Vegan Pumpkin Bread
This insanely delicious vegan pumpkin bread is soft, and moist! It uses a whole can of pumpkin puree, is packed with warm spices and comes together in just one bowl.
This quick bread is perfect for breakfast or as a snack in Fall/Autumn, just like my pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies or cinnamon quick bread.
Simple ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Pumpkin puree, either canned or homemade (I’ve tested this pumpkin bread with both)! I love using Libby’s canned pumpkin puree as it’s thicker than most brands. If you use homemade pumpkin puree, ensure it has a consistency similar to the above picture. To make your own pumpkin puree, scroll to the section ‘How do I make pumpkin puree at home.’
All-purpose flour. Please sift your flour if it’s lumpy. This recipe also works well with King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten-free flour!
Light brown sugar for depth of flavor. If you prefer a lighter loaf, you can use part or all granulated sugar. To make this refined sugar-free, use coconut sugar, granulated stevia or erythritol.
Dairy-free milk. I prefer using soy milk in baking as its protein content makes breads/muffins more tender. However, any milk will work, such as oat milk or almond milk.
Dairy-free yogurt helps bind the pumpkin bread batter. Alternatively, you use unsweetened applesauce or a flax egg made from mixing flaxseed meal with water. Your pumpkin bread will still work without these, but it’ll be more crumbly.
Baking powder AND baking soda to ensure the bread rises well and isn’t too dense or moist, unlike many pumpkin bread recipes.
Prepare the streusel
This vegan pumpkin bread is incredible with a streusel topping but it’s totally optional and still delicious without! If you’re making the streusel, I recommend making it first.
Simply mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until combined. The mixture may be a little soft depending on the temperature of your butter. Chilling the mixture in the refrigerator will help set the streusel.
How to make vegan pumpkin bread
I specially developed this recipe so the batter comes together in one large bowl! Here are my top tips for a soft pumpkin bread that isn’t too dry or moist:
- Measure the flour accurately using the spoon and level method. Or use an electric kitchen scale. Adding too much flour to the batter will make the bread dry and dense.
- Use fresh baking powder and soda. Old baking powder and soda aren’t as effective and will result in dense bread.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the batter until JUST combined. Please stop mixing when you can’t see any pockets of flour or pumpkin puree.
Your final pumpkin bread batter should be thick!
Tips for baking the loaf
This recipe makes a tall vegan pumpkin bread that will take over 1 hour to bake.
If your oven runs hot or has a strong upper heating element, the top of your pumpkin bread may brown quickly. If so, gently cover your loaf pan with aluminum foil and reduce your oven temperature by 50°F (10°C).
When you remove the pumpkin bread from the oven, let it cool in the pan for around 15 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack. If you let the bread cool in the pan, the bottom may develop a dense line and become soggy.
Serving the pumpkin bread
It’s best to slice this pumpkin bread when it has mostly cooled down or is at room temperature. Cakes and quick breads are always more crumbly when they’re hot from the oven! This loaf is even easier to slice the next day.
If you have leftover pumpkin bread, you can keep it at room temperature for a few days, or store individual slices in the freezer. Leftovers are also delicious in my pumpkin trifle!
Customizing this vegan pumpkin bread recipe
Yes, some delicious add-ins are:
– chopped pecans, walnuts or pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
– cranberries
– a cinnamon sugar layer, for example from my pumpkin coffee cake recipe.
On top of the bread, you can add:
– a crumb topping such as the one from my pumpkin muffins
– chopped pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips or rolled oats
For a decadent chocolate pumpkin dessert, check out my pumpkin marble cake!
The easiest way to make pumpkin puree is:
1. Remove the skin and seeds of a large pumpkin. Cut it into chunks.
2. Steam or boil the pumpkin until tender.
3. Allow the pumpkin to cool then puree it in a food processor or blender. You may need to stop your appliance and scrape down the sides a few times.
This recipe bakes a little differently in different pans. Instead, check out my pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin coffee cake.
More vegan pumpkin recipes
Or see my full collection of vegan Thanksgiving desserts!
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Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
Wet ingredients for pumpkin bread
- 15 ounces (425g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup – 1 ¼ cups (200-250g) packed light brown sugar, or granulated cane sugar, to taste (note 1)
- ½ cup (110g) neutral flavored oil
- ⅓ cup (85g) dairy-free milk
- ¼ cup (55g) dairy-free yogurt, room temperature (note 2 for alternatives)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Dry ingredients for pumpkin bread
- 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled (note 3)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, (note 4 for homemade blend)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Streusel topping (optional, note 5 for maple glaze)
- ⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose plain flour
- ¼ cup (20g) raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons (30g) melted vegan butter, cooled
- 2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper (note 6).
To make the streusel topping: (optional)
- Add all ingredients for the topping to a small bowl. Mix with a spoon or your fingertips until combined. The mixture should be flaky and crumbly. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
Prepare the pumpkin bread:
- Add the wet ingredients including the sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until there are no big lumps of flour or streaks of wet ingredients.
- Pour or scoop the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the streusel on top.
Bake the pumpkin bread:
- Bake the bread for around 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. If you didn't make the streusel topping, it will take around 1 hour 5 minutes to bake. The length of time will hugely depend on how hot your oven runs. If you insert a toothpick in the center, there shouldn't be any wet batter on it, though some moist crumbs are fine.
- Allow the bread to cool in the tin for around 15 minutes then transfer to cool on a cooling rack.
- When the pumpkin bread is at room temperature, cut with a serrated knife and enjoy! The bread is wonderful by itself or you can toast a slice and serve with vegan butter.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. Or store individual slices in the freezer for up to 1 month. However, it usually doesn't last that long in my home!
Video
Notes
- For a mildly sweet bread, use 1 cup of sugar or if you prefer a sweeter pumpkin bread, use 1 1/4 cup of sugar. This is a tall loaf with a lot of flour and this amount of sugar is needed for a flavorful loaf. Light brown sugar provides the best flavor. However, you can use part or all granulated sugar (for a fluffier bread) or coconut sugar (for a refined sugar-free bread).
- Alternatively, you can use 1/4 cup (60g) of unsweetened applesauce. Or mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl then mix it with the wet ingredients. If you’re in a pinch, the pumpkin bread will work without yogurt, applesauce or a flax egg but it will be more crumbly.
- Make sure you measure the flour accurately otherwise, your bread will be dry and dense. If you’re using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you fluff up the flour in the bag, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I don’t recommend using the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container as this usually packs in too much flour. Alternatively, use the grams measurements.
Gluten-free version: This recipe works well with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour, and no other changes. The bread is almost identical to the regular version! - To make your own pumpkin spice, use 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. If you don’t have any nutmeg, ginger or cloves, add more cinnamon.
- To make a maple glaze as shown in the pictures, mix around 1/4 cup (30g) of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon (20g) of maple syrup. Add more sugar for a thicker glaze or more maple syrup for a thinner glaze.
- If you make the pumpkin bread with 1 1/4 cups of sugar and the crumble topping, it’s best to use an 9-inch loaf pan as the bread will rise more. Or you can use a tall 8-inch loaf pan with extra parchment paper that sits tall and above the rim. The sugar makes the loaf rise more but the crumble weighs down the loaf so the bread needs a little extra space, especially at the sides.
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Made this pumpkin bread the other day and it is to die for!!! I didn’t use the glaze and it was still tasty and moist and just lovely. Plan on making for Thanksgiving to give to family!!!
Try it, you won’t be disappointed!!
Aw thank you so much for your kind review Barbara! Happy baking and I hope your family love it too!