Easy Pumpkin Cornbread

This delicious pumpkin cornbread is going to be the perfect teammate for your bowl of chili or soup this winter. The recipe is naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, low in calories and still has that delicious balance of texture and flavor you’re looking for. 

I love experimenting with healthier sides and appetizers, especially ones that work well for the holidays, where everyone is more likely to indulge. 

My sugar free cranberry sauce and healthy stuffing recipe have both been huge hits. Recently, I also tried making some pumpkin cornbread muffins, which turned out absolutely delicious. This success inspired me to try this simpler, skillet version to feature on the dinner table. 

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe

• Perfect for holidays: It’s the perfect side dish for all your favorite holiday foods. Serve it at Thanksgiving or pair it with some soup or chili on a cold winter night. 
• Gluten-free and healthy: It's light, fluffy and has all the right flavors and textures while still being gluten-free and much healthier than a classic pumpkin cornbread.
• Easy to make: The recipe is super simple and straightforward. You’ll need just 10 minutes of hands-on kitchen time to make it.
• Low calorie recipe: With no refined sugar added in, this recipe is low in calories too. It’s perfect if you’re trying to keep things healthy while still treating yourself to your holiday favorites.

Ingredients

• Almond flour: Almond flour has just the right texture for this cornbread. I use it extensively in my gluten-free baking recipes like my almond flour biscuits and these banana almond flour cookies. 
• Cornmeal: Make sure you buy certified gluten-free cornmeal here. While cornmeal is naturally gluten-free it may be processed in a location with wheat which may lead to some cross contamination.
• Egg whites: Egg whites help add structure to the cornbread and make it soft and fluffy. 
• Almond milk: I used unsweetened almond milk here. It adds a nice bit of liquid to the cornbread and gets the mixture to the right consistency. You can use any dairy-free milk or regular milk you like.
• Pumpkin puree: Canned pumpkin puree is best. It has just the right amount of moisture and replaces the oil often used in cornbread for moisture.
• Honey: Honey adds a beautiful layer of subtle sweetness to the cornbread which really takes its flavors to the next level. If you don’t want to use honey, maple syrup will work well too with a slight flavor difference.
• Vanilla: Just a dash, to enhance the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.
• Baking powder: To make the cornbread fluffy. 
• Spices: A mix of cinnamon and nutmeg gives the cornbread that incredible flavor and aroma of fall which works great with the pumpkin.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations & Dietary Modifications

• Flour swap: I haven’t tested out this gluten-free pumpkin cornbread recipe using other flours, but using a gluten-free baking flour blend should work well. Oat flour could be a great option too, but I wouldn’t recommend using coconut flour here. You may need to use whole eggs for those flours though, as they are less dense than almond flour and require more fat to balance them.
• Milk swap: Any dairy-free milk can be used or if you don't need to be dairy-free, you can use regular milk.
• Spice it up: You can also add some extra nutmeg or cinnamon (or even pumpkin pie spice) into the mix to add a bit of extra flavor to the cornbread. 
• Skip the spices: Replace the spices with herbs such as sage, thyme, or rosemary for a slightly different flavor profile.
• Pumpkin swap: If you don't want to use the pumpkin, you can replace it with applesauce. It will provide a bit of sweetness as well as the moisture the cornbread needs.

How to Make Pumpkin Cornbread

To make this almond flour cornbread, start by preheating your oven to 375 F and greasing a cast iron skillet with some oil. 

Step 1: Prepare the egg mixture. Combine the egg whites, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, almond milk and honey in a stand mixer and mix until it is a uniform mixture. 

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients. Now add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. 

Step 3: Mix and Transfer. Gently mix everything well until you get a uniform batter. Avoid overmixing. Transfer this mixture to the greased skillet and use your spatula to smooth it out into an even layer.

Step 4: Bake, cool, and serve. Pop this into the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Allow it to cool down for a while and then serve.

Storage Directions 

• Storing: Store your leftover pumpkin cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can then enjoy it as-is or reheat it if you want it warm. If you want it to last longer, you can freeze it too. Allow it to cool down completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. 
• Reheating: Reheat the cornbread in the microwave on high until it is nice and warm. If you’re reheating frozen cornbread, make sure you allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before you reheat it.  

Serving Suggestions

There are lots of ways to serve this pumpkin spice cornbread. It’s great to enjoy as a snack or side dish for meals. I like to cut it into triangles or squares and top it with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey. 

I personally love serving it with my lentil black bean chili or healthy white chicken chili. It's also great to pair up with simple soups like lentil sweet potato soup or butternut sweet potato soup to make them more filling. 

It is also a great side dish to serve up during Thanksgiving, with other favorites such as mashed potato muffins and Instant Pot turkey breast.

Recipe Tips

• Use cast iron: I would highly recommend using a good quality cast-iron skillet for this recipe. It makes all the difference in the texture and ensures the cornbread is evenly cooked.
• Cooling matters: Let the cornbread cool down for a few minutes before you cut and serve. Those extra few minutes really matter when it comes to getting the texture right.
• No skillet? If you don’t have a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet, consider using an 8x8 inch baking pan instead. It’s just the perfect side for this recipe. 

More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

If you tried this almond flour cornbread recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.

Pumpkin Bread with Almond Flour

Megan Olson

Lower in calories and packed with all the deliciousness, this gluten-free pumpkin cornbread is the perfect side or appetizer to serve this Thanksgiving, or team it up with a bowl of soup or chili. It’s super yum, easy to make and hits all the right spots!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Bread, Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Calories 166 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Cast Iron Skillet
• ▢
  Standing Mixer

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup Almond Flour
• ▢ 1 cup Cornmeal
• ▢ 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• ▢ 3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or milk of choice
• ▢ 2 Egg Whites
• ▢ 1/4 cup Honey
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1/8 cup Chives diced, optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a cast iron skillet lightly with oil. Conversely, you can use an 8x8" baking pan for this.
• In a standing mixer, or hand mixer, mix together the pumpkin puree, egg whites, milk, honey and vanilla extract for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the batter and fold them to combine. Do not over mix.
• Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet (or you can also use a regular 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish) then smooth into an even layer with a spatula.
• Bake at 375 F for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted in the center clean. If using a regular baking pan, you may need to cook longer.
• Cool a 10 minutes in the skillet before slicing and serving warm. Serve with sliced chives and grass fed butter.
• Store cornbread in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Notes

• I haven't tested other flours with this recipes, but I suspect Gluten Free Baking Flour, Gluten Free Oat Flour, regular oat flour or Whole Wheat Flour would work.
• You may need to use whole eggs for those flours though as they are less dense than almond flour and require more fat to balance them.
• Be sure to use pumpkin puree from a can not pumpkin pie filling. You can replace the pumpkin with unsweetened applesauce.
• You can replace the egg whites, just note this does increase the calories. You would use 1 whole egg in place of the 2 egg whites.
• Any milk can be used with this recipe.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 95mgPotassium: 199mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3835IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 1mg

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About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.