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This fluffy, warmly spiced, and perfectly sweet Vegan Pumpkin Loaf is the ultimate fall breakfast or dessert. Drizzle the easy maple glaze over top to make every slice completely irresistible! Vegan, Gluten-Free and Oil-Free Options.
One taste and you’ll be head over heels for this cozy Vegan Pumpkin Bread. Baked to tall and fluffy perfection, it’s a melt-in-your-mouth treat that’s just sweet enough and spiced with warm pumpkin pie spices, while the velvety cream cheese maple glaze glistens on the outside. It’s so unbelievably delicious, you’ll be tempted to eat the whole loaf yourself!
Table of Contents
Indulge in the Flavors of Fall
To me, fall means one thing: pumpkin in everything! I wait all year for this winter squash to be socially acceptable in season. There’s no denying that pumpkin in a creamy pasta sauce or fluffy baked goods takes it to the next level, whether you’re as pumpkin-obsessed as I am or not.
Speaking of next-level pumpkin recipes, this Easy Vegan Pumpkin Bread Recipe is a must-try. It’s made with only 10 fall baking staples, loaded with real pumpkin and cozy spices, and topped with a cream cheese maple glaze to make it the perfect drool-worthy breakfast or fall dessert!
Indulge in a slice (or two) whenever a pumpkin craving hits. It’s perfect for sharing with friends and family or enjoying all to yourself.
Ingredients for Vegan Pumpkin Bread
This cozy fall bread is a breeze to make from scratch using 10 simple ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour: the moderate amount of protein in AP flour gives the bread a sturdy structure, a soft and tender crumb, and an impressive rise.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: this staple fall spice blend lends the signature warm and cozy vibes to this pumpkin bread as well as this Pecan & Pumpkin Custard Pie, these Pumpkin Spice Waffles, and countless other fall goodies. I highly recommend making your own pumpkin spice blend, which you can learn how to do in this recipe!
- Pumpkin Puree: make sure you use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Check out my Canned Pumpkin Comparison before you go shopping—this detailed guide will point you to the best pumpkin puree to give you the best-tasting pumpkin bread.
- Brown Sugar: it gives the bread a warm, rich flavor while the added molasses lends an eye-catching golden color. Coconut sugar also works!
- Apple Cider Vinegar + Baking Soda: these two create gas bubbles when combined in the batter, helping the bread rise and fluff up.
- Cream Cheese Maple Glaze: the glaze is optional, but highly recommended for irresistible slices. It’s easy to make with dairy-free cream cheese, maple syrup, and powdered sugar, so there’s no pressure to put it together ahead of time.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Mix well to combine, then pour the batter into a bread pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake the bread until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Set it aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the maple glaze by whisking the ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread.
- Slice and serve the bread immediately or store it for later.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- The best way to measure flour: I swear by my baking scale for perfectly measured flour but another sure-fire way is the spoon and level method. By using a spoon to gently scoop the flour into a measuring cup and sweeping the excess from the top with the back of a knife, you avoid packing too much flour into the cup and making a dry and dense pumpkin loaf.
- Use fresh baking soda: Apple cider vinegar/lemon juice + baking soda = gas bubbles in the baked quick bread. These gas bubbles help the bread rise! So, before baking, check that your baking soda is new/fresh, or else this won’t happen. Here’s how to tell if your baking soda is fresh or not.
- Wait for the bread to cool completely: You’ll avoid soggy-bottomed quick bread by allowing the loaf to cool on a wire rack after baking. When, and only when it’s completely cool, should you slice the bread. Otherwise, the knife will smush the warm bread and cause it to crumble.
Serving Suggestions
Fall is, obviously, the perfect time for pumpkin bread. Enjoy a slice with a hot cup of coffee or an iced chai for breakfast, grab a slice for your afternoon pick-me-up, or top it with a scoop of vegan ice cream or a drizzle of this Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup for dessert. It doesn’t matter the time of day—this sweet pumpkin treat is never a bad idea.
If you’re looking for more indulgent vegan pumpkin recipes, you’ll also love these Pumpkin & Chai Spiced Donuts, these Healthy Pumpkin Truffles, and these Pumpkin Apple Muffins!
How to Store Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Keep the loaf of eggless pumpkin bread in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 5 days. Try not to store it in the fridge, if you can help it. Refrigerated quick breads almost always become incredibly dense and will no longer be soft and fluffy.
