Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Bread is a reader's favourite fall recipe packed with delicious spices, juicy chewy cranberries & crunchy pumpkin seeds. It's an easy quickbread that is perfect for breakfasts or snacks!
This Vegan Pumpkin Bread is hearty and delicious. It's packed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavours and has great texture thanks to the delicious mix-ins. Add your favourites or go with my suggestion of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
Smear thick slices with vegan butter or nut butter and enjoy for breakfast or snacks throughout fall and beyond!
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Ingredient & equipment notes
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
Here is what you'll be needing to make my vegan pumpkin bread:
- Flour - Wholewheat, spelt, all-purpose flour (plain in the UK) or a good all purpose GF blend like Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 Baking Flour are all fine to use.
- Sugar - Brown, white, cane or coconut sugar are all ok to use. I like to use brown or coconut sugar though because they complement the pumpkin and spices perfectly.
- Baking soda and baking powder - A combination of both. Baking powder as per usual in a cake/quick bread and because this is an eggless pumpkin bread, baking soda too as it reacts with the slightly acidic pumpkin puree. This causes bubbles to form and provides extra lift which compensates for the leavening that eggs would usually provide.
- Spices and salt - For maximum flavour!
- Pumpkin puree and plant milk - Our wet ingredients. Unless you have a very sweet tooth use unsweetened plant milk, and be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You can use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe.
- Mix-ins - I love to use dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds but you could omit them completely or use chocolate chips, chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans and any dried fruit you like. Just keep the quantity roughly the same.
You will also need a loaf pan. An 8.5 x 4.5inch or a 9 x 5inch pan are both fine to use. It also bakes great as muffins if you don't have a loaf pan, but be sure to adjust the bake time to compensate.
How to make vegan pumpkin bread
This is a super simple recipe to make. Here's how:
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Mix all of the wet ingredients together in another bowl.
- MIx the wet with the dry.
- Spoon into a loaf pan and bake.
See my video for a more detailed look.
Success Tips
For the very best results when making this recipe follow these tips:
- When you mix this together it will be stiff. It isn't as slack as cake batter. Just sayin' so you know and don't get all weirded out and pour in a gallon of liquid to remedy it or something!
- Follow the recipe closely and as always with recipes involving flour, I highly recommend you use a kitchen scale. Cup measurements are not accurate enough to get the best and consistent results, but if you do need to use them, spoon the flour into the cup then level off the top with a knife without compacting it or shaking it down. By doing it like this you will get roughly the correct amount. If you scoop the flour up into the cup, you will end up with much more than is needed and it will affect the outcome of the recipe. Digital scales are available at most big superstores now and you can pick one up for around $10. They are a great investment and are so worth having
- Even if your loaf pan is non stick, I recommend lining the bottom of it with a strip of parchment paper. One long strip that goes along the bottom and overhangs the ends is fine, then it can act as handles for you to easily lift the loaf out once it’s baked.
- How can you tell when it’s cooked properly? You can use the toothpick test. Stick it in the centre and if it comes out clean then its done, or gently press down on the center of the loaf. If it bounces back completely, it is done. If your finger leaves a dent in the loaf it needs a little more time.
- Let the loaf cool completely before you cut it. I know it’s tempting to break into it when it’s still warm, but if you let all of the steam inside escape, you will affect the quality of the crumb. It won’t be as moist and it won’t keep as well.
Storage & freezing
Once cooled completely store your vegan pumpkin bread either well wrapped or in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. You can also wrap it well and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Hungry for more?
Love pumpkin recipes? You might also enjoy:
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
- Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Author:
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (240 grams) flour , all-purpose (plain in the UK), spelt, wholewheat or 1 for 1 GF all-purpose baking flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar , coconut, brown sugar, cane or white
- 1 teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger , (or switch the 3 individual spices for 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅔ packed cup (100 grams) dried cranberries , or other mix-ins of choice
- ½ cup (75 grams) pumpkin seeds , or other mix-ins of choice
Wet ingredients
- 1 slightly heaping cup (260 grams) pumpkin puree , NOT pumpkin pie filling!
- ½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened plant-based milk
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8.5 x 4.5inch or 9 x 5inch loaf pan. Lay a strip of baking parchment down the length of the pan with some overhang each side to make it easier to remove when cooked.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the pumpkin puree and milk to another bowl or a jug and mix them together.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. It is a stiff batter so do not be concerned.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula so it's level.
- 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.
- Remove from the tin immediately and cool on a wire rack.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Recipe FAQS
Yes, any type of squash puree will work in this recipe. Sweet potato puree will too!
