Indulge guilt-free with this flavorful low-calorie pumpkin bread recipe - only 128 calories per serving! Made with Greek yogurt and unsweetened applesauce, this is a healthy treat you won't be able to resist.
This moist and flavorful pumpkin bread is packed with protein and fiber thanks to the Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce and pumpkin puree. Easy and simple to make, this pumpkin loaf does not use any eggs or butter but has a soft tender texture that will stay soft for days.
Step by step recipe is below, so keep reading and learn how to make your fall season a little sweeter.
Ingredients Used to Make This Low Calorie Pumpkin Bread
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - You can use any brand of All-Purpose Flour. I haven't tried this recipe with whole wheat flour, oat flour or other gluten-free flour blends, so substitute at your own risk!
- Almond Flour - Almond flour contributes to a softer, more tender texture in this pumpkin bread recipe. Because it's naturally gluten-free, the almond flour helps reduce overmixing and minimizes gluten-formation in the bread.
- Salt - any kind. I used Pink Himalayan Salt
- Baking Powder - if you need to substitute, 3 tsp of baking powder is equivalent to about 1 tsp baking soda
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - if you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, replace 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice with ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ⅛ tsp ground cloves, and ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg. You can also just use 1 tsp of cinnamon without the other spices.
- Sugar of choice – while you can use any sugar you have at home, if you want a low-sugar and low-calorie option, I recommend this brown monk fruit sweetener.
- Pumpkin puree - I used canned pumpkin puree, which you can find in the baking aisle. I have not tried this recipe using fresh pumpkin, so substitute at your own risk!
- Greek Yogurt - I used Fat-Free Plain Greek Yogurt. Before using, be sure to drain any excess liquid (whey).
- NOTE: You can also use a dairy-free yogurt like almond milk yogurt, but because dairy-free yogurt tends to be thinner than Greek Yogurt, you may have to reduce the amount of milk you add to the recipe when mixing the batter.
- Applesauce - the pectin in the applesauce helps create a tender, moist pumpkin bread and helps reduce some of the oil that's needed in the recipe. You can use any kind or any flavored applesauce. I used unsweetened.
- Olive Oil - I like using light olive oil since it has a neutral flavor, but you can also any cooking oil of your choice like coconut oil, or avocado oil instead
- Milk of Choice – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe.
Frosting (Optional)
- I used my Vanilla Greek Yogurt Frosting
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Low Calorie Pumpkin Bread
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
STEP 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients
STEP 3
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients
STEP 4
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir gently until the batter comes together.
STEP 5
The batter will be thick, but if there are still dry ingredients remaining, you can add 1-2 Tbsp more almond milk.
STEP 6
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake the Pumpkin Bread in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
STEP 7
Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 8
Fill piping bag with frosting of choice and decorate loaf, if desired. I used this GREEK YOGURT FROSTING which uses Greek Yogurt as the main base!
STEP 9
Enjoy!
What are some ways you can eat Pumpkin Bread?
- Plain and warm, served with jam or butter
- Frosted with my 2-Ingredient Almond Butter Frosting , or this Healthy Powdered Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting
- Toasted in the Air Fryer, an drizzled with honey, maple syrup, caramel or chocolate syrup
- Dusted with powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar. Just make sure you use a sieve to sift the sugar on top!
More Frosting & Glaze Ideas for Pumpkin Bread
Get creative with these scrumptious glaze and frosting ideas to complement the warm flavors of your pumpkin bread
How to Store Low Calorie Pumpkin Bread
- You can store any leftover pumpkin bread covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
What to Do with Leftover Pumpkin Puree - See Ideas HERE
Dealing with leftover pumpkin puree can be quite frustrating! Especially since the leftover is often not enough to make a full recipe, and it seems like a waste to throw it away. Below are some pumpkin puree recipes that require only about ½ cup of pumpkin puree:
Final Tips
- Use batter right away after prep. The batter will deflate over time, so I've found that you don’t want the batter sitting out on the counter for too long.
- Prevent Over-browning - Depending on your oven or where your bread is placed inside the oven, the top of your bread may start to brown. Check 40 minutes into baking to see if this is the case, and gently cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil. This helps prevent excessive browning while the bread continues to bake.
- Turn them into muffins! You can also bake this in a muffin pan instead of a cake pan. To adjust, reduce the cooking time from 50-60 minutes to 30-40 minutes.
Low Calorie Pumpkin Bread with Greek Yogurt & Applesauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- ½ cup almond flour (60g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup sugar of choice (100g) , use monk fruit sweetener for a low calorie option
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice powder , or cinnamon powder
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (122g) , from canned
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (120g)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce (4 oz / 113g)
- 3 Tbsp light olive oil (42g)
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk , or milk of choice
Frosting (Optional)
- 1 Recipe VANILLA GREEK YOGURT FROSTING RECIPE , click link to go to recipe
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and pumpkin spice powder. Ensure they are well combined.
- In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, applesauce, light olive oil, and almond milk. Stir until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir gently until you have a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake the Pumpkin Bread in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Eat as is, or frost with GREEK YOGURT FROSTING
- Slice and enjoy
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