If there’s one thing I bake every fall season, it’s this vegan pumpkin bread.
For one, it’s soft and light, moist and lusciously tender, and packed with warm fall flavor thanks to a homemade pumpkin spice blend.
And two, everyone in my life—Max, my sister, my parents, my friends—asks me to make it as soon as the temperature drops below 60ºF (who am I kidding? we live in San Diego… as soon as it drops below 72ºF).
Cut yourself a slice for an indulgent breakfast, snack on it with your afternoon latte, or add a swoop of cream cheese frosting for a dessert that will catapult you into cozy autumnal bliss.
Tested, Re-tested, and Improved!
A few of you told me your pumpkin bread was staying dense and overly moist at the bottom, so I re-tested this recipe eight(!) times to get to the bottom of it. Pun intended.
It only happened to me when I used a smaller 8.5×4.5″ pan instead of the 9×5″ the recipe calls for. Still, after more tinkering, I realized the batter could use a bit less moisture.
The fix: I removed the oat milk and slightly reduced the pumpkin. As you can see in the photo below, it bakes all the way through with no dense ring at the bottom.
Ingredient notes
- Canned pumpkin puree: Obviously! After making this umpteen times, I can confidently say that we get the best results with Libby’s pumpkin puree. If canned pumpkin isn’t available, check out the FAQ section for fresh pumpkin instructions.
- Homemade pumpkin spice: This easy homemade blend—featuring freshly grated nutmeg for spicy zing and a generous amount of warmly sweet cloves and zingy ginger—elevates this pumpkin bread to a league all its own. SO much better than pre-bought pumpkin spice blends.
- All-purpose flour: Necessary for structure. Unfortunately, I haven’t had good results with gluten-free flour, though some commenters have given it a try (with mixed results).
- Brown sugar: Necessary for sweetness and structure. Compared to white sugar, it lends more moistness and brings those caramel-like molasses notes we all want in fall baked goods.
- Apple cider vinegar: Assists the baking powder and baking soda with leavening, giving this pumpkin bread great rise.
- Aquafaba: AKA the liquid from a can of chickpeas! Whipping it lightly to incorporate some air gives the pumpkin bread lift and lightness.
Trust me—aquafaba will level up your vegan baking game. It’s my go-to egg substitute for so many baked goods, including my best ever vegan brownies, incredible vegan lemon cake, fluffy gingerbread cake, and lemon olive oil cake!
Step by Step Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and homemade pumpkin spice.
- In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and oil using a hand mixer until well combined.
- Whip the aquafaba on medium, rotating the bowl to get the bottom until uniformly foamy.
- Add the whipped aquafaba to the sugar-oil mixture and beat on medium until well combined.
- Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Beat until the liquid ingredients are very well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined 9×5″ loaf pan and smooth out the surface.
- Bake at 350ºF/175ºC for 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the parchment paper and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
Tips for making this recipe
Opt for conventional over organic canned pumpkin purée
For whatever reason, organic canned pumpkin puree (at least in the U.S.) tends to be more watery than conventional canned pumpkin. In my recipe tests, the organic canned pumpkin yielded a more liquidy batter and a loaf with a soggier bottom.
If you only have organic canned pumpkin, I highly recommend straining the pumpkin purée over a fine-mesh sieve to remove excess water.
Whichever brand you use, if you measure it out in advance, and find that it has collected some water by the time you’re ready to add it to the liquid ingredients, be sure to strain that water first.
Bake by weight if possible
Baking is a precise science, particularly egg-free, dairy-free baking. You’ll get the most precise results if you weigh ingredients using a digital scale rather than using measuring cups (each brand of measuring cup is slightly different and everyone measures differently). Weighing ingredients is also easier and uses fewer dishes!
Beware of overmixing!
Mixing develops the gluten in the batter, but over mixing leads to overdeveloped gluten. And that gives you a cake that is dry and tough, or dense and gummy.
Less is more here—once the wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated and there are no flour pockets remaining, stop mixing. The batter shouldn’t be perfectly smooth.
Skip the pre-bottled pumpkin spice
Ground spices lose their punch the longer they sit around, and pre-made “pumpkin spice” blends add extra variability. it’s impossible to know when each individual spice was grown, leaving you with underwhelming pumpkin flavor.
