You’re going to love this delightfully moist and perfectly spiced vegan pumpkin bread. It’s topped with brown sugar glaze and toasted pecans for the ultimate fall pastry or homemade holiday gift.
Since my daughter was three, she has been my assistant in the kitchen. Those early years of “helping” often required far more work but engaging with her love of baking (and her desire to follow in my footsteps), made the extra work well worth it.
After the kitchen was cleaned, the whisks were licked, and the bread was cooled, we would carefully slice into our loaf and give our newest recipe a try. The “I made this!” look on her 3-year-old face was always priceless
Now, at seven, she is significantly more helpful. She measures, stirs, pours and shapes all while giving me new recipe ideas to share on the blog. I look forward to our baking season every year. It starts right after the spooky season and goes all holiday season.
Each year we make batches of holiday cookies, pound cakes, and quickbreads but, no matter what we make that year, we always start our holiday baking with one simple tradition.
Vegan pumpkin bread.
By creating a baking tradition with her, one that I hope she passes on to her children, we are keeping the holiday baking tradition alive.
Recipe Video
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
This pumpkin bread is a fan favorite. It is moist, sweet, hearty, and super easy to master. Even my kids love it! And while I don’t love all the sugar they are getting with a piece, I am thrilled that they are getting veggies, fruits, and nuts with their sweet snack.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- White, Brown, and Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements.
- Applesauce – This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with ½ mashed banana, ½ cup non-dairy yogurt, ½ additional cup of pumpkin puree, or a variety of other egg replacers.
- Oil – This recipe calls for coconut or olive oil. You could also use vegetable or avocado oil. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce.
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour – For a gluten-free options, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. (<<affiliate link)
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Spices – You will need a combination of cinnamon, ginger nutmeg, and cloves. I recommend Watkin's spices for the highest quality.
- Pumpkin Puree - Make sure to use canned pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I recommend a thick, creamy, neutral flavored milk such as soy, almond, or cashew milk. However, any type of non-dairy milk will do.
- Pecans - These can be omitted for a nut-free quickbread.
Recommended Equipment
- Mixing Bowls – You will need to medium-sized mixing bowls for this recipe.
- Basic Kitchen Utensils – I recommend having both a rubber spatula and a wooden spoon as well as a whisk. You will also need a can opener.
- 9×5″ Loaf Pan – Or anything that is similarly sized will do. If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can also turn this recipe into pumpkin muffins.
- Cooling Rack. – a cooling rack allows the bread to cool quickly and with no condensation on the bottom as it cools.
- Small Saucepot - You will need at least a 2qt saucepot for the glaze. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Go-To Spices for Pumpkin Bread
When it comes to spices, it’s important to buy the best. What is my go-to spice brand?
For the past 150 years, Watkins has been one of the leaders in natural and gourmet flavoring products. I LOVE their products because they are made with no artificial flavors and colors, or GMOs.
Watkins is committed to making gourmet organic spices from high-quality ingredients and you can taste the difference! When it comes to holiday baking this year, always choose quality.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
Step One - Make the Batter
In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and Watkins organic spices.
Pro Tip: Make sure to whisk the dry ingredients together. I had a few issues when I first made this recipe with my baking soda clumping together. This is not only a nasty surprise to bite into but when the baking soda is not fully incorporated, the bread cannot rise as full and evenly.
In a separate bowl (or liquid measuring cup) mix together your wet ingredients. That’s the pumpkin purée, sugars, apple sauce, oil, and Watkins All Natural Original Gourmet Baking Vanilla Extract.
Step Two - Mix together
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, mixing until you have a uniform batter. Fold gently. To do this, use a wooden spoon or plastic spatula and fold the batter from bottom to top in a “C” shape.
Pro Tip: Don’t over-mix as this will make your pumpkin bread dense and gummy. Because pumpkin bread is quite heavy with the pumpkin already, this is even more important to keep in mind.
Step Three - Pour and Bake
Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for about 60 minutes at 350 F. The baking time will vary depending on your oven.
After about 50 minutes, you can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, your pumpkin bread is done.
Pro Tip: If the top starts to brown but the inside is still undercooked, top the bread with tin foil and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
Step Four - Caramel Glaze
Heat the vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Add the powdered sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring consistently.
Remove from heat and let the glaze cool. It will thicken as it cools.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Let your bread cool for 20 minutes before flipping it out onto a wire cooling rack completely. Spoon the brown sugar glaze over the top and top with crushed pecans. Serve this pumpkin bread warm with vegan butter or homemade pumpkin butter.
