How do you make a crumble topping that does not melt?

It needs a dry ingredient to hold structure. Butter and brown sugar alone melt into a hard candy layer. Adding about a third of a cup of the baking mix gives the topping enough body to stay in distinct crumbs. Work it with a fork and do not press it into the batter.

Why is there no baking powder in this recipe?

Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix is a complete mix with the leavening and salt already in it. Adding more would make the loaf rise fast and fall in the middle, which is a particular risk with a wet pumpkin batter.

Can you make this pumpkin bread dairy-free or nut-free?

Not this one. The Pancake & Baking Mix contains almond meal and cultured buttermilk. Our from-scratch gluten-free pumpkin bread uses the 1:1 All-Purpose Flour and oil instead of butter, so it is both dairy-free and nut-free as written.

Can you use pumpkin pie filling instead of canned pumpkin?

No. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices in it, which makes the loaf too sweet and throws off the liquid balance. The two cans look nearly identical, so check the front of the label.

What size pan should you use?

A standard loaf pan or a tube pan both work. A tube pan gives more surface area and more topping per slice. Either way, line the bottom with parchment and spray the sides, since the topping caramelizes against the pan.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with Crumble Nut Topping

Name: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with Crumble Nut Topping
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter, melted; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling; 1 1/3 cups Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for the topping; 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, for the topping; 1/3 cup Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, for the topping; 1/2 cup nuts, sliced almonds or chopped walnuts or pecans, for the topping

Recipe by Pamela's Published Apr 1, 2026

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Gluten-free pumpkin bread with a brown sugar and nut crumble topping

This is the pumpkin loaf from the back of the bag, and it has been in circulation long enough that people search for it by name.

It is built on Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix, which already carries the leavening and salt, so the ingredient list is short. Butter and sugar creamed, eggs and pumpkin in, dry whisked separately and folded through.

The crumble topping is what people come for, and it is worth doing. Nuts, brown sugar, butter, and a little of the mix to hold it together in crumbs rather than melting into a sheet.

So good, no one will guess it is gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

Making a Crumble That Actually Crumbles

A crumble needs three things in rough balance: fat, sugar, and something dry to hold structure.

Butter and brown sugar alone will melt and pool into a hard candy layer as the loaf bakes. Adding a third of a cup of the Pancake & Baking Mix gives the topping enough body to stay in distinct crumbs.

Work it with a fork until it looks like coarse crumbs with some larger pieces left. Those larger pieces are what you see and taste on the finished loaf.

Scatter it loosely across the batter to the edges and do not press it down. A pressed topping bakes into a layer of cake rather than staying crumbly.

Chill it while the batter comes together if your kitchen is warm.

Why There Is No Baking Powder Here

Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix is a complete mix. The leavening and salt are already balanced in the bag.

The mix this is built on Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix A complete baking mix with the leavening and salt included. Pancakes, waffles, muffins, quick breads, biscuits, and cakes. GFCO-certified.

Adding more leavening makes the loaf rise fast and fall in the middle, which is the opposite of what you want with a wet pumpkin batter.

The mix also contains almond meal and cultured buttermilk. The almond adds fat that keeps the crumb tender, and the buttermilk gives a faint tang that stops a sweet loaf from tasting flat.

If You Need It Dairy-Free or Nut-Free

This one cannot be. The mix contains both almond meal and cultured buttermilk, and there is no way to work around that.

Our from-scratch gluten-free pumpkin bread is made with the 1:1 All-Purpose Flour and uses oil rather than butter, so it is dairy-free and nut-free as written.

It is a different loaf, lighter and less rich, and it is the one to make for a household avoiding either.

Made with

Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, 24 oz. (opens in a new tab)

$12.99 Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 396 reviews.

Free shipping on orders $39+

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 60 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Yield 12

Serving Size 1 slice

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
1 1/3 cups Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for the topping
1/3 cup packed brown sugar, for the topping
1/3 cup Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, for the topping
1/2 cup nuts, sliced almonds or chopped walnuts or pecans, for the topping

Used in this recipe

Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, 24 oz. (opens in a new tab)

$12.99 Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 396 reviews.

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan or tube pan with parchment and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the melted butter and granulated sugar until light.
Add the eggs and the pumpkin and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the Pancake & Baking Mix, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add to the mixer bowl and blend well.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
Make the topping. Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, Pancake & Baking Mix, and nuts with a fork until it forms coarse crumbs with some larger pieces.
Scatter the topping evenly over the batter to the edges. Do not press it down.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean.
Cool in the pan before turning out.

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Storing and Freezing

Room temperature: up to 3 days in an airtight container. The topping is at its best on the first and second day.

Refrigerator: up to 5 days, wrapped, though the topping softens.

Freezer: up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly and thaw at room temperature.

Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. A warm gluten-free loaf tears rather than slices.

Ways to Change It Up

Skip the topping. It is listed as optional and the loaf is good plain, though the topping is the better version.

Swap the nuts. Sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, and pecans all work at the same half cup.

Add a half cup of chocolate chips or dried cranberries to the batter. Toss them in a little mix first so they do not sink.

Bake it in a tube pan instead of a loaf pan for more surface area and more topping per slice.

Muffins. Divide between 12 lined cups with topping on each and bake 20 to 24 minutes.