Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Tender, fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Bread topped with a luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting is the perfect breakfast or snack to enjoy during the fall months. This loaf is easy to make with simple pantry staples and is filled with cozy pumpkin pie spices. It’s so delicious that you’ll want to make this recipe on repeat all season long!
This vegan pumpkin bread might just be one of my favorite pumpkin recipes of all time (besides my fluffy pumpkin waffles and my grandma’s pumpkin dessert bars). It’s tender, moist, infused with warm, cozy spices and so delicious that it’s bound to become a forever family favorite.
This was the greatest vegan pumpkin recipe I’ve ever tried. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything! It competes right a long side the one I make with dairy and oil and loads of sugar! This one is so much healthier and very tasty!
— Joan
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Perfect taste and texture: Once you start, you will not be able to stop eating this dairy-free pumpkin bread, it’s SO good! My whole family is obsessed!
- Easy to prep: You can have this recipe prepped and ready to bake in no time. No mixer is required!
- Customizable: Make this bread exactly how you like it! It’s wonderful with or without the frosting. Plus, you can add nuts or chocolate chips.
Ingredients you’ll need
This vegan pumpkin bread recipe is made with simple ingredients! Plus, we’re adding in lots of cozy flavor with plenty of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices to make each slice scream fall. Here’s what you’ll need:
See exact measurements in the recipe card below!
- Canned pumpkin puree: Real pumpkin puree is a must for real pumpkin flavor! Make sure to use 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added spices and sugar.
- Oil: Use a light olive oil or melted coconut oil to add moisture and richness.
- Apple cider vinegar: The acidity in 1 tbsp reacts with the baking soda and helps the loaf rise as it bakes.
- Warm unsweetened almond milk: Any non-dairy milk will work to add moisture to the batter.
- Pure vanilla extract: Boosts the sweet flavor.
- Ground flaxseed meal: This vegan egg replacer helps to bind the loaf together and give it structure. You do not actually have to make a flax egg, though.
- Flour: All-purpose flour makes for the lightest, fluffiest quick bread.
- Light brown sugar: For the perfect amount of sweetness and wonderful texture. Sub with coconut sugar, if you’d like.
- Baking essentials: Baking powder and baking soda will help the loaf have plenty of lift and the salt balances the flavors.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Provides warm and cozy flavor.
- For the frosting: The luscious cream cheese frosting is made with powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, vanilla, lemon juice, and almond milk to thin.
Substitutions and variations
- Pumpkin substitute: Pureed butternut squash or sweet potato could work to replace the pumpkin, though the taste may be a little different.
- Flour: If you’d like a boost of nutrition, opt for using 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is another healthier alternative to all-purpose flour that would work great. I haven’t tried this recipe with a gluten-free alternative, but a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour would probably work.
- Pumpkin spice: For the three teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice that this recipe calls for, you can combine two teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 slightly heaping teaspoon ground cloves or allspice.
- Garnish: Add a little nutty crunch with either pumpkin seeds or chopped walnuts or pecans. You can also skip the cream cheese icing and add a crunchy sugar coating like in my classic pumpkin bread recipe.
- Glaze: Instead of the cream cheese frosting, try a drizzle of glaze. You can use my simple vanilla glaze from my pumpkin coffee cake.
How to make this recipe
This vegan pumpkin loaf is really easy to mix together! You don’t need any special equipment to make it – not even an electric mixer!
See the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Prepare an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or oil, and preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and set aside.
Step 2: In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients until combined.
Step 3: Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently mix everything together until combined, but don’t over-mix.
Step 4: Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan, being sure to smooth out the top of the batter. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Step 5: Remove the bread from the oven. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Step 6: As the bread cools, prepare the cream cheese icing by mixing all frosting ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
Step 7: Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the bread, slice and serve. You can sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds or chopped pecans, if you’d like.
Helpful tips
Here are my top tips for making a perfect loaf of vegan pumpkin bread:
- Use two bowls: The texture will be best if you use separate bowls for wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Don’t just mix everything together in one bowl.
- Don’t over-mix: Avoid over-mixing the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. This can make your bread overly dense.
- Use the right loaf pan: I recommend using an 8×4-inch loaf pan for this recipe. You will see that some quick bread recipes call for a 9×5-inch pan. If you only have a 9×5-inch pan, your loaf may not be as tall and will require a shorter bake time so adjust accordingly!
- Don’t bake in a glass bread pan: Glass is an insulator, not a conductor of heat, making it slow to heat up and slow to cool down. This can cause the loaf to bake unevenly by over-baking on the outer edges and under-baking in the center.
- Cover with foil: If the bread starts to brown too fast, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the loaf.
Frequently asked questions
To ensure your loaf is perfectly baked, I recommend testing it a little early with a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, then it’s ready, if not place it back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
If your vegan pumpkin bread came out dry, it’s possible you didn’t measure the flour correctly. Using kitchen scales to measure the flour by grams is the most precise way to measure. If you don’t have scales, spoon (don’t scoop) the flour into the measuring cup, then without shaking the cup level off the top. It’s also possible your oven was too hot, or you baked the bread for too long.
Once bread is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it at room temperature for a few days. After three days, you may want to place it in the fridge to prolong its life for up to about 7 days.
Storage recommendations
- Storing: This vegan pumpkin bread will store best at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The bread can be refrigerated to extend its shelf life, but doing so will make the bread a bit dense.
- Freezing: If you’d like to freeze the bread, wait to prepare the icing until after the bread has been defrosted and is ready to eat. To freeze, completely cool the loaf on a wire rack until room temperature. Tightly wrap the bread in plastic wrap, then store it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost the bread on the counter at room temperature for about 4 hours, then top with the icing as usual.
More fall dessert recipes
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup (248g) pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (68g) light olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon (13g) apple cider vinegar , (or lemon juice)
- ⅔ cup (154g) warm unsweetened almond milk , (or plant-based milk of choice)
- 1 teaspoon (5g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (15g) flaxseed meal , (or chia seeds)
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup (260g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (9g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (5g) pumpkin pie spice* (see note)
Cream cheese frosting
- 3/4 cup (87g) powdered sugar
- 2 ounces (56g) vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons (28g) softened vegan butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- almond milk, as needed to thin
- pumpkin seeds or chopped pecans, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or oil, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients until combined. Form a well in the middle and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently mix everything together until combined, but don’t over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan, being sure to smooth out the top of the batter.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- As it cools, prepare the cream cheese icing by mixing everything together in a bowl until smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the bread, slice and serve. You can sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds or chopped pecans, if you’d like.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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The best pumpkin bread recipe I have made, and I have tried many. Moist and delicious! I added about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the mix and omitted the frosting. I also increased the amount of pumpkin pie spice. I will keep this on regular rotation.
Sounds delish!
This was awesome, Kim! Loved the flavor, texture and that it was a bit healthier than your typical pumpkin bread recipe.
Thanks, girl! Glad you enjoyed!
I was looking for a vegan pumpkin bread recipe and stumbled here, this looks so delicious! Can I sub the flour 1:1 with GF flour?
Thank you! I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it would work fine.
This was the greatest vegan pumpkin recipe I’ve ever tried. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything! It competes right a long side the one I make with dairy and oil and loads of sugar! This one is so much healthier and very tasty!
Oh that makes me so happy!! Thanks so much for your comment!
Delicious!!! I also threw in some toasted pecans and mini chocolate chips (non-dairy). Thanks for the recipe 🙂