Vegan Pumpkin Bread

It’s moist, fluffy, pumpkin-spiced, and seriously cozy. Yes, this easy vegan pumpkin bread will change your life (we think).

Fuzzy blankets, wool sweaters and hot cider can’t hold a candle to this one. Yes, this vegan pumpkin bread is the ultimate in cozy. It’s perfectly moist and intensely pumpkin spiced. Even better, it’s light and fluffy: so you get your pumpkin spice fix without it being overly heavy or rich. Yes, it’s a seriously good pumpkin bread that happens to be plant-based too!

What makes the best pumpkin bread?

My sister has been staying with us for the past few weeks; she’s been living in Southeast Asia and is now relocating back to the US. So in the in-between, she’s been living with Alex, Larson and me here in Indianapolis. It’s seriously fun to have aunt Lisa around at this stage in Larson’s life. And it’s given us all the excuses to try out cozy recipes on her! There’s nothing like a loaf of pumpkin bread in the oven to make a house guest feel at home, right?

And when she tasted this one, she said, “This is the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had!” We hope you’ll think the same. And after making it, reader Rachel said, “Everyone loved it! It was so moist and delicious with a subtle bit of pumpkin and sweetness. It wasn’t overpowering like some recipes/box mixes!”

Here’s what makes this the best vegan pumpkin bread we’ve made:

It’s light and fluffy. Lots of pumpkin breads are dense and oily. This one won’t leave you with a stomach ache.
It’s just sweet enough. We’ve used a combination of sugar and maple syrup so that it’s sweet, but not too sweet.
It’s perfectly spiced. The pumpkin spice level here brings just the right amount of warmth, without overpowering.

Tips for making this vegan pumpkin bread

This pumpkin bread is vegan, so it’s fully plant-based. Vegan baking is not so different from traditional baking: it uses just a few tricks to stand in for dairy and eggs. Here are a few tips for making this bread:

Use flax eggs. Here we use flax eggs to stand in for traditional eggs. If you’ve never made a flax egg, it’s quick and easy: all you need is ground flax seed and water! You’ll wait 15 minutes for the egg to “gel”: and while you’re doing this, finish prepping the wets and dries.
Baking pan: This recipe uses a 9-inch loaf pan. You can also make it in an 8-inch pan, you may just have to bake a little longer.
*Loaf size: Note that we’ve made this pumpkin bread to be a small sized loaf to keep the serving size to a healthy level. Some pumpkin bread recipes use almost double the ingredients for the same pan. Here we’ve kept it deliberately smaller, so there are less calories per serving.

Make your own pumpkin spice

The best part of this vegan pumpkin bread is that it’s perfectly spiced! Here we’ve used our homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture. You can mix up a batch of your own, or feel free to use a store-bought blend. It’s actually perfect for gifts! A loaf of this pumpkin bread with a little container of pumpkin spice would be the most magical gift ever, in our minds! Here’s what’s in pumpkin spice:

Cinnamon
Ginger
Allspice
Cloves
Nutmeg

How to store it

What’s the best way to store this vegan pumpkin bread? One nice thing about quick breads is that they keep well at room temperature. (This is also true for our zucchini bread and vegan cornbread.) Typically when it’s around we can’t stay away from it, so it disappears quickly! Here’s what we’d recommend for storage:

Room temperature (2 to 3 days): Store at room temperature and cover it with a towel. The benefit of this method is that it stays well and tastes basically like it did the day of baking.
Refrigerated (1 week): Refrigerating your pumpkin bread helps it to stay fresher longer. We prefer letting it come to room temperature before serving.
Frozen (up to 3 months): To extend the life even further, pop your sliced bread into the freezer in a sealed container. It can last at least 3 months, or maybe more.

This vegan pumpkin bread recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

Easy Vegan Pumpkin Bread

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Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 12 slices

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Description

It’s moist, fluffy, pumpkin-spiced, and seriously cozy. Yes, this easy vegan pumpkin bread will change your life (we think).

Ingredients

2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 5 tablespoons water)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (purchased or homemade)
1/4 cup roasted salted pepitas, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch bread pan with coconut oil or oil.
Start the flax eggs (let them soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the next ingredients).
In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla.
In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
When the flax egg is done, whisk it into the bowl with the liquids. Then slowly mix in the dry ingredients until just combined and smooth (don’t over stir). Pour the batter into the bread pan. Sprinkle with pepitas and pat them down gently.
Bake 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan until room temperature. Run a knife around the edges and invert. Slice into pieces and serve. Stores for about 3 days at room temperature (keep on a cutting board and cover with a towel) or freeze in slices for a few months.

Category: Bread
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American