Storing - Tightly wrap uneaten bread and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a large ziplock bag. This bread can also be frozen for up to two months. To thaw, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Once it is thawed, it should be eaten within 3 days.
Tips And Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread.
- Applesauce varies a lot. If your applesauce seems thin, first strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to get the excess liquid out.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices and would make the bread too sweet.
- Generously spray your loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the pan. For extra protection, you can line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Let the bread cool at least 20 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting.
- Want variation? Add chocolate chips for chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about ¾ of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try these Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.
Yes! I’ve had luck both with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend as well as buckwheat flour.
Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional ¼ cup applesauce for an oil-free bread.
For sure! This vegan quickbread is delicious on its own.
This bread will vary in oven times because of the differences in altitude, oven temperatures, and ingredients used. If your applesauce is very thin, consider staining it through a fine-mesh strainer to get out the excess liquid.
If the top starts to brown but the inside is still undercooked, top the bread with tin foil and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
This recipe calls for one (15oz) can of pumpkin puree. However, if you use a larger can or made a smaller batch, you might have leftover puree. You can freeze pumpkin puree in an ice cube tray. When frozen, pop them out and store them in a Ziplock bag for up to 2 months.
Pumpkin puree is great for muffins, donuts, pasta sauce, as well as works as a great natural egg replacer in many baked goods.
More Vegan Quick Bread Recipes
- Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
- Classic Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Lemon Pound Cake
Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Watkins Organic Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp. Watkins Organic Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup coconut or olive oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Glaze (optional)
- 1 tbsp. vegan butter, divided
- ¼ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
- 2 tbsp. non-dairy milk
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup toasted pecans, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously spray a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugars, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry and fold together with a wooden spoon until a thick uniform batter has formed. Be careful not to over-mix. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle come out clean.
- While the pumpkin bread bakes, make your brown sugar glaze. Heat the vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Add the powdered sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring consistently. Remove from heat and let the glaze cool. It will thicken as it cools.
- When pumpkin bread is ready, remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before flipping it out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Spoon the brown sugar glaze over the top and top with crushed pecans.
- Serve warm or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Make sure not to over-mix your batter. When the batter is over-mixed, it allows gluten strands to form which leads to gummy dense pastries. We’re looking for light and fluffy!
- Generously spray your loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the pan. For extra protection, you can line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Let the bread cool at least 20 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting.
- Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Yes! I’ve had luck with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Can I make this recipe oil-free? Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional ¼ cup applesauce for an oil-free bread.
- Can I make this recipe into muffins? For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about ¾ of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try these Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
rob says
I've made this 10 times at least over the past few years and I cannot believe how good it is! I'm not strictly vegan myself, but it tastes better than any non-vegan version I've had and so I make it as my standard now. Thank you for this gem!
Cecilia says
Hi Sarah!
The recipe says "pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, but then in the video you do the opposite, is the result different when doing this or it doesn't matter? Thanks for sharing all these awesome recipes!
Christine says
Can you add zucchini to this recipe to make it a pumpkin zucchini bread? Would you have to adjust the amount of pumpkin purée if you do?
November says
Hello. I would like to ask for help with some alternative sweeteners. First way would be using date sugar...how much should I use? Second way would be using honey and third way using maple syrup or maybe a combination of honey and maple syrup. For all of these sweeteners, how much should I use and do I need to alter the recipe in any way to accommodate them?
If there is even a way to cut back on these sweeteners by adding more apple sauce or something similar, like grape juice, etc. that would be better! Just really need to stay away from sugar and high-glycemic sweeteners, as much as possible.
Appreciate any help. Thank you!
Tammy says
Hi just wondered if this recipe can be subbed with a gluten free flour mix?
Thanks!
Tammy
Sarah says
Yes, that would work!
Amy says
Looks awesome, I’d like to try this as mini muffins. Any suggested updates? What would be the cooking time?
Sarah says
Yes, it should cook in about 18-20 minutes as mini muffins.
Jennifer says
I haven't tried this recipe yet but it looks fantastic. Have you tried making it gluten free? If not, any tips to do so?
Sarah says
I would try using a 1:1 flour blend like this one.
Sue Anderson says
Hi Sarah,
Your recipes are wonderful and I have used many many of them. However, when I print them, your yellow highlights for linkable ingredients are almost invisible on white paper. I also tried printing in black and white but that didn't work either, almost worse. Could you use a darker color for the links? I print nearly all your recipes and want to be able to read them afterwards! Thanks!
Sarah says
Hey Sue,
Thanks for your feedback. I'll adjust those later this week.