Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Nothing says autumn more than a kitchen filled with the cozy fragrance of a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread.

Our vegan pumpkin bread is a classic recipe that everyone loves. It’s quick and easy to make and excellent for a festive breakfast or a cozy coffee date with friends.

You’ll love our recipe because it’s packed with an irresistible flavor, a tender texture, it’s without eggs and dairy-free, and is probably the easiest loaf you’ll ever bake.

So, let’s celebrate the wonderful fall season and cut ourselves a slice of pumpkin happiness.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Dry Ingredients

• Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for baking.
• Salt: Just a pinch, preferably sea salt or kosher salt.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda: optional; it makes a softer crumb and a darker color.

Wet Ingredients

• Plant milk: We use almond milk. Any other plant milk works; we tried soy milk, oat milk, and rice milk.
• Sugar: You can choose white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or palm sugar. Depending on your taste, you can add more or less sugar; we recommend a minimum of 1/2 cup and a maximum of 1 cup. We have not tried maple syrup.
• Neutral oil: We use olive oil for baking (not extra virgin olive oil). Substitute avocado oil or any other neutral vegetable oil, such as canola or sunflower oil or for melted vegan butter. Full disclaimer: Olive and avocado oil are the healthier choice. Substitute applesauce for oil.
• Pumpkin puree: canned pumpkin puree is perfect here.

Spices & Aromas

• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Ginger: You can use fresh grated ginger or powdered ginger.

You can substitute pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice blend for all the spices above.

Optional Add-Ins

• Orange zest: This is optional. Grated orange zest adds a wonderful aroma to this vegan pumpkin bread. Substitute orange aroma or vanilla extract.
• Chopped walnuts or pecans
• Dark chocolate chips
• Pepitas or pumpkin seeds (best for topping, but we are not the biggest fans)

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line your 9 x 5 inches (23cm x 12cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.

To a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, almond milk, cinnamon, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, allspice, and grated ginger.

Whisk until well combined.

Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir with a spatula until combined but without overmixing.

Pour the batter to your loaf pan and bake at 350°F or 180°C for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Tip: Sprinkle the top with a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon sugar for a crowd-winning topping.

Let it cool down for 10 minutes in the loaf pan, then take it out and cool down on a cooling rack before slicing.

Tahini glazed pumpkin bread

Are you looking for a decadent yet healthy-ish glaze for your pumpkin bread?

Then we recommend this delicious tahini glaze made with two tablespoons of tahini, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and a couple of tablespoons of water.

Whisk the ingredients in a bowl and add more water for a pourable consistency.

The nutty, rich flavor of tahini and the spiced pumpkin flavor are a match made in heaven.

Don’t overmix the batter: This is possibly the easiest baking recipe ever. The only tip we can give you is not to overmix the batter.

Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, and your pumpkin bread will turn out heavy and gummy if you overmix the batter.

Make ahead: This pumpkin bread recipe is excellent to make 2 to 3 days ahead and keep ready to enjoy in the kitchen.

Room temperature: Store at room temperature for up to 3 days in plastic wrap or a plastic bag to keep soft.

Refrigerator: After the third day, transfer the loaf to the fridge. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week, wrapped tightly in plastic. Reheat for 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.

Freezer: Let the loaf cool down completely, wrap it tight, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or the microwave.

If you love pumpkin and winter squash, find more dinner inspiration with these vibrant and colorful meals:

• Kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) soup
• Pumpkin pasta
• Roasted kabocha squash
• Kabocha squash pasta
• Roasted butternut squash

Get more breakfast and snack inspiration with these easy, healthy breads:

• Vegan zucchini bread
• Banana bread
• Zucchini banana bread
• Banana nut bread

For many more easy dessert ideas, check out our desserts category page.