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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LeAnn says
Very tasty!
Margaret says
I would like to do this in a bunt cake pan. Would you suggest doubling it?
elena says
What a great recipe, easy, healthy, and addictive!!!Glad it can be frozen, other ways…Made it with spelt flour, I reduced the sugar to 100gm only (pumpkin too sweet). And as I didn’t have enough cranberries I completed the 100 g, with dry blue berries and…cooked in the bread maker (baking only setting for 59 minutes, super perfect.
I always enjoy making and eating your recipes, thanks Melanie
Sarah says
Delicious! made this and shared at a workshop i was co-hosting. everyone loved it and folks were amazed it was vegan.
Your baked good recipes are always great! thanks Melanie!!
Melanie McDonald says
That's so kind Sarah. I'm really pleased it went down well at the workshop!
Chantelle D. says
This recipe worked out great!
I used 1/2 flax and 3 cups flour to double the recipe and substituted pecans instead of pumpkin seeds, as it was what I had on hand. Thanks for the recipe!
Teresa says
Thank you for this! I collect pumpkins every year after people discard them post-Thanksgiving. This year I had 30+ pumpkins of all sorts to use up. I still have many to go. But every single one, I've made at least two loaves of this recipe. I use fresh cranberries when I can find them, and have subbed walnuts and pecans, or throw in a handful of flax meal or oatmeal. It's a very forgiving, moist, delicious recipe. So happy to have a good, moist pumpkin bread that doesn't require oil or egg substitute.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you are enjoying the recipe Teresa. I love that you are using up all the local pumpkins that would otherwise be wasted. Good for you!
Julie says
I love recipes that don't contain oil or egg! This bread was a big hit. I subbed brown sugar for the coconut sugar but next time I'll reduce it a little. I made it with spelt and the texture was fantastic.
Julie says
I tried this recipe with apple sauce instead of pumpkin and it worked great. I also used 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of the coconut flour. The texture was fantastic.
Alva says
This recipe was a huge hit! I live in Sweden and when I finally could find canned pumpkin in my supermarket I was so excited to bake this. I didn't have coconut sugar so I substituted it for ca 120g maple syrup. I have a hot fan oven so it was done in about 40 minutes. Now the whole house smells amazing. ????
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and that you were able to work out a sub for the coconut sugar. Thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Stephanie says
I made this for a church breakfast because we have two members who are vegan and they were thrilled. Everyone loved it and asked me for the recipe! I used walnuts instead of pumpkin seeds because I couldn't find them at the store. I used coconut milk it was delicious! Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased everyone enjoyed it Stephanie. I bet walnuts were great in it!
Johanne R says
This is a great recipe! Thank you so much for sharing! It has great flavor & texture!
Karla says
Can I make these in a cupcake pan?
A Virtual Vegan says
You could yes. I would bake it at the same temp, probably for about 22-25 mins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Lyne Brunelle says
Wow!!
Yasmine says
How much pumkin?
A Virtual Vegan says
All the ingredient and their quantities are listed. The pumpkin is in the wet ingredient list.
Alison says
Looks delish!! In the oven right now!! I used stevia as sweetener and also subbed fresh cranberries for dried!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Alison. I hope you enjoy it!
Paul Hanrahan says
This is a great recipe because it uses no oil or egg. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Paul!
Sarah says
Brought this to a potluck and everyone LOVED it!! Even non-vegans! I used brown sugar and reduced it to 1/2 C and added some chocolate chunks instead of seeds. I will definitely be making this again:)
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you and everyone else enjoyed it! I should totally make a chocolate version for the blog!
Elina says
Made this yesterday using just a bit less ginger and more cinnamon, given personal preferences. Had to use brown sugar rather than coconut, because that's what we had at home, and tossed in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for crunch. It. Was. Incredible. My dad, for whom we baked this, can't stop raving about it.
Will be remaking this ASAP, and trying a reduced sugar version out of curiosity. If it has less sugar, that means you can guiltlessly eat half a loaf in one sitting, yeah? ????
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it! Be careful with reducing the sugar as it doesn't just provide sweetness, it gives structure in cakes. If you reduce it too much it will affect the rise and texture. Have fun experimenting though! Anything that means you can eat it guiltlessly is a good thing! ;O)
Genyvieve says
Just made these and they were delicious!! Thanks!!
I reduced sugar to 1/2 cup and cranberries and pepitas to 1/4 c each and still fantastic.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Jan says
GREAT recipe. The pumkin seeds and cranberries add nice texture. I used heaping spoons full of the spices and went with the option to use cloves (I really enjoy the flavor of cloves) and I was very happy with the outcome. It holds well for days and doesn't loose a bit if flavor. It also froze well. I will make this year round and as Christmas gifts.
Mel, Thank You for this amazing recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Jan. I'm so glad you are enjoying it!
Steve says
Thanks it turned out great!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it!