Moist and tender Almond Flour Pumpkin Cake made with all wholesome ingredients. This warmly-spiced pumpkin ginger cake makes an amazing healthy dessert for fall and the holiday season.
For those who love healthier desserts with less sugar, this easy pumpkin cake is pure gold! It is naturally gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar free, dairy-free, and lower in sugar.
Wrapped in a blanket of warm spices, this cozy cake is a hug for the belly and soul. It has the perfect light and air texture and is teaming with pumpkin flavor.
For me, it is perfectly sweet, though it is easy to add some granulated sweetener for those who prefer sweeter treats.
Healthy and humble enough for everyday enjoyment, and delicious enough for serving at a special occasion, I see this grain free pumpkin cake as being the ideal holiday treat!
If you’re looking for a sweeter cake with a traditional pumpkin cake consistency, make my Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy pumpkin cake recipe. The full list of ingredients can be found at all grocery stores.
Almond Flour Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:
Canned Pumpkin Puree: The star of the show here! We need canned pumpkin puree to bring moisture, volume, and subtle pumpkin flavor to this gluten-free pumpkin cake recipe.
Be sure the ingredient label specifies that there is pure pumpkin only in your can. Pumpkin pie filling contains sugar and spices, which we don’t need.
Finely Ground Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, we use grain-free almond flour. It brings protein, fiber, and healthy fats to the cake in addition to rich flavor and fluffy texture.
Large Eggs: A couple of eggs help the cake batter rise into a fluffy texture. I haven’t had luck with egg replacers like flax eggs in almond flour recipes, so I don’t recommend going egg-free with this recipe unless you are willing to experiment.
Pure Maple Syrup: The sweetener! Pure maple syrup makes a perfectly sweet cake and imparts subtle maple flavor.
Avocado Oil: A little avocado oil contributes to the moisture content and the rich flavor and moist texture. You can replace it with olive oil or melted coconut oil or melted butter if you prefer.
Fresh Ginger: Bringing a big mild spice flavor, fresh ginger adds a layer of nuance to the flavor profile here. Don’t skip it unless you’re ginger-averse.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds lovely warm flavor to the cake.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent, which aids with the light and airy texture.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Crucial ingredient alert! Pumpkin spice blend is what makes all pumpkin recipes taste warmly-spiced to indicate they are a cozy fall treat. You can swap it out for ground cinnamon if you prefer.
Sea Salt: Don’t forget the sea salt! It enhances the pumpkin flavor and the sweetness without the need for excess sugar.
Recipe Customizations:
- For sweeter cake, add 1 to 4 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar, to your personal taste.
- Make a simple powder sugar glaze by combining one cup of confectioner’s sweetener (powdered sugar) with two tablespoons of water. Drizzle the glaze over the finished cake for an extra delicious treat.
- If you keep tapioca flour on hand, add ¼ cup of tapioca flour and an additional 2 tablespoons of avocado oil for a fluffier cake with amazing texture.
How to Make Almond Flour Pumpkin Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch spring form cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the sides of the cake pan with cooking oil.
Mix the eggs, pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, grated ginger, and pure vanilla extract (wet ingredients) in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt (the dry ingredients). Mix the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients until a thick batter forms.
Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan into an even layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is fully baked.
Insert a digital thermometer into the center of the cake to check its internal temperature. It is ready if it is 190 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Let cake cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving. I find the cake tastes more flavorful the next day, so feel free to bake it in advance of when you need it.
Storage Tips:
- Room Temperature: Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftover cake to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cake in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
The next time you’re craving cake with benefits, whip up this tasty grain free dessert! This perfect fall treat can be enjoyed any time of year, thanks to canned pumpkin.
If you love healthier cake recipes, try out some of my other favorites.
More Healthy Cake Recipes:
- Kabocha Squash Spice Cake
- Almond Flour Blueberry Cake
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake
- Almond Flour Lemon Pound Cake
- Applesauce Cake
- Almond Flour Vanilla Cake
Almond Flour Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated or finely minced
- 2 ½ cups finely ground almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch spring form cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the sides of the cake pan with cooking oil.
- Mix the eggs, pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, grated ginger, and pure vanilla extract (wet ingredients) in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt (the dry ingredients). Mix the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients until a thick batter forms.
- Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan into an even layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is fully baked.
