Low Sugar Pumpkin Bread

Name: Low Sugar Pumpkin Bread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana; ½ cup pumpkin (canned); 2 tbsp Greek yogurt; ¼ cup maple syrup; 1 egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice; ¼ tsp ground cinnamon; pinch salt; ½ tsp baking soda; ½ tsp baking powder; ½ cup chocolate chips

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Enjoy this perfectly spiced Healthier, Low Sugar Pumpkin Bread as a celebration of fall! Made with Greek yogurt, it's so incredibly moist and rich with a little extra protein, too.

low sugar pumpkin bread loaf cut into slices on parchment.

Table of Contents

About this Bread
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make This Recipe
Recipe FAQs
More Recipes You'll Love
Recipe

About this Bread

Fall is here! And that means it's time to bake with all of it's warm, delicious flavors! You don't have to twist my arm. 😉

Introducing this sweet, moist, and incredibly tasty fall bread recipe. Jack and I are not big pumpkin people, but we absolutely love this Low Sugar Pumpkin Bread and may even mark it as one of our favorite pumpkin recipes.

This Healthier Pumpkin Bread has no added sugar aside from some chocolate chips, which you can omit if you'd like. It's also oil free. In place of oil, we will swap Greek yogurt, which adds an extra punch of protein, helps balance out complex carbohydrates, and creates a decadently moist texture and richness.

Enjoy this healthy pumpkin bread recipe as a lovely breakfast with a cup of coffee or snack smeared with almond butter or peanut butter to celebrate the best season of the year. But if you're looking for a more decadent pumpkin treat, check out these Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins or these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies! Or if you want to try another of my quick bread recipes, try this Blueberry Banana Bread!

Recipe Ingredients

ingredients for low sugar pumpkin bread spread on metal sheet pan.

Banana: We'll mash this up and get all the sweet flavor out! This is where the majority of the yogurt pumpkin bread's sweetness will come from (and the main reason we can eliminate any extra cups of sugar), so choose a ripe, spotty one. You can also substitute with unsweetened applesauce.
Pumpkin: I used canned pumpkin. If you've got roasted and mashed fresh pumpkin, feel free to use that homemade pumpkin puree instead.
Greek Yogurt: Makes our bread nice and moist and brings out richer flavor. I used plain, but vanilla or a pumpkin flavor could even take the flavors of this yogurt pumpkin bread up a notch.
Flour: I used all purpose white flour, but white whole wheat flour or oat flour will work, too. I haven't tested any other kinds.
Pure Maple Syrup: A great sweetener instead of refined sugar. We'll just use a little.
Chocolate Chips: Chocolate makes everything so much better! I used mini ones here for chocolate flavor in each bite. To keep low sugar use Lily's baking chips, which are sugar free

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

As if this Yogurt Pumpkin Bread recipe couldn't get delicious enough... If you want to have some more fun, you can add some extras to play with the flavor of this Yogurt Pumpkin Bread. Here are some ideas:

Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds ...nuts and/or seeds will add some crunch and a little extra protein!
Chocolate: This recipe already calls for chocolate chips. You could also use white chocolate, peanut butter, or even butterscotch chips. If you have M&Ms or a candy bar, feel free to chop up and give those a try, too!
Dried Fruit: Always a great option for quick breads. I recommend dried cranberries, peaches, apricots...add your favorite! Just make sure to chop them up finely for the best texture.
Zest: A little orange zest added to the batter gives each slice of this pumpkin bread a holiday feel.

How to Make This Recipe

wet ingredients for low sugar pumpkin bread in orange mixing bowl before mixing. — Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mash 1 banana with a fork or handheld mixer. Use a rubber spatula to fold in canned pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt.

low sugar pumpkin bread wet ingredients mixed in orange mixing bowl. — Step 2

2. Add in maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until all of the wet ingredients are well mixed.

low sugar pumpkin bread wet ingredients mixed with dry ingredients on top in orange mixing bowl. — Step 3

3. Then add all of the dry ingredients except chocolate chips: all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

low sugar pumpkin bread batter mixed in orange mixing bowl. — Step 4

4. Mix until well combined and a batter forms.

low sugar pumpkin bread batter mixed with chocolate chips added in in orange mixing bowl. — Step 5

5. Fold in chocolate chips and grease a 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan.

low sugar pumpkin bread batter in white loaf tin before baking. — Step 6

6. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let your pumpkin loaf cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

How do you store it?

Store this bread in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. I like to pre-slice my low sugar pumpkin bread before storing for easy snacking. You can also freeze it by the slice wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in a toaster oven for quicker results.

What kind of pan should I use?

An 8x4 baking pan will result in a thicker, denser, moist pumpkin bread, while a 9x5 will be slightly more crumbly since the batter is spread a bit thinner and can bake more thoroughly. You could also bake this yogurt pumpkin bread in a cake pan, but the result will be lighter, more like cake.

How do you quickly ripen a banana?

I recommend using a ripe banana to bring as much sweetness as possible to your loaf! If yours are still kind of green, don't worry. Here are some tips on how to quickly ripen your bananas:

If you have a day or two before you’re planning to bake, put your bananas in a brown paper bag overnight. Bananas naturally release ethylene as they ripen. The bag traps the ethylene, allowing the ripening process to happen faster. Adding an apple, pear, or avocado to the bag will also speed up the ripening process.

If you need to ripen your bananas ASAP, you can also use your oven! Preheat to 350°F and bake your bananas with the peel on for 20-30ish minutes until they’re browned and soft. Allow your bananas to cool in the fridge before peeling and using them in this recipe.

How do you make homemade pumpkin pie spice?

If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can make your own with a combination of the following warm spices: 1 tbsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp allspice, and a pinch of black pepper. Make a pumpkin spice latte with any extra 🙂

three white plates with slices of low sugar pumpkin bread on them.

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