We’re throwing it back to 2017 — the week of my wedding, to be exact! I shared this incredible breakfast bread perfect to nosh on over brunch, serve to your grain free guests, or just gobble up yourself with a cup of coffee. Say hello to my paleo, gluten free orange bread drizzled in rich dark chocolate. I named it my orange-kissed loaf for good reason. It’s truly kissed with the perfect balance of fresh orange juice and zest.
I know what you are thinking: What the hell is this chick doing putting orange and chocolate together in a bread?
That’s exactly what Abra and Tony both thought too until they tried the bread and couldn’t stop going back for more. And now I’m here to prove to you that orange and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
Before we get to the recipe, take a trip down memory lane with yours truly:
“It might be my wedding week, but don’t think I forgot about all of you. My passion and joy in life involves making recipes and I couldn’t neglect you during the holiday season.
I’m going to keep all posts this week pretty short and sweet, which means we can avoid talking about my obsession with Jelena (justin + selena getting back together) and get straight to these delicious recipes.”
Ingredients in this gluten free orange bread
The combination of orange and chocolate is one that I wish made more of an appearance in bakeries or donut shops because it’s surprisingly addictive, refreshing, tangy, sweet and luxurious. Here’s what you’ll need to make this grain free orange bread:
- Flour: the bread itself is made with almond flour and coconut flour, aka the secret combo to any delicious paleo sweet bread. I’ve only tried it with these two flours, so please don’t ask me about substitutions. The bread is PERFECT as is.
- Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs in this orange kissed loaf.
- Coconut oil: a little melted coconut oil gives the bread the perfect amount of moisture.
- Maple syrup: this orange bread recipe is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup.
- Orange: we’re using fresh orange juice and orange zest for bright, delicious flavor.
- Milk: you’ll also need a little milk for extra moisture. I like to use unsweetened almond milk but feel free to use any you’d like.
- Baking staples: don’t forget the baking soda and salt!
- For topping: I like to drizzle the entire loaf in a coating of dark chocolate by melting an 85% dark chocolate bar. Garnish with more orange zest for a beautiful look!
Can I use a different flour?
Unfortunately no, I cannot recommend a flour substitute in this grain free orange bread recipe. If you’re looking for an alternate, here are some other bread recipes to try:
- Pistachio Poppyseed Orange Yogurt Bread or my Orange Gingerbread Swirl Loaf using whole wheat pastry flour
- Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread using almond flour and oat flour (learn how to make oat flour here!)
- Spiced Apple Zucchini Bread using regular or gluten free all purpose flour
- Chickpea Flour Banana Bread using, of course, chickpea flour
Want an alternative to the glaze?
Feel free to mix in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips right into the batter in addition to (or instead of) the glaze! Double the chocolate, double the love.
Lovely gluten free orange bread in 5 simple steps
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add all of your dry ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until well combined.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients until they’re smooth.
- Make the batter. Add the dry to the wet and mix well. It will be thick because of the gluten free flour blend that we’re using!
- Bake it up. Add the batter to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, bake, and cool the bread.
- Glaze & serve. While the bread is baking, melt chocolate in a small pot. Drizzle it onto the cooled loaf, garnish with a little orange zest, and serve!
Tips for the perfect paleo orange bread
- Make sure you use room temperature eggs and coconut oil. Bring your eggs to room temperature by running them under warm water for a few minutes, and let the coconut oil cool after melting. Otherwise, the batter will coagulate.
- Pack the almond flour like you would with brown sugar so that your orange bread gets the right texture.
- Let the bread cool completely before drizzling it with dark chocolate, otherwise, the glaze will soak right into the loaf.
How to store & freeze gluten free orange bread
- To store: this paleo orange bread should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, then I recommend transferring it to the fridge or freezer.
- To freeze: simply wrap in plastic, then tightly in foil and finally place in a reusable container or freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature once you are ready to eat. You can also feel free to freeze individual slices for a quick on-the-go treat! I recommend freezing it before adding the chocolate glaze.
More gluten free baking recipes you’ll love
- Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- The Most Delicious Breakfast Cookies
- The Best Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten free!)
- Paleo Zucchini Banana Bread Bars
- Healthy Chocolate Brownie Banana Bread
Get all of our gluten free recipes here!
I hope you love this paleo orange-kissed loaf! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Paleo Orange Kissed Loaf with Dark Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (168g) packed fine almond flour
- ⅓ cup (37g) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Wet ingredients:
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (56g) melted and cooled coconut oil
- ⅓ cup (104g) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (100g) freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest of 1 large orange
- ¼ cup (60g) unsweetened almond milk
- For the dark chocolate glaze:
- 3.5 oz 85% dark chocolate bar
- For garnish:
- Zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. NOTES: Make sure your coconut oil is melted and cooled otherwise it will become clumpy. This goes with your eggs too -- it’s best to run them under warm water for 1 minute to bring them to room temp before baking.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well to combine. Pour batter into loaf pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes until tester comes out clean. Allow loaf to cool completely in the pan before removing.
