Name: Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 3 cups almond flour (see note 1); ¾ cup arrowroot powder (also called arrowroot starch/flour); 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 1 cup plain pumpkin purée; ½ cup real maple syrup (can sub honey); 3 large eggs, whisked; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 ounces plain cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 2 tablespoons real maple syrup; ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract; pinch of salt; 1-2 tablespoons milk (add enough to reach your desired texture)

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Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze is a delicious fall treat. Enjoy it for breakfast, snack or dessert, paired with your favourite hot drink!

If you’re looking for more gluten-free bread ideas, try my Almond Flour Zucchini Bread!

A cut loaf of almond flour pumpkin bread viewed head on with pumpkins in the background.

This Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread is perfect for the fall season, with a generous amount of pumpkin spice and a hint of maple in the cream cheese glaze.

Although I don’t follow a gluten-free diet, I love to use almond flour in baked goods. It’s more satiating than traditional wheat flour recipes, due to its higher fat and protein content. We love to make a loaf of this bread for meal prep, for quick breakfasts and snacks throughout the week!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread and Maple Cream Cheese Glaze. See the recipe card for exact quantities and detailed instructions.

For the bread

Almond flour – the super-fine almond flour made from blanched almonds. This is necessary to get the right final texture (regular ground almonds won’t work). I use the Kirkland brand from Costco, but I also like Bob’s Red Mill and Yupik brands.
Arrowroot powder – also called arrowroot starch or arrowroot flour. This ingredient helps the bread have a lighter, less dense texture than if you were using just almond flour. If you’re new to using arrowroot, this article is a great overview of what it is and the many ways to use it!
Pumpkin pie spice – for all the delicious flavour! The recipe calls for a tablespoon. I tested with less, but we preferred the taste with the full tablespoon.
Baking powder – for leavening
Baking soda – for leavening and giving the nice brown colour on top of the loaf
Sea salt
Pumpkin purée – be sure to get plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, or you’ll have pumpkin spice overload!
Maple syrup – the real stuff! It pairs with pumpkin really nicely, but you could also use honey.
Eggs – for binding the other ingredients together and giving a nice springy texture to the loaf. I like to pre-whisk the eggs to ensure they are evenly distributed.
Vanilla extract – for flavour

For the maple cream cheese glaze

Plain cream cheese – softened to room temperature for easier blending and whipping
Unsalted butter – softened to room temperature for easier blending and whipping
Maple syrup
Vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Ingredients needed for almond flour pumpkin bread in bowls viewed from overhead.

How to make it

Step one: combine the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.

Step two: add the wet ingredients to the dry

To the dry ingredients, add the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, whisked eggs and vanilla. Continue to mix until well combined.

Step three: Bake

Transfer the batter to a 9″x5″ loaf pan that is greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 °F for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread batter in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

At the end of baking time, cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack, then remove the loaf from the pan and continue to cool for an hour.

Step four: Make the glaze

While the loaf is cooling, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter together until it’s smooth and fluffy.

Add the maple syrup, vanilla and pinch of salt and continue to beat until well combined. Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to reach your desired glaze texture.

Making maple cream cheese glaze in a glass bowl with a hand mixer.

Step five: Drizzle the glaze

Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze on the loaf (feel free to add more than I did, I had some glaze leftover). Slice and serve!

Almond flour pumpkin bread with cream cheese glaze on parchment paper.

Tips for Success

Measure ingredients carefully. Ratios are important for all baking recipes, but it’s especially important in gluten-free recipes. If you have too much arrowroot, it could turn out crumbly. If you don’t have enough arrowroot or you have too much of the wet ingredients, it can turn out too moist in the middle and the top of the loaf will sink as it cools. I tested a lot of different ratios, so trust me on this one!

Don’t overcook. Start testing for doneness at 50 minutes. You want to avoid over-browning the top. If middle isn’t yet cooked and you find the top is getting too brown, you can cover it with foil for the remaining cook time.

Use softened cream cheese and butter to make the glaze. Using room temperature ingredients allows them to mix together more easily for a nice, smooth texture.

Fully cool before eating. For the best texture and flavour, you’ll want to wait until it’s fully cooled before eating. It tastes even better the next day. I find this is true for quick breads in general!

Three slices of almond flour pumpkin bread laying in front of the remaining loaf.

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