Pumpernickel Bread substitute

Best substitute

Dark Rye Bread

Use the same amount as the pumpernickel bread you are replacing

Best for Reuben sandwiches

Close match

Dark rye bread is the closest swap and goes slice for slice. A dense German Vollkornbrot or Danish rugbrod is even nearer in texture if your store carries it. If all you have is ordinary bread, use a firm whole-wheat or sourdough and toast it, because pumpernickel's real job in a sandwich is structural: it is the sturdy, slightly sweet-sour raft that holds wet corned beef and sauerkraut without turning to mush. You lose the near-black colour and the malty edge, which you can partly buy back by brushing each slice with a little molasses thinned with water before toasting.

Other pumpernickel bread substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2German Vollkornbrot or Danish Rugbrod
Different taste
Use the same amount
The closest match for density and moisture, since both are whole-rye breads baked in a tin.
What changes
Expect visible seeds and a much more sour flavour instead of pumpernickel's malty sweetness, so a smorrebrod-style open sandwich tastes sharper and more assertive.
Best for
open sandwiches, smorrebrod, canapes, with butter and cheese
Prep. Slice thin, about 1 cm. These breads are heavy and a thick slice overwhelms the topping.
Sold vacuum-packed in small dense loaves. A little goes a long way compared with a bakery loaf.
3Light Rye Brushed with Molasses
Different texture
Use the same amount plus ½ tsp molasses per slice
A deliberate fake that works well when the colour matters, as it does for party rye canapes.
What changes
Thin 1/2 teaspoon of molasses with an equal amount of water, brush one side of each slice, and toast. You get most of the dark colour and the sweet malty note, though the crumb stays lighter and springier than real pumpernickel.
Best for
party rye canapes, cocktail squares, when colour matters
Prep. Brush, then toast in a dry pan or a 350F/175C oven for 5 minutes until the surface dries and darkens.
Do not use blackstrap molasses; it is bitter. Regular or dark molasses only.
4Whole-Wheat or Multigrain Sourdough
Different taste
Use the same amount
Wheat rather than rye, so the flavour reads nutty and sour instead of malty and earthy, and the colour is plainly light.
What changes
Sourdough's tight, strong crumb is the reason it works structurally: toasted, it stands up to sauerkraut and dressing about as well as pumpernickel does.
Best for
Reuben sandwiches, grilled sandwiches, toast
Prep. Toast or butter-griddle both sides before filling.
The one option most people already have in the house. Add a pinch of caraway to the butter if you miss the rye character.
5Rye Crispbread or Wasa Crackers
Different texture
Use 1 cracker for every bread square
For canapes and party squares only.
What changes
The rye flavour is right and the pieces stay perfectly square, but they snap rather than chew and they go soft within twenty minutes of meeting a wet topping. Useless for a sandwich.
Best for
canapes, cocktail bites, cheese boards
Prep. Snap into squares and top no more than 15 minutes before serving.
Top with something dry-ish such as butter and radish rather than anything dressed.
6Dark Gingerbread or Chocolate Cake Crumbs
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight, desserts only
Some German and Baltic desserts layer toasted pumpernickel crumbs with cream and fruit.
What changes
Gingerbread or plain chocolate cake crumbs get the dark colour and the sweetness, but they are missing the sour rye tang that makes the dessert interesting rather than just sweet. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the cream to compensate.
Best for
pumpernickel trifles, crumb layers, dessert toppings
Prep. Dry the crumbs in a low oven for 10 minutes so they stay crunchy in the layers.
Only for sweet uses. Do not put these anywhere near a sandwich.

What is Pumpernickel Bread?

Pumpernickel Bread is a very dark, dense German rye bread made from coarsely ground whole rye and baked long and slow, which is where its near-black colour and faintly sweet, malty flavour come from.

Cooking tips

Check what you actually bought. Supermarket pumpernickel in North America is usually a soft light rye coloured with caramel or cocoa, while true German Schwarzbrot is a dense, almost fudgy black bread. The soft kind is fine for a Reuben but too floppy for canapes.
For party rye squares, freeze the loaf for 20 minutes and cut with a long serrated knife. Cold, firm bread gives clean square edges; room-temperature dense rye tears.
Pumpernickel dries hard rather than going mouldy. Ten seconds of steam in a covered pan, or three minutes wrapped in foil at 300F/150C, brings a stale slice back.
If you are baking with rye flour and want the pumpernickel character, add 1 teaspoon molasses plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa and a pinch of instant coffee per cup of flour. That combination, not extra rye, is what makes the colour and the malt.
When you swap in a wheat bread for a Reuben, butter and griddle both faces first so the sauerkraut and dressing meet a sealed surface. This is the single fix that stops a substitute sandwich going soggy.

Frequently asked questions

Is pumpernickel the same as rye bread?

Both are rye, but they are not the same bread. Pumpernickel uses coarse whole rye and is baked very long at low heat, traditionally many hours, which caramelises the grain and produces the near-black colour and the sweet malty flavour. Ordinary rye bread is finer-milled rye blended with wheat flour and baked hot and fast, so it is lighter, springier and more sour than sweet.

Can I just leave it out?

Not when it is the bread, because a sandwich needs bread. Use any of the swaps above instead. If pumpernickel is only a garnish, a crumb topping or one item on a bread basket, you can leave it out without hurting the dish.

What bread should I use for a Reuben if I have no rye at all?

Sourdough is the best non-rye choice because its tight crumb resists the wet filling. A sturdy Kaiser roll or a ciabatta roll also works if you want a handheld version. Toast or griddle whatever you use, and skip soft white sandwich bread, which collapses.

Is pumpernickel gluten free?

No. Rye contains gluten, and most commercial pumpernickel also contains wheat flour. There is no traditional gluten-free pumpernickel; a dark gluten-free seeded loaf is the nearest option and it will not taste the same.

Why is German pumpernickel so much darker than the loaf at my supermarket?

Real Westphalian pumpernickel is steam-baked in a sealed tin for many hours at low temperature, which slowly darkens the rye itself. Most bakeries do not have the time or the equipment, so they bake a normal rye and darken it with caramel colour, cocoa or coffee. Both are sold as pumpernickel.

Related substitutes

More grains & starches substitutes

Pumpernickel Bread substitute

Other pumpernickel bread substitutes

2German Vollkornbrot or Danish Rugbrod

3Light Rye Brushed with Molasses

4Whole-Wheat or Multigrain Sourdough

5Rye Crispbread or Wasa Crackers

6Dark Gingerbread or Chocolate Cake Crumbs