- To make the dark chocolate glaze: Add dark chocolate bar to a small pot and place over low heat, stirring the chocolate frequently until completely melted and smooth.
- Pour over the loaf and spread evenly towards the sides. Garnish with zest from 1 orange. Cut into 10 slices and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 14th, 2017, and republished on April 18th, 2024.
Is it possible to replace almond with oat flour?
Hmm I haven’t tested it, but I don’t think the texture will turn out the same!
Hi
Is the 1/4 cup of orange juice referring to freshly squeezed pure orange juice without any added water or sugar?
Yep!
Would an 8×8 pan work?
I think it would come out too thin!
This was delicious! We loved it.
Hi! I’m new to your site and a lot of your recipes sound delicious. However, you use quite a bit with almond flour and coconut flour. I have an allergy to almonds and am not sure if my toddler does as well. What is a good alternative flour that can be used instead?
Thank you,
Ashley
Hi! Feel free to check out my nut-free category here for some great alternatives 🙂
Wow, This was so good for so little work. Very moist and great orange flavor. I added a bit of vanilla extract to the batter, otherwise made no changes. It would be great with candied ginger and/or cinnamon added to it – would be a nice variation.
Love it! And candied ginger sounds amazing!
My husband and I loved this. Wonderful texture and flavor–perfectly healthy, no guilt treat. I used fresh squeezed tangerine juice and peel and added vanilla. My husband of 35 years gave me the nickname of “Vanilla Delight” because of my love of vanilla!
Love that! Glad you both enjoyed!
Hey Monique,
I’m planning to make this a day before for Father’s Day cause my dad loves the choc orange combo. Was just wondering – will the glaze harden since it’s just melted chocolate? Is it meant to harden? Or should I bake the loaf in advance and then melt/pour chocolate on it right before serving?
Thankyou,
Can’t wait to try this! P.S all the best with your pregnancy, I’m 26 weeks at the moment!!
Hi, Mary! Yay, I hope he loves it 🙂 It should stay melty/soft unless you put it in the fridge. I’d pour the melted chocolate on right before serving!
Have you tried if as little bundt cakes
No I have not, it should work but you might want to adjust the baking time. Let me know how they turn out.
Hi. I am going to make the Paleo Orange-kissed loaf with dark chocolate but I don’t have enough maple syrup. Substitutions?
Thank you!!
A think a combo of maple syrup + honey should be ok! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Could I use 1 ½ cups of normal flour and ⅓ cup oat flour as a substitute for the flours?
If not, what would be a good idea?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried subbing the flour in this recipe, sorry!
this looks so delicious and yummy . i just love this recipe. thanks for sharing this amazing article and recipe.
Do you think Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour would work? Thanks.
I’m not sure. I usually don’t recommend subbing alternative flours in almond flour recipes because the texture will be really different. Sorry!
These were awesome! I added pistachios because I felt inspired from your other bread recipe with orange & pistachios but since I had the right flour to make this one and not the right flour to make that one I went with this one and was not disappointed. Very moist and perfect amount of sweet. I made them into muffins and they baked up in about 20ish minutes.
LOVE pistachios — such a great idea! And love that you turned it into muffins. Sounds amazing 🙂
Can I veganize this?
I haven’t tested it with flax eggs but let me know if you give it a try!
I made this last night and couldn’t wait till it cooled. My daughter and I ate half of it at 10 pm. I don’t think eating dessert at 10 pm is recommended for any diet let alone paleo, Needless to say this one is a keeper. Reading along to see what other dessert I can use almond flour in.
I’m glad you both loved it! Check out all of my almond flour recipes here 🙂
Um this is insane and probably one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Easy to make too! Thank you for this heavenly gift 🙏
Love that! Perfect treat 🙂
Holy guacamole!!! This loaf is AMAZING. I’m not sure why but it gave me an incredibly nostalgic feeling. The super dark chocolate is such a beautiful contrast. I could take or leave the chocolate, just the loaf is perfection.
Absolutely! So glad you loved it 🙂
Finally made this tonight and WOW it is unbelievable! Orange and chocolate are one of my all time favorite combos and this will be a repeat for sure! Thank you for another 5 star recipe!
Such a great combo! Glad you loved this one!
As a huge chocolate & orange fanatic, I had to give this recipe a try for a healthy work week pick-me-up. I was running low on almond flour, so I modified the recipe by halving it, and making 6 muffins instead of a loaf (cooked at same temp for just under 18 minutes). I also added a handful of chocolate chips to the batter, rather than making the drizzle. They are SO moist and tasty, with the perfect amount of orange flavour. Can’t wait until I get some more almond flour so that I can try the recipe again exactly as it’s written. Thanks for a great snack/dessert/breakfast recipe!