- Insert a digital thermometer into the center of the cake to check its internal temperature. It is ready if it is 190 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- Allow the cake cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Today is my husband’s birthday. I baked his usual spice cake with caramel icing- his favorite from his childhood and his mama gave me her recipe decades ago. Last year it bothered him so much that I could not eat the cake because I’m allergic to wheat. He said don’t make the cake anymore- he said eating birthday cake alone is terrible.
When you set up the recipe last week or so, I knew I could try this and make him his cake again this year and he would be happy because I would have one myself
Today I made him his favorite spice cake and I made myself the pumpkin cake recipe. This cake is so fluffy and delicious and spicy and wonderful. I feel like I could eat the whole thing all at once. It doesn’t need any icing, but I’m going to put caramel icing on mine which is a sugar-free version of his mother‘s recipe, thickening the caramel with tapioca starch instead of confectioners sugar.
A really delicious recipe. Puts together quickly and cooks in record time. I don’t put the foil on top because I like the little bit of caramelization on top on the cake.
Thank you, Julia for another glorious recipe.
By the way, does this freeze well?
Happy belated birthday to your husband! It’s so sweet of you to make his birthday special each year with his favorite cake – what a lovely family tradition! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my almond flour version too! Thanks for the tip about removing the foil! I often like a nice crisp on top of baked goods too, and I’m happy to hear the top doesn’t brown up too much without the foil. Also, that caramel icing sounds like perfection! Thank you so much as always for your sweet words and thorough review!! xo
Today is my husband’s birthday. I baked his usual spice cake with caramel icing- his favorite from his childhood and his mama give me her recipe decades ago. CarefulLast year it bothered him so much that I could not eat the cake because I’m allergic to wheat. He said don’t make the cake anymore- he said eating birthday cake alone is terrible.
When you set up the recipe last week or so, I knew I could try this and make him his cake again this year and he would be happy because I would have one myself
Today I made him his favorite spice cake and I made myself the pumpkin cake recipe. This cake is so fluffy and delicious and spicy and wonderful. I feel like I could eat the whole thing all at once. It doesn’t need any icing, but I’m going to put caramel leasing online, which is a sugar-free version of his mother‘s recipe, thickening the caramel with tapioca starch instead.
A really delicious recipe. Puts together quickly and cooks and record time and I don’t put the foil on top because I like the little bit of caramelized top on the cake.
Thank you, Julia for another glorious recipe.
By the way, does this freeze well?
Oh, I forgot to say – YES! This cake freezes very well! In fact, I have the rest of mine in the freezer right now. I keep it stored in a zip lock bag and it lasts for a couple of months. To make it last longer, you can wrap the remainder of the cake in plastic wrap before sealing it up in a zip lock bag or a freezer safe container 🙂
What size can of pumpkin puree did you use
Hi Sheila! I bought a 15-oz can of pureed pumpkin, but we only need 1/2 cup for the recipe 🙂 I have a bunch of other pumpkin recipes on my site that you can choose from to use up the rest of the can 🙂 Happy baking!
We LOVED this! It has just the right level of sweetness for us (skipped the glaze), and the whole family was obsessed with the flavor. You nailed it on this one!
Aww thank you! I found the flavors to be spot on too.. Appreciate the feedback!
This was perfect. I used coconut oil instead of avocado. I also tossed in a little bit of chopped pecans which went perfect with the flavors. I also subbed 1 of the tablespoons of water with vanilla / almond for the icing. My parents loved it!
All of that sounds amazing, Alice! I’ll have to try your version too! 🙂
Why cover pumpkin cake with foil when cooking
To prevent the cake from browning up too much during the baking process 🙂 You can skip the foil if you’d like!
Really moist and delicious! Do you have a suggestion for making it lower carb, like for your almond flour blueberry cake?
Hi Liisa! You can omit the pure maple syrup, add 1/3 cup of milk or avocado oil, and use 1/2 cup of your favorite sugar-free granulated sweetener to make the recipe sugar-free. Because pumpkin and almond flour both contain carbohydrates, it will be difficult to make the cake truly low-carb/keto, but sugar-free is fairly easy. You can also use a sugar-free maple syrup if you have one on hand 🙂 Happy baking!!
This sounds great! Can I make this into muffins? What would the time to cook be then?
Hi Mary! Muffins should work great. I would do 350 for 20-25 minutes. The best way of checking whether or not they are done is by sticking a thermometer inside the center of one to check the internal temperature. 190 F or higher means they’re ready!