The summer I turned sixteen, my family flew to the East Coast for a vacation. We started in New York City, followed by Boston, and finished in Martha’s Vineyard. Since my parents lived in Boston for a few years while attending graduate school, I think they may have secretly looked forward to that part of the trip the most!
Because my birthday actually occurred while we were in Boston, we planned a full day of fun, including a Red Sox baseball game for my dad and me. (We’re on a mission to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums!) Yet when we woke up that morning, a thick layer of clouds covered the sky, and a slight mist had already started to fall.
Undeterred, Dad and I still walked to the stadium from our hotel, and the moment the gates opened, ushers scanned our tickets and welcomed us into Fenway Park. We quickly found our seats, but we started strolling around the stadium right after, just like we always do at a new ballpark.
Less than an hour later, a message boomed down from the stadium’s speakers. With rain now steadily pouring down, the Red Sox decided to postpone the game until the following day. Oops.
Within just a few minutes, Dad and I came up with a Plan B: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, just a mile away from the ballpark. We admired her gigantic collection of paintings, tapestries, and furniture during the afternoon, then met up with my mom and brother for dinner and dessert (a selection of cannoli from their favorite Italian pastry place!).
Although the sun almost never peeked through the clouds during our entire time in Boston, with the weather remaining overcast and humid, my parents mentioned multiple times every day how beautiful the city looked in the autumn and how that was their favorite time of year. And now, too many years later, I’m flying back east this weekend and about to experience my first New England fall!
Since it’s still sunny and 80°F in Southern California, I baked this Healthy Pumpkin Bundt Cake to get me into more of a fall spirit! It’s supremely moist and tender with lots of sweet pumpkin and cozy spice flavors, the kinds that make you want to curl up in a warm blanket with a mug of hot tea… But unlike traditional bundt cake recipes, this one contains no refined flour or sugar and only 123 calories in a slice!
So… Maybe I can eat a second slice to put me in even more of a New England fall spirit?… ?
Let’s go over how to make this healthy pumpkin bundt cake!
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour (this kind!) and homemade pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice is actually short for “pumpkin pie spice,” and it simply refers to the spices commonly used to make pumpkin pie. It doesn’t actually include pumpkin, as confusing as that may seem! For your healthy pumpkin bundt cake, you’ll use cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.
I just love the way those smell!
I’m guessing the other ingredient may seem a little confusing as well… White whole wheat flour is not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour! It’s actually made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture—which lets the moist and tender texture of your healthy pumpkin bundt cake truly shine!
Remember, it’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cake turn out dry, rather than moist and tender. That’s why I highly recommend baking with a kitchen scale; it ensures your treats turn out perfectly every time!
This healthy pumpkin bundt cake only requires a mere 1 tablespoon of butter (or coconut oil). Yes, that’s it! That teensy tiny amount really helps keep this dessert low calorie, doesn’t it?
Then the rest of its tender texture comes from pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt. If you’ve been to my blog before, you know how much I love baking with Greek yogurt! It adds the same moisture to your cake batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your healthy pumpkin bundt cake a protein boost, too!
Make sure you use regular pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix! The only ingredient on the can should be “pumpkin.” (Yes, I’m lazy and buy canned—not enough hours in the day to make my own for the hundreds of pumpkin recipes I want to bake!) Pumpkin pie mix contains added spices and refined granulated sugar, the latter of which we’re avoiding in this healthy recipe!
Instead, you’ll sweeten your healthy pumpkin bundt cake with two more of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia and granulated erythritol. Both are plant-based, no-calorie sweeteners that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka they’re clean eating friendly). Granulated erythritol generally measures cup-for-cup like regular sugar. However, the liquid stevia is really concentrated, so you just need 5 ½ teaspoons for the entire pumpkin cake!