Perfect! I’m so glad the muffins worked out well. Sounds delicious!
I used half a cup of monkfruit sweetener and 1 tsp maple extract. Also, skipped the orange all together and added semisweet lily’s chocolate chips👌
I’m glad that worked out well!
I am not a huge Chocolate-Orange fan but tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out fabulous! I used regular milk because I did not have any almond milk and it turned out super moist. I used a 85 % Lindt Dark chocolate which everyone in the house loves!
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
I liked it. I substituted one small applesauce tub for the oil. Worked great. Center not firm enough for me so I won’t use a loaf pan next time. Something flatter. I’m at high altitude so that’s probably why. Thanks!
I’m glad the applesauce worked out well! At higher altitude you might have to just adjust the baking temp, too.
The batter seemed a bit dry – perhaps because I forgot to add the freshly squeezed OJ! No matter; even though the loaf had been baking for 10 min, I removed it from the oven and poured the OJ over the top, which included the very dark chocolate chips I had sprinkled on top, not wanting the melting chocolate step. Had also cut the recipe in half since I didn’t want us to finish it in one sitting, which we still did. With unsweetened vanilla almond milk alongside- yummy!!
Whoops! I’m glad you were able to salvage it! So delicious 🙂
This looks so good! Can I use regular milk instead of almond milk? I’m not paleo or vegan, just love anything with orange and chocolate!
Yes regular milk will work! Enjoy 🙂
Absolutely love this recipe! Instead of doing a chocolate glaze I split the batter into 2 and mixed 3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder with one half and then swirled them in together to do a marble type of orange chocolate loaf!
Perfect! Love that idea 🙂
This was great. Just enough orange flavor and very moist. The chocolate+orange combo is most excellent. Thank you for a great recipe!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
This cake is absolutely amazing! My boyfriend says it’s the best cake I’ve ever made. I think it’s the best cake I’ve ever eaten (including non-GF cakes!). It is so moist and the flavor is perfect. I don’t normally leave reviews on anything but I had to leave a review on this. This is going to be my go to cake to impress visitors from now on. Thank you Monique!
So happy to hear that, Lisa! Thanks for your review 🙂
I made this yesterday for my son’s birthday cake and it was delicious! I used slightly less maple syrup (1/4 cup) and added some cacao powder to the batter for extra chocolate flavor. I mixed in a tbsp of peanut butter and coconut oil with the dark chocolate chips for the glaze since I wanted it to harden. Great flavor and texture!
I’m glad those swaps worked out well! Love this for a birthday treat 🙂
Great recipe! My family gobbled this up. I did have to increase the maple syrup a bit since the batter wasn’t sweet enough with just the 1/3 cup of it. And I did find it to be a very soft cake, was a bit hard to keep it sturdy enough for a loaf. But man oh man was it yummy. Thank you for posting it!
Hmmm the bread should be plenty sweet with the 1/3 cup of maple syrup + chocolate drizzle, so the extra liquid may have made it a bit softer.Glad the whole family loved it regardless!
THREE days in a row I’ve made three different recipes from Ambitious Kitchen, and they’ve literally all been 5 stars!! Love this blog, love Monique, and love THIS RECIPE!!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that, Lindsay 🙂
SO delicious! Love any recipe that can be made in 10 minutes with one bowl, thank you!!
Only changes I made were:
skipped the glaze and added chocolate chips instead (reduced honey to 1/4 cup)
EVOO instead of coconut.
YUM!
Isn’t it easy? So delish! Glad those swaps worked out well!
Seriously obsessed with this bread. A must-make!
Finally made it, absolutely scrumptious! Thank you for your recipes Monique!💖💫💫💫
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Jana 🙂
Can I use agave for this recipe instead of honey? If so how much of it?
Yes you can! I would probably use the same amount.
This is one of the best recipes I’ve made in quite some time. It was perfect for Easter. So easy and SOOOOO good. The consistency is great, it holds together very well and not overly crumbly which I sometimes find when I bake with almond and coconut flours. I went with a 78% dark chocolate for the glaze.
Love this for Easter! So happy you enjoyed it. Dark chocolate is amazing on this.
[…] 4. Paleo Orange-Kissed Loaf with Dark Chocolate Glaze […]
Your recipes have never failed me. This loaf cake is amazing! I used monk-fruit sweetened maple syrup to cut down on the carbs & only used 1 oz of the dark chocolate & just drizzled it across the top. I baked it in 2 smaller loaf pans so that I could give one to a friend. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Glad those swaps worked out for you! So happy you’re finding some great recipes here. I hope your friend loved this loaf too 🙂
Great and surprising result…soooo good! My husband did not notice that it has no cereal flour 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Glad you both liked this one! 🙂
Omg this loaf is incredible! I freshly squeezed my own orange and it is sooo full of orangey deliciousness. Chocolate and orange is a heavenly combo. 😋
Love it!! Best combo <3