This bread will last for 4 to 5 days if wrapped well. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can make it gluten-free. Use a good all-purpose GF blend like Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 Baking Flour
Yes. Simply substitute the spices in the recipe for 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice.
This recipe was originally published on September 23rd, 2020. I've since rewritten the post and now I am republishing it for you. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Kathy says
Tried this recipe today I had a big can of pumpkin so I doubled the recipe subbed the sugar for maple sugar and brow sugar swerve and did half dried cranberries and half fresh it was really good!!! I had to omit the nuts but still very tasty,I also made homemade pumpkin butter to serve with it. Thank you for the recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Kathy. I bet it's delicious with pumpkin butter!
Leigh says
OMG! This is absolutely delicious (and so easy to put together!). I love the addition of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds-genius idea! I can serve this to nut-free friend. Another winning recipe, Mel! Thanks for helping me make Autumn even tastier than usual!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Leigh. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much!
Gary says
Made this the other day. Used a half cup brown sugar. Served it with whipped Tofutti "better than cream cheese". It tastes just like Starbuck's pumpkin cream cheese muffins that we used to love. Thanks!!
Maria Calzada-Oliva says
Hi Mel, there is no pumpkin puree tin where I live, so could you tell me what's the difference between both? You say not to use the pie filling. Could I just steam the pumpkin and blend it?
Many thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you can easily buy a pumpkin or squash and cook it then blend up the flesh to make your own puree. I recommend roasting it rather than steaming though. That's because if it's too wet it can affect the texture of whatever you're making. When you roast i dried it out more than steaming and it concentrates the flavour too. All I do I cut is cut in half, scoop out the innards, and lay each half face down on a parchment-lined baking tray. Roast until it's soft and you can easily stick a fork or knife in it. Then scoop out the flesh and puree. Hope that helps!
You can even use cooked and pureed orange sweet potato/yam in place of pumpkin in just about any recipe including this one if that's easier.
Maria says
Thank you Mel, I will try soon!!
Jess Eiss says
This is delicious, and I'm so happy it didn't have any fat to have to replace! I think it's a little bitey with all the allspice, but overall, it has really nice texture.... so glad I pinned it and tried it. Thank you!
Patricia Giannelia says
I had a large can of pumpkin puree (28 oz), so I doubled the recipe, and also made the pumpkin cookies, so the oven was utilized to the max, and it proved the perfect amount of pumpkin.
In addition, both the loaves and the cookies were delicious!
great recipes, thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed them both Patricia!
Kanchan says
Hi Mel
Your recipe is a super hit at my place
I’m new to baking and tried your recipe
It’s come out very nice
Only concern is my dough was hard so I added little milk to make it semi hard. Did my bread turn out little dry because of that
Love
A Virtual Vegan says
The dough is quite stiff with this recipe. But, did you weigh the ingredients? Particularly the flour? If you used cup measurements you could have inadvertently used more flour than intended. They aren't an accurate way to measure when baking because every single time you fill a cup you get a different weight of flour. It's impossible to get consistent results. For best results a digital kitchen scale is essential. You can pick them up really cheaply. Under $15 usually. Hope that helps!
Charlotte Lee says
Hi :) would tinned pumpkin puree work (no additional ingredients), or does it have to be fresh?
A Virtual Vegan says
Canned pumpkin is fine.
Sue says
Made this with yellow raisins. It is quickly disappearing!? Thanks for the recipe.
Laura G says
This looks delicious! Can I use fresh frozen cranberries in place of the dried? If so, would I add the same amount or more? Thanks! I can't wait to try this!
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it but I think dried is best in this particular recipe for flavour and texture. The chewy dried cranberries are lovely in it. Fresh cranberries tend to swell and then pop when baking, leaving crater type holes and mushy areas in the baked goods, and then the area around a whole berry can be very tart. You'd also probably need to up the sugar because fresh cranberries are tart unlike dried onesand you might even need to reduce the liquid a little to compensate for their moistness.
I'm sure it would be more than edible with them, but to be at it's best I think you need to use dried. Hope that helps!
Darlene says
Great recipe. I used whole grain spelt flour and inreased the spices. 2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp ginger. Added 1/8 tdp clives and 1/2 tsp nutmeg as well as the allspice. Very tasty. Thank you
LeAnn says
Very tasty!
Margaret says
I would like to do this in a bunt cake pan. Would you suggest doubling it?
Melanie McDonald says
It depends on the size of the bundt pan. This recipe as it stands fills a loaf pan that holds 6 cups. This resource shows all the different pan dimensions and volumes so you should be able to work out from that how much you need to increase the recipe. https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
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
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Elena and it's good to know it works in a bread maker!
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 the bomb! 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!
Melanie McDonald says
Perfect. Glad you enjoyed it!