This recipe uses a homemade blend of spices that takes 2 minutes to throw together but really changes the flavor game.
Baking Precision Tips
Baking is a science, so here are tips to help you nail this pumpkin bread!
- Use a digital scale to measure your ingredients. It yields the most exact results! If you don’t have a digital scale, measure your flour using the spoon and level method: Fluff the flour with a spoon, then spoon the flour into the measuring cup, spoon by spoon, until mounded and overflowing on top, then use a butter knife to level it off.
- Get an oven thermometer. Every oven is different, and if yours isn’t calibrated, chances are it’s a bit off. Most home ovens haven’t yet reached the stated temperature when the preheat cycle is over.
- Test for doneness with a thermometer (or toothpick). For the best results, insert an instant-read thermometer in the center of the bread until it reaches 207 to 210ºF (97 to 99ºC).
If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a toothpick into the center of the bread at an angle, not straight down. This angled position better indicates whether a tall loaf cake is baked through. See no crumbs or just a few moist crumbs? The bread is done. - If the toothpick reveals batter that is still a bit gooey: return the pan to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes. Worried about the top browning before it cooks through on the inside? Loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
Make for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
If you want to eat this pumpkin bread for breakfast or as an afternoon teatime snack, you can serve it plain.
If you want something more dessert-like, there are two icing options!
- Vegan cream cheese icing. A decadent option reminiscent of cake. The frosting is a bit tangy from the cream cheese and lemon juice and it perfectly balances the sweetness. When you refrigerate the bread, the icing sticks to it like a traditional frosting and it is SO good.
- Maple tahini icing: The tahini brings a unique nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the classic pumpkin spice flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, with modifications. Here’s how:
1. Slice a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin in half using a sharp knife and rocking motion (you can also use a kabocha squash). Don’t use the really large carving pumpkins – they are pretty flavorless and don’t have much flesh. If it’s too tough to slice, pop the pumpkin in the microwave for 1 minute, then try again.
2. Lightly salt the flesh of the pumpkin, then place the pumpkin halves on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cut side down.
3. Bake in the oven at 400°F/205°C until fork tender, about 30 minutes for a small pie pumpkin, or 40-45 minutes for a larger one.
4. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin and add the flesh to a food processor. Puree for about 2 minutes, or until you have a really smooth puree.
5. Place the puree over a fine-mesh sieve and press down with a spoon to drain excess water. If you have cheesecloth, line the sieve with that and drain. This step is essential since homemade puree is more watery than canned.
6. Finally, measure 425 grams of pumpkin puree for this recipe (2 tablespoons shy of 2 cups).
I personally think this is better without chocolate chips because it allows the pumpkin flavors to shine and the pumpkin bread is already sweet enough.
That said, if you love them, feel free to fold in 1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips when combining dry and wet ingredients.
Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until one of the two methods for doneness has been achieved.
If unfrosted, store it covered or wrapped in plastic on the counter for up to 5 days.
If making the cream cheese icing, store the bread covered in the fridge for 5 days.
If you make the maple tahini icing, you can leave it at room temperature but it’s best to pour the icing only over the amount of bread you plan to eat that day (to prevent sogginess).
Watch me make this recipe ⤵️
Check out the YouTube video to see how easily this one comes together!
With 200K views, this recipe was a huge hit with my audience. I hope you love it just as much! Please note this is an older video and the recipe has been slightly updated since the release of this video.
If you love this Vegan Pumpkin Bread recipe, please rate and review the recipe below 🙂
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
The Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread You’ll Ever Eat
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cloves (see Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (see Note 2)
Liquid ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups (375g) pumpkin puree (ideally NOT organic pumpkin, see Note 3)
- 6 TBSP (84g) sunflower oil, (or any neutral oil)
- 1 tightly packed cup (185g) organic brown sugar (packed but not tightly packed)
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP (90g) aquafaba
- 1 TBSP (14g) apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP (38g) maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Vegan Cream Cheese Icing (optional, but recommended)
- 4 TBSP (56g) vegan butter (1/2 stick), softened at room temp
- 2 oz (56g) vegan cream cheese, softened at room temp (see Note 4)
- 1 cup + 2 TBSP (135g) organic powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 handful pepitas (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan (23×13 cm)* with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides. *Do not use a smaller loaf pan, or it may not fully bake through.