This is the liquid stevia that I use, and this is the granulated erythritol. Although you can find both at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here (liquid stevia) and here (granulated erythritol) because that’s the best price I’ve found! (And you’ll use the liquid stevia in all of these recipes of mine and the granulated erythritol in all of these recipes of mine!)
Note: I usually try to use just one sweetener to make life easier for you! However, I found that the pumpkin muted the liquid stevia’s sweetness, so when made with solely liquid stevia, the cake tasted more like a giant muffin. Once I added the small amount of granulated erythritol, the cake tasted SO much sweeter, like a true dessert—so I promise it’s worth using both!
Of course, it’s really hard to make a healthy pumpkin bundt cake without a bundt pan! This is the one I use. Just remember to thoroughly coat it with nonstick cooking spray! Because it has a lot more nooks and crannies, unlike a smooth round cake pan, the bundt cake tends to stick to the pan if you don’t thoroughly spray it before adding the batter.
Once your healthy pumpkin bundt cake cools, you can either serve it plain as is… Or add a little drizzle! The drizzle is super simple to make: just confectioners’ style erythritol (this kind!) and milk. Stir those together, transfer to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over your cake!
I love drizzles… They’re never expected to look as perfect and pristine as frosting! ?
Definitely my new favorite fall dessert! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy pumpkin bundt cake!
| Healthy Pumpkin Bundt Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 3 ¾ cups (450g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 5 tsp homemade pumpkin spice (see Notes!)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 5 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- ¼ cup (60g) granulated erythritol
- 1 ¼ cups (305g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) white vinegar
- 1 ¼ cups (300mL) nonfat milk
- for the drizzle
- 3 tbsp (45g) confectioners’ style erythritol
- 2 ½ - 3 tsp nonfat milk
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or nonstick cooking spray with flour.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the granulated erythritol. Add in the pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and ½ cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature and just before serving, prepare the drizzle. Stir together the confectioner’s style erythritol and milk in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped plastic bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake will be less tender and have a distinct wheat-y flavor.
It’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture, instead of having it turn out moist and tender!
For the homemade pumpkin spice, use as follows: 3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. (Store-bought pumpkin spice may be substituted, but I much prefer the flavor of this homemade blend!)
The cake requires 4 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 4 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found. However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) granulated sugar and reduce the milk to ½ cup (60mL), but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ½ cup (60mL) to keep the cake clean eating friendly, but it will be much darker in color. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well. Do not substitute honey, maple syrup, or agave because the cake batter will be much too liquidy with any of those.
Coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar may be substituted in place of the granulated erythritol. Granulated sucralose (Splenda) will also work in place of the granulated erythritol, if you prefer a different no-calorie granulated sweetener.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and give it a better texture. You can’t taste it in the finished cake—I promise!
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
Make sure you coat your bundt pan really well with cooking spray! (This is the bundt pan that I use!) With so many nooks and crannies, compared to traditional round or rectangular cake pans, the batter has more chances to stick to the sides, so a generous coating of cooking spray will ensure your bundt cake slides right out of the pan.
Regular confectioners’ style (powdered) sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style erythritol in the drizzle. Regular powdered sugar is much more absorbent, so start with just ½ teaspoon of milk and add more as necessary.
For more drizzle (and a sweeter cake!), double the drizzle.
If you have a 6-cup bundt pan, you can make a half-recipe and bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes instead.
When refrigerating leftover slices of already drizzled bundt cake, the drizzle will turn brittle and crack if made with erythritol, or it will dissolve into the cake if made with powdered sugar. Neither will affect the flavor—only the appearance!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Pound Cake
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy pumpkin recipes!
Hello Beautiful! Hope you are well! Great story! I will make this cake on the weekend and let you know how it turns out. I love pumpkin and I love those spices! I carefully read your notes and will ensure to follow the recipe exactly as stated. Love you and your blog! By the way, my son has mastered making your chocolate chip scones!!!
