Gluten-Free Pumpkin Quinoa Cornbread

Ali Segersten Nov 17, 2010 17 comments
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Quinoa Cornbread

This pumpkin cornbread recipe uses quinoa flour as part of the ingredients, though the overall cornbread flavors are not overpowered by quinoa's strong taste. Adding in a whole cup of pumpkin puree adds a touch of sweetness that creates balanced flavors and a wonderfully moist cornbread.

This cornbread recipe is naturally gluten-free and doesn't require any gums or starches. It only has a few ingredients and can be whipped up in a snap! Serve it with a spicy chili recipe or your favorite warming bean soup. This recipe would also be a fantastic accompaniment to this Black Bean and Yam Stew recipe.

For detailed instructions on making pumpkin puree you can view a recent blog post I did on How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree. If you are gluten-sensitive then be sure to purchase a gluten-free cornmeal. Many companies grind their cornmeal on equipment that also grinds wheat flour and other glutenous grains. Bob's Red Mill offers a gluten-free cornmeal but make sure to read the label because they also offer a cornmeal that is not gluten-free. Arrowhead Mills also offers an organic gluten-free cornmeal.

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About the Author

Ali Segersten

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.

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Comments

Had this tonight with chili. I used coconut flour in place of the rice flour and it had a really nice flavor. However it was a little crumbly although it managed to hold together. I did have one thought about the corn meal, which I used the coarse version of. I wonder if it would be good to soak the cornmeal in the milk for a little while before combining the rest of the ingredients because the bread did turn out a little grittier than I would have liked. All in all a great recipe and I’ll definitely use it again!

LOVE this recipe!!! Turns out great every time! Thanks for sharing :)

I do have one question, though....I want to make this for a party, but one of the people has an allergy to pumpkin. Do you think using baked sweet potatoes in place of the pumpkin would work?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

what other flour can be used besides rice flour and still keep it gluten free?

I too don't eat eggs and made this with EnerG Egg Replacer yesterday. It worked great ... moist and not too crumbly and a really easy replacement. Great recipe!

Hi there, I'd love to make this but can't eat eggs. Have you worked out a good cornbread recipe that doesn't use eggs? Thanks!

I loved this! I substituted corn flour for the quinoa flour and it was so rich and delicious!!

Hi Ali,
Well, I baked up a batch of this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge success. Then I baked it up again the following week for my daughter's school Holiday Fair - and it almost flew off the table it was so popular! Well, it didn't last long and I'll definitely be making at least 2 batches for next year's Holiday Fair! This will definitely be a staple in our house. I also love that this bread does not dry out like most GF breads; however, it does develop a bitter taste (due to the quinoa flour) after 4 days, but this usually isn't a problem in our house - it's gone by then.
Thanks again for another fabulous recipe!

Yum, this sounds really good. Especially alongside a pot of beans!

Great recipe! I tried it yesterday, it taste great, but I find lots of chunks (of corn meal?) still very hard. I'm not too familiar with corn breads, but did I do anything wrong? The bread has a good texture, not too dry, and it definitely looks cooked...

Thanks for an other great recipe!

I love it, such an unusual but delicious recipe! I'll have to give quinoa flour a go too.

Thanks for the comments!

Jennifer - Bob's Red Mill makes a good quinoa flour that you can order from Amazon.com. I don't think you could grind it fine enough. However, I just noticed that someone left a comment on this post on our facebook page and said that they used millet flour in place of the quinoa flour and the recipe worked great. -Ali :)

I would've never thought of using pumpkin in cornbread. Thanks for your continued inspiration!

We love cornbread! Especially with a bowl of soup and a few swipes of coconut oil! Now we have a new recipe to try - I love your ingredients Ali!

Hi Ali,
I have not found quinoa flour around here. Is it possible to grind my own with a spice/coffee grinder?

Thanks so much!

Omy!! I loove corn bread but am unfortunately also gluten-free. I want a piece of that!

This gluten-free version tastes really good - not gritty or dry! Thanks again for a holiday inspired recipe!

Looks divine! Can't wait to give it a try!

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