- Measure out the pumpkin puree in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Whisk well to ensure the leaveners and spices are evenly distributed.
- Mix the sugar and oil: In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and oil. Using a handheld electric mixer, start mixing on low then medium, until the sugar is moistened by the oil and there are no large clumps.
- Whip the aquafaba: Add the aquafaba to a small bowl. Wipe off the beaters. On medium speed, whip the aquafaba for 45 seconds, rotating the bowl as you go to get the bottom, or until uniformly foamy and pale in color. Add the whipped aquafaba to the sugar-oil mixture and beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Finish the liquid ingredients: If the pumpkin puree has released any water, strain it in a fine-mesh sieve. Shake the bottle of apple cider vinegar. Add the pumpkin puree, vinegar, maple syrup, and vanilla to the liquid ingredients. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth with no streaks.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold just until combined and no flour pockets remain, then stop mixing. The batter will be quite thick at this point.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 53 to 57 minutes, or until done using one of these methods: Method 1 for checking doneness: Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 207 to 210ºF (97 to 99ºC). Method 2 for checking doneness: Insert a toothpick downwards but at an angle. It should come out clean or with just a touch of slightly moist crumbs.NOTE: If the top is browning but the interior is not baked through / has gooey batter on a toothpick, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Cool: Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift the bread out using the parchment paper handles. Carefully peel the parchment off the bottom and sides. Cool on the rack for 1 hour.
- Serve plain or spread on the Cream Cheese Icing. Scatter with handful of pepitas. See the FAQ section for storage instructions.
Vegan Cream Cheese Icing (optional)
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the softened butter. Beat on low speed with an electric hand mixer until smooth.Add the softened cream cheese and beat until well incorporated and creamy (but don't overbeat or it gets runny).
- Add half of the powdered sugar, mix on low speed to combine, and then add the rest of the sugar. Mix until well combined and fluffy, scraping down the sides as you go. Add the vanilla, salt, and lemon juice and mix until smooth. If too thin, briefly refrigerate.
Video
Notes
- If you are grinding whole cloves, use less as it’s more potent, about a scant 1/2 teaspoon.
- Freshly grated whole nutmeg makes a difference! If using pre-ground nutmeg, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
- Organic canned pumpkin tends to be more watery than regular. If that’s all that is available, strain the puree in a fine-mesh sieve first to get rid of excess water. To make homemade pumpkin puree, read the FAQ section.
- My favorite vegan cream cheese brands are Violife and Tofutti.
- This recipe was updated in October 2026 to address some user comments that the pumpkin bread was not cooking through. We’ve tested the bread a half dozen more times and as a result, have removed the oat milk and slightly scaled down the pumpkin puree amount.
- This recipe originally contained a Maple Tahini Icing as an alternative to the cream cheese frosting. I’ve removed it from the recipe card to save space, but here’s the recipe if you’d like to make it.
- Sift 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar into a large bowl.
- Add in 2 TBSP (28g) tahini, 3 TBSP (45 mL) oat milk, and 1 tsp maple syrup.
- Whisk to combine until thick but pourable. If too thin, add more sugar. If too thick, add more milk. Pour icing ONLY on the amount of bread you plan to eat (or serve it on the side).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
This is fantastic! I may have underbaked it as it was a bit dense in the bottom but so delicious and tender regardless. I didn’t make an icing but served slices topped with runny tahini, a squiggle of organic date syrup and sprinkled pumpkin seeds on top. Absolutely delicious!!
Ooooh, that sounds amazing, Brenda! Thanks for sharing!
Hello! I have your book and love your flavor pallette and recipes! As I’m not necessarily vegan, I can actually use eggs. How many eggs would you recommend to replace the aquafaba? Can’t wait to make this. Your recipes are fail proof and consistently delicious. Thanks!
Hi Andrew, thanks for your sweet woreds! And as for your question: we’re vegan and don’t cook with eggs, so I’m afraid we cannot advise you about whether they will work in this recipe.
Can I use coconut sugar instead of the organic brown sugar?