Hi Carmelina!! You’re so sweet — I’ve missed you!! ♡ That means so much to me that your son has mastered making scones! WOW!! I feel like a proud baking mama over here! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pumpkin bundt cake!! 🙂
Hi Amy,
I made the cake this past Sunday and it turned out fabulous! My whole house smelled amazing and even my neighbor commented on the lovely aroma (they were outside storing their patio furniture). She insisted I share the recipe! I did one better and told her about your blog!!! Thanks again! 🙂
You truly are the SWEETEST person ever Carmelina!!! I’m so glad everyone loved this bundt cake, and thank you SO much for sharing my blog with your neighbor! I’m really, truly honored! ♡ I’m so excited to hear what recipe you and your family decide to try next! 🙂
erythritol Is so not good for you!!! Better off with using sugar sparingly
I’ve actually included how to substitute coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar for the erythritol in the Notes section (located directly underneath the Instructions!) if you prefer, Lisa! I know it can be easy to miss that bit. 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these cake if you try making it!
Plan B still sounds so fun! And fun fact (selfishly): Martha’s Vineyard is one of my yearly haunts 🙂 Love this pumpkin bundt cake treat.
That’s so fun Liz!! I wish I could go to Martha’s Vineyard every year… That would be amazing! 🙂
Amy! This sounds amazing! Dumb question (two actually lol)… 1) do you have any recipes for making homemade pumpkin purée… I had to do a photo shoot yesterday and happen to have a small “pumpkin pie” pumpkin… two, what if you don’t have a bundt pan? Can you substitute with another type? Thanks!
There are no such things as dumb questions Brooke!! 🙂 1) No, I actually don’t! I probably should develop a recipe for homemade pumpkin purée at some point… But with how little free time I seem to have in the fall, I always revert to store-bought canned because it’s quicker and easier! 😉 2) Cupcakes would be the best thing! Bundt cakes bake differently than any other cake pan (they’re exposed to air around the outsides and inside of the pan, whereas other cake pans are only exposed on the outsides), so I’m not 100% sure whether another cake pan would work. I’d love to hear what you think if you try this recipe! 🙂
Hi Amy! So I actually found this recipe… https://www.feathersinthewoods.com/2017/10/how-to-puree-pumpkin.html. Super easy, but time consuming. I actually used the seeds from the pumpkin I mentioned on instagram for your candied pumseeds recipe! Also thanks for the tip on the cupcake tins… I’ll have to try it.
Thanks so much for sharing Brooke!! I loved seeing your pumpkin seeds on Instagram, so thank you for tagging me!! 🙂
This cake looks soooo soft! This is why I love the spooky pumpkin season, I get to go wild with my pumpkin cravings
Thanks Bryan! You and me both — love pumpkin season!! 🙂
Quick question about the stevia, 5 1/2 teaspoons is like half the bottle, that seems like a lot. Is that correct?
Yes, that’s correct! If you use less, then this cake has more of a “muffin” level sweetness than cake level sweetness. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try it Jamie!
This pumpkin cake looks so delicious and I love the texture! So fluffy and perfect with a cup of coffee!
Thanks Natalie! I definitely agree — pumpkin cake and coffee is one of the best fall pairings! 😉
I don’t usually leave comments on recipes but with this one I had to make an exception. At first I was scared the cake wouldn’t turn out as expected (due to some ingredients swaps) but to my surprise the result was incredible. Light, fluffy and delicious! Very happy and excited to try some other recipes on this blog.
Oh my goodness — that means so much to me, Cata! I’m really honored that you’d take the time to leave a comment. I’m thrilled that you loved this cake! That you so much for letting me know! 🙂
I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think of any other recipes of mine you decide to try making in the future too!
Hi Amy,
Quick question, I have a dairy-free diet so I can’t use the plain nonfat Greek yogurt, what can I replace this with?
Thanks,
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Maria! In this cake, dairy-free yogurt should work as a substitute for the Greek yogurt (ie soy-, almond-, or even oat-based!). 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this pumpkin bundt cake if you try making it!