Easy Bakery-Style Pumpkin Streusel Chocolate Chip Loaf

A light and fluffy pumpkin loaf is the perfect way to enjoy all of the flavors of fall. It’s sweet, it’s full of warm spices, and this recipe? Well, it happens to be gluten-free and vegan-friendly, too. That’s right, my Easy Bakery-Style Pumpkin Streusel Chocolate Chip Loaf is the ULTIMATE pumpkin loaf recipe that is full of the best things: creamy pumpkin, sweet chocolate chips, a crunchy streusel topping, and a perfect pumpkin icing to tie it all together. Run to the grocery store and grab some pumpkin, and be prepared to fall in-love with this recipe!

Friends, we’ve reached the most magical time of the year: pumpkin season. Every single year, it is undoubtedly the time that I look forward to the most. Maybe it’s because of the leaves changing, the weather cooling down, or maybe it has something to do with the abundance of pumpkin-flavored recipes. Who knows what it could be. 😉

But if you are a seasoned Kalejunkie reader, then you KNOW that we take pumpkin recipes very seriously here, and that’s because pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors. From my pumpkin twist on my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, to my Easy Pumpkin Loaf or my Homemade Pumpkin Butter that is even BETTER than Trader Joe’s, if you are wondering what to do with all of the canned pumpkin in the grocery store, this year, look no further because this is it!

And when it comes to pumpkin recipes… this may be one of my all-time favorites. I’m not kidding when I say that this loaf didn’t last a DAY in my household. And that’s because it’s loaded with all of my favorite things: creamy pumpkin, sweet chocolate chips, a crunchy strusel topping, and a perfect pumpkin icing to tie it all together. I mean truly, what could be better than that? This loaf is naturally gluten-free, and can easily be made vegan-friendly by swapping out the eggs for flax eggs, which means it’s perfect for all of your Halloween parties and fall gatherings!

What You Need to Make This Gluten-Free Loaf

• Almond Flour: The key to making this gluten-free loaf is to use almond flour. Almond flour is full of healthy fats and protein and gives the loaf a perfect texture. This recipe has not been tested with any other flour (gluten-free or otherwise) so I cannot guarantee that it will turn out the same.
• Tapioca Flour or Arrowroot Flour: Tapioca Flour helps to give this loaf its soft texture. If you don’t have tapioca flour, you can also use arrowroot flour – they both work the same!
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: It wouldn’t be a pumpkin recipe without pumpkin pie spice! This seasoning is perfect for amplifying that sweet and warm, spicy, pumpkin flavor. And, you can easily make your own!
• Sea Salt: Just a pinch of sea salt ensures that the loaf doesn’t end up being too sweet.
• Baking Soda: A little baking soda will ensure that your loaf rises!
• Pumpkin Purée: Of course, this wouldn’t be a pumpkin loaf without the pumpkin! Canned pumpkin purée is abundant this time of year, and you can generally find it in the canned goods section of your local grocery store.

• Coconut Oil: You’ll need melted coconut oil to make the loaf, and unmelted coconut oil to make the streusel topping, so make sure that you have plenty of it!
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness without overpowering this loaf!
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is essential for any good loaf recipe, and this recipe is no exception!
• Eggs: I use two whole eggs for this recipe, but you can also use a flax egg for this recipe, if you want to keep it vegan-friendly.
• Mini Chocolate Chips: Pick your favorite chocolate chips and add them into this recipe! My absolute favorite chocolate chips are by Hu Kitchen, and you can use code KALEJUNKIE to get 15% off your order!
• Coconut Sugar:  I love the taste of coconut sugar in this recipe. It’s fantastic, and we are only using 1/2 cup in the entire recipe, and that’s because the cake also gets some sweetness from the chocolate chips.
• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is key to making the perfect icing! Unfortunately there is no substitute to make the icing refined sugar-free, however you can omit the icing if you would prefer.
• Water: A little water helps the icing to reach the perfect consistency.

How to Make This Fall-Friendly Pumpkin Loaf

To make this loaf, start by preheating your oven to 350 F. Next, grease a 9×5 loaf pan with oil or butter and line it with parchment paper. Then, set it to the side.

Then, prepare the loaf. Add all of the dry ingredients (the almond flour, tapioca flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and kosher salt) to a large bowl and mix until the ingredients are fully combined. In a separate bowl, add in the wet ingredients (the pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, coconut oil, maple syrup, and eggs) and stir until they’re just combined. Then, pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until a batter forms.

Once the batter is formed, fold in the mini chocolate chips. Then, transfer the batter to the greased and lined loaf pan and use a spatula to smooth it out, until the batter is smooth and even.

Set the pan aside, then prepare the streusel topping by mixing the streusel ingredients together, in a small bowl, until it is crumbly. Then, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly on top of the loaf batter. Bake the loaf for 48-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once the loaf is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing. You can absolutely enjoy the loaf as-is, after this step, but if you’d like to add the icing, continue on to the next step! While the loaf is cooling, prepare the icing by adding all of the icing ingredients to a small bowl and mixing until they’re fully combined. It should be nice and thick! If it’s too thick, you can add in a tablespoon of water so that the icing reaches the perfect consistency.

Finally, once the loaf has cooled, pour the icing on top of the loaf. Allow the icing to set, then slice, serve, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Gayle McLeod