Hi, Ysabel! You can substitute coconut sugar, but the outcome will be a little different:
Moisture / Texture: Brown sugar adds moisture because of its molasses content. Coconut sugar is drier, so the bread may turn out slightly less soft and tender and have a slightly crumbly texture.
Flavor: Coconut sugar has a deeper, more caramel-like flavor that’s less molasses-forward than brown sugar. Your bread will still taste good, but it won’t have quite the same warm sweetness that brown sugar gives.
If you want to mimic the moisture brown sugar gives, you could add a teaspoon of molasses along with the coconut sugar. If not, it will still work fine, just a touch less rich.
Enjoy!
I followed the recipe to the letter and it came out exactly as described. Beautiful fall dish, fancy enough for a nice dinner but simple enough to have for no special occasion. Highly recommend!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Laura!
Do you use all of that pumpkin spice mix in the one loaf? Seems like a lot!!
Hi Lori, yes all of the spice mix is used! Enjoy!
Is there a way to halve the sugar in this?
Hi Jill, are you planning on making it with one of the frostings or icings? If yes, I would simply omit that as a first step. You can probably omit the 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar without changing the texture too much. Hope that helps!
It says “Maple Tahini Icing (optional, see Note 6)”. I can’t find Note 6.
Hi Heidi, sorry about that! I think it got deleted but has been added back. But for the maple tahini icing version, we recommend drizzling it over the pumpkin bread only when you’re ready to eat, or only over the amount you plan to eat (if you’re not going to serve it all at once). This is because the icing is quite thin, so it will soak into the bread as it sits.
All the recipes All the recipes from Rainbow Plantlife we have tried have been delicious! We look forward to trying this recipe.
Hope you enjoy this recipe, John! Thanks for your kind words 🙂
I love this recipe, I always tell everyone about it. Do you think I could substitute the flour to gluten free flour?
It makes us so happy to hear you’re a big fan of the recipe, Dalete! We have not had good results when using gluten-free flour and would not recommend it, but some comments have given it a try with mixed-results.
This recipe is phenomenal. I have made it often enough that it now has a place in the tried and true recipe binder we keep for the worthy ones! The cream cheese frosting paired with it is perfection.
We appreciate your feedback and support, Stef. This one’s a favorite of mine as well! 🙂
Great recipe! I never thought to ice pumpkin bread before, but this turned out to be better than I expected.
I used organic canned pumpkin and added quarter cup water then puréed in my food processor and it turned out to be the perfect consistency.
Thanks for a great recipe. This is a keeper!!!
Awesome, MaryAnn. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Thank you so much for the recipe ❤️ Love it!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Marília!
Excellent! I never iced my pumpkin bread before and makes for a next level treat. I did used bulk pumpkin pie spice, and Violife cream cheese.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Julie! 🙂
I know this sounds crazy, or maybe heartbreaking, but my daughter has a severe cinnamon allergy. As a result, she doesn’t enjoy fall foods at all. I’m wondering if it is possible to sub the cinnamon for cardamom or … ? Something? I do not know spices well enough but I’m trying to make this holiday season tasty and fun for her.
Hi Tia, sorry to hear that! You can try replacing the cinnamon with a mix of spices. Increase the ginger to 1 teaspoon, the freshly grated nutmeg to ¾ teaspoon (make sure it’s freshly grated, as pre-ground nutmeg will be too strong), the allspice to ½ teaspoon. And yes, some cardamom would be lovely! I’d say ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, or if you have whole green cardamom pods, those are even lovelier; use ¾ teaspoon of the seeds and grind them up in a mortar & pestle or spice grinder.
Another lovely addition would be orange zest! It tends to work beautifully in spiced baked goods, so try adding 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of grated orange zest.
Best of luck with your holiday baking! 🙂
Thank you! She is excited this Thursday. I appreciate your response!
Yay! We hope the substitutions work wonderfully for you, Tia 🙂
This looks so great! I am not a vegan but do need to make a dairy-free cake for thanksgiving. Wondering if I can substitute an egg white for the aquafaba?
Hi Shirley, we can’t wait for you to try the pumpkin bread! And as for the swap, we’re vegan and don’t cook with eggs, so I’m afraid we cannot advise you about whether it will work in this recipe.