You can also slice and freeze the bread without the glaze for up to 2 months. Wait for it to fully cool before slicing, then wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a large, freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
Thaw the slices at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving or gently warm them in a toaster or toaster oven.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Replace the all-purpose flour with 2 1/4 cups of oat flour to make gluten-free vegan pumpkin bread instead. The gluten-free version will not rise as much but it will still look and taste great.
- Oil-Free Option: Replace the neutral oil with 1/2 cup nut or seed butter to keep it oil-free. The finished loaf will be slightly more dry and dense, but still delicious.
- Mix-In Ideas: Even though I haven’t tested it, folding 1/3 cup of vegan chocolate chips or chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, into the batter could be tasty in the loaf.
- Maple Glaze Substitutes: You can swap the maple glaze for a simple glaze made from 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk. Optional: Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to turn it into a vanilla glaze.
- More Decoration Ideas: After decorating with a glaze, top the loaf with pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or my Stovetop Candied Pecans to take the presentation up a notch. You can also omit the glaze entirely and gently press pumpkin seeds or nuts into the top of the batter before baking.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen when you use expired baking soda and/or when you overwork the batter.
Yes, fresh pumpkin puree should work here, although it hasn’t been tested. Check out my Homemade Pumpkin Puree recipe if you’d like to try it.
Yes, this recipe should make around 18 vegan pumpkin muffins. Pour the batter into a lined standard muffin tin and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
- 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
For the Cream Cheese Maple Glaze (Optional):
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened (I used dairy-free)
- 2 tablespoons grade A maple syrup
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350F and grease or line a 9″x5″ bread pan and set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In the meantime, add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, milk, and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients; mix well until no clumps remain. Pour the batter into the bread pan, smoothing the top off with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and a toothpick comes out cleanly or with minimal crumbs. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack.
- Make the Maple Glaze (Optional): Add the softened cream cheese and maple syrup to a medium bowl and whisk vigorously until mostly smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and whisk again, until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle on top of the pumpkin bread once it has cooled.
- Serve & Store: Allow to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy immediately, or store any leftovers in a container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also pre-slice and freeze this vegan pumpkin bread for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you do not have this spice blend in your pantry, here is an easy recipe to make your own!
- Baking Soda: The lemon juice and baking soda create gas bubbles once combined / placed in the oven to help the bread rise. It’s important to make sure your baking soda is new/fresh, otherwise this will not happen. Here’s an easy way to test it.
- Gluten-Free: Replace the all-purpose flour with 2 1/4 cups of oat flour; the bread will not rise as much but will still be delicious!
- Oil-Free: Replace the oil with 1/2 cup nut or seed butter; the finished bread will be slightly drier and more dense
- Regular Glaze: If you don’t wish to make the maple glaze you can make a simple glaze by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of plant based milk
Made this bread for our running group at Christmas. Turned out great and have had several calls for the recipe. Used 2 cups of Tom’s vegan gluten free bread flour and 1/4 cup of white gluten free vegan wheat flour. It turned out great and everyone loved it. Next time I make it, I will add another 1/2 cup of pumpkin for taste.
I’m excited to try this recipe this weekend to include in my weekly meal prep! I do have a question before I begin. The recipe says juice of 1/2 lemon. When do I add this in?
With the wet ingredients!
Made this tonight to see if I should make it for thanksgiving. Definitely a winner! I used sunflower seed butter and added pumpkin seeds inside.
Sounds delicious!
I just adapted this recipe…banana instead of pumpkin, cinnamon instead of pumpkin spice, toss in some walnuts, and BAMMM its good
made this as an after school snack after i got home from class this morning and it was delicious with my lunch! had it with some apple sauce on top and it was incredible. LOVED THIS
Thanks Mary! I’ll have to try it with apple sauce!
Just finished baking! Love it! thanks for the recipe def going to make it again around thanksgiving:)
Yes, that would be perfect!
Just making them now! added some vegan chocolate chips-excited to see how they come out! 🙂
Made this bread yesterday for my new plant-based nutrition support group and they all loved it.
Yay! Glad to hear it, Christie 🙂
i whipped this up in the AM so we could have it for dessert with my folks! we were stuffed after dinner, but i sliced up the bread and we alllllll got down! no complaints. everyone loved how fluffy it was. after making your banana bread a few times, i knew this one would be a winner too. thanks for not complicating a recipe like this.
