely with aluminum foil around the halfway mark. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Start checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark. Let the bread sit for 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and cool the bread completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
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