Easy, super moist and fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Bread with a sparkly sugar top and mix-ins of choice. I like dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, but chocolate chips are great too!
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FEATURED COMMENT:
"OMG! This is absolutely delicious (and so easy to put together!). I love the addition of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds - genius idea! Another winning recipe, Mel! Thanks for helping me make Autumn even tastier than usual!" - Leigh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Hello, fall, hello pumpkin, and hello, my new and improved Vegan Pumpkin Bread!
This recipe has been here on the AVV website since 2017, and although many of you love it, I just knew it could be better. So I've retested it and tweaked the recipe to make it fluffier, moister, slightly sweeter, and a whole lot more pumpkinny. It was good before, but now it's incredible!
This hearty and delicious vegan pumpkin quick bread is packed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavours, and trust me on the black pepper addition - I know it sounds odd! It's just a little bit, and you would never be able to pick it out flavour-wise, but it adds a certain something, something that you can't quite put your finger on. Honestly, it's what sets this recipe apart, so don't skip it!
We've also got amazing texture going on, thanks to the sugary, crusty top, and delicious, very customizable mix-ins. For the best vegan pumpkin bread, I really love dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for their colour, crunch, and chew, but you could add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or omit them altogether if you're a pumpkin bread purist.
Smear thick slices of this classic fall favourite with vegan butter or almond butter and enjoy for breakfast or snacks throughout fall and beyond!
Mel x
P.S. Don't worry if you really loved the old vegan pumpkin bread recipe. I've copied and pasted the old recipe into the FAQs, and if you're looking for a much more decadent pumpkin treat, check out my Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting!
⭐️ Important Ingredient Note
The use of dark brown sugar is intentional in this recipe, and I don't recommend using any other type. The caramel undertones work really well with the pumpkin flavour, so it's the best choice flavour-wise, but more importantly, dark brown sugar is acidic. This acid reacts with the baking soda, creating bubbles which make the pumpkin bread light, fluffy, and well-risen. If you use any other kind of sugar, you will not get the best results.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! I saved it here just in case. Here it is:
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour (or spelt/wholewheat or 1 for 1 GF all-purpose baking flour)
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb in the UK)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice (or switch the 3 individual spices for 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice)
⅔ packed cup (100 grams) dried cranberries
½ cup (75 grams) pumpkin seeds
1 slightly heaping cup (260 grams) pumpkin puree
¾ cup (180 ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk
INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch or 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Lay a strip of baking parchment down the length of the pan with some overhang at each end to make the loaf easier to remove when cooked.
2 - Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.
3 - Add the pumpkin puree and milk to another bowl or a jug and mix them together.
4 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined to form a stiff batter.
5 - Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
6 - Bake for about 55 minutes or until golden and starting to come away from the sides of the pan. Test it by inserting a skewer, toothpick or sharp knife into the centre. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, give it a few more minutes.
7 - Remove from the pan, peel off the paper, and cool on a wire rack.
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Author:Ingredients
- 1 x 15oz (425g) can pumpkin puree , (398ml can in Canada)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) dairy-free milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) liquid oil , such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, or light olive
- 1 packed cup (200 grams) dark brown sugar (don't use any other type as the acidity is important)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves , (or use 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead of the nutmeg, cloves, and ginger - be sure to still add the cinnamon)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cup (281 grams) all-purpose flour , (plain in the UK) or the same weight (not volume) of spelt or 1 for 1 GF all-purpose baking flour with xanthan gum
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarb in the UK)
- granulated sugar for sprinkling over the top
MIX-INS
- ½ packed cup (75 grams) dried cranberries
- ½ cup (75 grams) pumpkin seeds , or use a similar amount (about 1 cup) of any other mix-ins such as nuts, seeds, chocolate chips.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Lay a strip of baking parchment down the length of the pan with some overhang at each end to make the loaf easier to remove when cooked.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, milk, oil, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, pepper, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Add the flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the baking powder and baking soda over the top. Stir to combine, being careful not to overmix.
- Add the mix-ins (reserving a few to decorate the top) and fold through gently.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula so it's level, then decorate with the reserved mix-ins and a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar.
- Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until golden and crusty, starting to come away from the sides of the pan, and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If using a black/dark pan, it might be ready a few minutes earlier.
- Leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper as handles. Place on a wire rack, peel off the paper, and allow to cool completely.
NOTES
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Fatima says
Make this pumpkin loaf! It’s so good, very quick to come together thanks to the easy to follow instructions. The spices are perfect. I added half cup of chopped walnuts as that’s what I had on hand. I baked it in an 8 x 8 pan because I’m impatient and wanted it ready faster. Baked in about 35 minutes this way. Turned out a lovely high snack cake. Just a word of caution, it’s one of those vanishing cakes. Will be my go to pumpkin cake/loaf recipe.
Thank you Mel for sharing another delicious recipe.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you’re enjoying it, Fatima!
CW says
I've made it 3 times and good heavens, it's tasty.
Judy mann says
Why so much sugar and why that type of oil when you could use aquafaba and applesauce?
Melanie McDonald says
It's cake, and if I'm going out of my way to make and eat a cake then I want it to be great and not a less good, healthy version.
Sugar and fat are very important for both the flavour and the chemical structure of baked goods. Without them they don't taste as good, the texture isn't as good, they don't rise or brown as much, and they stale quicker.
RE the oil - I'm not sure what you mean by "that type of oil". Any neutral liquid oil can be used and I give a few different examples. Aquafaba and applesauce are not a source of fat and would introduce way too much moisture to an already moist cake.
All of my recipes are tested thoroughly, and this recipe as written gives excellent results. If it's not for you though Judy, you don't have to make it. Feel free to look for another recipe that suits your needs. No recipe is going to be a good fit for everyone.
I hope that helps. Have a lovely weekend!