I highly recommend trying it with the aquafaba- it’s an easily sourced ingredient and works wonderfully in this recipe!
Hi!
I made the pumpkin bread recipe; the taste is awesome like all Nisha’s recipes, but the texture was off. It raised perfectly in the oven but went flat while cooling and was sort of gummy. Ichecked the oven temperature, my leavening product and didnt overmix.
The recipe card went 1 teaspoon baking soda and half a teaspoon baking powder; could it be the other way around?
Thanks
Chantal
Hi Chantal, sorry to hear you had trouble with the texture of the pumpkin bread!
Baked goods often fall flat because they are underbaked, so be sure to insert a toothpick in the center to ensure it’s entirely baked through–either no crumbs or just a small amount of cake crumbs that aren’t wet. Also, look at the edges of the cake–if the cake has pulled away from the pan a bit, that’s a good sign it’s done. If the center feels soft or loose, you need to bake a little longer.
Another possible culprit is the baking powder or soda. It’s possible a bit too much was added, which can result in cakes that expand quickly but then sink. (our measurements on the blog post are correct!)
A few other things you can check or change for next time: use an oven thermometer (often our ovens are cooler or hotter than they say, which can lead to underbaked or overbaked cakes); don’t open the oven during baking, as it lets out heat and can cause the cake to take longer to bake; make sure to cool the individual layers (not stacked) on cooling racks on the counter for minimum 30 minutes (maybe longer).
Finally, this in-depth article might have more helpful information.
We hope you’re able to figure out what went wrong!
I couldn’t get the cream cheese icing quite right (no electric mixer and I tried a homemade cream cheese), but the bread was delicious!
Hi Michelle, sorry to hear you didn’t have great luck with the cream cheese icing, hopefully next time you can try it with the recommended equipment and ingredients. But happy to hear the recipe went well otherwise!
Another delicious recipe! We especially liked the homemade pumpkin spice. Thank you, Nisha.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Darrell!
Really truly great pumpkin bread. 🙂 I brought some to my friends and they all agreed that it “slaps.”
Thank you!!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Jane!
Came out delicious, similar to the Banana bread version! 😍
The color is not as orange as the photos/I expected, could this be because I used whole grain flour & white flour 50/50?
By the way, the texture still came out still moist and soft even though I used half whole grain flour! = D
I taste the spices more than the pumpkin. Could this be because:
-I used freshly grated cloves versus store bought ground cloves, which was very strong/almost overpowering? Did Nisha use freshly ground or pre-ground cloves?
-I made a homemade puree of sugar pumpkin (vs canned)?
-I used half the amount of brown sugar (which didn’t have any visible negative affect on texture 🙂)?
PS I didn’t smooth out the top before baking and it came out more rustic-looking which I think looks great.
All in all, it’s a keeper! Thank you Nisha Vegan Queen 👸🏽 🌱 🙌🏻
Hi Karl, thanks for the feedback! We’re happy to hear all of those substitutions worked well for you.
Let me get to your questions:
Using whole grain flour mixed with white flour can definitely affect the color. Whole grain flours are darker, which can result in a slightly more muted or brownish hue rather than the vibrant orange you might see in our photos.
The color will also depend on the pumpkin you use. Even with canned pumpkin, there is variability across colors. Some brands have a light orange color, others like Libby’s in the US have a deep orange color.
Canned pumpkin purée is usually more concentrated in flavor and color because of the specific varieties of pumpkin used and the processing method. Homemade purée made from sugar pumpkin tends to be less intense in flavor and lighter in color, and tends to have a more watery texture. This could contribute to a subtler pumpkin taste and a change in color of the final baked good.
Since sugar helps bring out the natural sweetness and intensifies the flavors in baked goods, using less sugar could mean the spices tasted more prominent by comparison (especially if using strong freshly grated cloves). Nisha uses ground cloves in baking and the recipe will always specify if she’s used whole spices.
If you’re happy with the texture and softness (which is fantastic considering the whole grain addition!), you could try slightly decreasing the cloves next time or using canned pumpkin if you prefer a bolder orange and more pronounced pumpkin flavor.
We hope that helped, and thank you for all of your support of RPL!