Thank you, Carmen! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂
This bread is delicious! Not short on taste in any aspect. I used Pepperwood Organics tahini for the nut butter and it was delicious.
A note on oat flour, I have baked with it many times and it certainly does not have the rise of other flours, my loaves often end up a bit flat. However, I made sure to cool this loaf for a super long time (~1 1/2-2 hours) as recommended and I am sure this helped the rise. I also baked in a 9 x 5 silicone bread pan, so I am sure if I used the pan size that Caitlin recommended it would have come out even better! , Even with my modifications, it ended up very fluffy, a great texture!
Great job Caitlin!
Thank you Izzy! Waiting to let the bread cool really does make a HUGE difference 🙂
Made this bread this morning and it is DELICIOUS! But what else would you expect from Caitlin? 😉 Used Tahini for my nut/seed butter and it turned out wonderfully (note no Tahini taste came through in the finished product). Texture was amazing—fluffy yet moist. Mine didn’t rise a ton either, maybe since my baking soda was old, but it was fluffy and amazing nonetheless. Thank you for another stellar recipe, Caitlin! You are so appreciated. 🙂
Thank YOU, Georgia! 🙂
Does the lemon juice do anything? I want to exclude it since where I live is hard to find locally grown lemons.
It reacts with the Baking Soda to make the bread fluffy. You can also substitute with Apple Cider Vinegar if you’d like!
How much ACV would you substitute?
1 tbsp should be fine!
This recipe is sooo amazing!! As someone with celiac disease, it’s hard to find good gluten free recipes and I am always envious of all the gluten eaters- especially around the holidays. What I love most about your recipes (this one and the banana bread recipe specifically) is that they are all ingredients I already have in my pantry and is so simple (not a combination of a ton of expensive flours, gums, starches, etc.). I wish I could give this more than 5 stars, I love it so much!! Thank you!
THank YOU for the review, Amy! I’m so glad you are able to enjoy it 🙂
Dear Caitlin, Wha an amazing recipe yet again, thank you so much! I will for sure test it this weekend! I have one (annoying) ”can I sub” question though: I am fresh out of oats but do have a jar full of buckwheat groats. My gut is telling me that grinding these up and using them as a replacement may work just fine – obviously, the taste will be different, perhaps slightly nuttier, but as a buckwheat lover I don’t foresee any problems there. What are your thoughts on this? Yay or nay? Do the oats add another quality to the recipe that I am missing if I replace em with buckwheat? Thank you!!!
Hi Sarah! The idea is great, though I’m not sure that it will work as Buckwheat Flour is more dense than Oat Flour, plus absorbs a different amount of liquid
Soooo good!! I love how it isn’t super sweet. It’s the perfect balance to be either a dessert, breakfast, or snack! I used almond butter that is more on the runny side, so my bread is a little more moist in the center- but I honestly love it! I heat it up for 30 seconds in the microwave and take it on the go for breakfast. Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re very welcome, Hannah!
does it work with tahini as nut/seed butter or would the taste be too strong?
Tahini should be fine!
Getting ready to make this recipe. I’ve been looking all morning for a pumpkin bread recipe that uses oats and finally came across this one. I didn’t even realize this was your blog until I read the comments and saw your name. My three year old daughter and I love to watch your YouTube channel. Now she is super excited to make this pumpkin bread. I’ll let you know how it turns out for us. Baking is always great fun here but things don’t always turn out quite right due to my little helper lol.
Aw, that is so fun! I hope you enjoy making it together 🙂
I made this bread last night. Delicious! I thought it was a bit over-spiced, but it mellowed overnight. Next time I will grind the oats finer and let the flax egg sit longer. The final texture was pretty crumbly. I used tahini for my nut butter and that worked very well. Great recipe Caitlin and I shared your recipe with a number of co-workers who were very happy with the taste and the moisture.
Thanks, Liz!
Hi! Would it be possible to use sweet potato instead of pumpkin? 🙂
Yes, you could add an extra 2 cups of diced sweet potato and blend that in to the soup!
Have you calculated the amount of kilo calories (per 100 grams)?
No, I do not calculate calories for my recipes! There are several online calculators that can help you with that though if you are curious 🙂