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!
tips for making it glutenfree ?
Hi Loes, unfortunately we have not had good results when using gluten-free flour and would not recommend it, but some readers have given it a try with mixed-results in the comments section.
Could I double this recipe and put it into a Bundt pan with a design on top? I want to make it for Thanksgiving.
Hi Siane! We haven’t tried this and are hesitant to recommend it because it would require a different cook time and baking conversions can be tricky. If you wanted to try this, we would recommend doing a test run before Thanksgiving. This blog post on cake pan sizes and conversions may also be helpful to you!
I’m excited to try this! Can you substitute light spelt flour for white and reduce the sugar some?
Hi Diane, we are excited for you to try the recipe as well!
Unfortunately with baking recipes, you have to be pretty spot on with ingredients and measurements.
With that being said, we have not tested this recipe with spelt flour, so we can’t advise you as to whether it would work in this recipe. And we recommend against reducing the sugar because that will affect the texture of the pumpkin bread.
Sorry we couldn’t be of more help!
This is sooo amazing! Thank you ❤️
Sandra, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Delicious fall flavors! Another winner from Nisha and RPL!
Hi Alex, thank you so much for your kind review!
Just wondering why you didn’t mention Miyoko’s cream cheese?
Hi Cherie, we did a taste test of cream cheese at RPL and Miyoko’s cream cheese tasted too salty, too lemon flavored and had a strong vinegar flavor. Maybe they’ve updated their recipe since then, but we wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending their brand until we test it again ourselves!
No wonder I love it, those are all my favorite flavors but I can see why it wouldn’t work for this recipe.
Thanks so much for the reply!
No problem! (I personally am a fan of the cream cheese but also totally get how it doesn’t meld in this recipe in particular)
Enjoy the pumpkin bread 🙂
Next time I won’t question any of her recommendations as I realize she’s a perfectionist (like me). Please let her know that I just LOVE her Big Beautiful Book. It’s well thought out and delivers on a scale I’ve never seen in a cookbook. Amazing!!
Thanks for the kind words, Cherie 🙂 I’ll be sure to pass the message along!
“Bake at 350ºF/1765ºC for 55 to 60 minutes.”
180°C seems like a safer option ,)
Hi, Laura! Thanks for catching that…. thankfully we have the correct temp in the recipe card. We hope you enjoy the pumpkin bread, I just made it last night and it is deee-licious!
Hi Nisha!
Question: Do we agree that 90ml of aquafaba is 90g and 60 ml of milk is 60g as you encourage us to use a scale?
Hi Marie-Michèle, for aquafaba, the assumption that 90 ml equals 90 g is mostly correct because it has a density similar to water. Milk is also close in density to water, so 60 ml of milk should weigh about 60 g. While using a scale is great, minor variations are normal and usually won’t affect the recipe significantly! Enjoy the pumpkin bread 🙂
Hi, this looks so good. When canned pumpkin is watery, just spread on a cookie sheet and in a low temp oven. It not only reduces the liquid but gives the pumpkin a nice nutty flavor.
We hope you get a chance to try out the recipe, Mary! And interesting tip, we’ll have to try it sometime!
I’ve made this recipe so many times that I’m running out of family and friends to give a loaf to. That’s how good this pumpkin bread recipe is. Otherwise I would be gaining A LOT of weight. haha
But in all seriousness, I’ve stopped searching for the perfect pumpkin bread recipe. Yours is perfect!
Aw, that’s lovely to hear! 🙂 I have it on my list to bake a loaf tomorrow and now I’m getting even more excited!
Question, is there a substitute for the Aquafaba?
TIA!
Hi Ingrid, we have only tested this with flax eggs as an alternative, and while it works fine, the bread is heavier and denser. We like using aquafaba since vegan loaf cakes and pumpkin bread in particular is very dense, and the aquafaba, when lightly whipped, brings a lighter, fluffier texture.
Amazing! I’ve made this twice now and it’s memorable for sure. Last year I made it with the cream cheese icing and it was delicious. This year I made the maple tahini icing. Both were good. The cream cheese one was better but I didn’t have the ingredients for it at home so I made the other one. Still delicious just a little different from an icing I’m used to. So moist and just the perfect bread. This is how I want my zucchini and banana bread to taste.
Thanks for the review, Brooke! It makes us happy to know you love the recipe.
This looks wonderful and I’m really excited to make it, but can you tell me what I can substitute for the oil and for the brown sugar?
Hi Melyna, unfortunately we can’t recommend substitutes for the oil and sugar because they play a huge role in the flavor and texture of the pumpkin bread. Sorry!
This tasted good but the center was very wet. Maybe I used the wrong pumpkin purée? Can you please link to ones that you recommend.
Hi there, we’re sorry to hear about that! We don’t think the brand of pumpkin puree would have been the reason your bread didn’t cook.
There are several issues that could have caused the pumpkin bread to not rise or cook through:
First, do you have an oven thermometer? Most home ovens are not that accurate (unless they’ve been calibrated). It’s possible your oven is a bit cooler than stated, which would explain why it took longer than expected.
Second, it’s important when baking to not open the oven door (except when close to the end to check on doneness). Opening the oven door even for 10 seconds can dramatically drop the temperature of the oven. You want to particularly avoid this in the earlier part of baking, as i will interfere with the ability of cakes/quick breads/muffins to rise.
Third, it’s possible that your baking powder and/or baking soda are no longer fresh. These agents are responsible for baked goods rising, so if either is past its prime, it will contribute to the pumpkin bread not rising and instead staying uncooked in the middle.
Finally, it’s important to be gentle when folding the wet and dry ingredients together. Overmixing and trying to get a super smooth batter leads to excessive gluten development in the flour, resulting in a denser and more sunken texture.
Hopefully this helps!
😍😍
So goooood. I opted to not put any frosting on and it’s still delicious without it! Going to have to preorder that cookbook now…
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Meeshka! We hope you’re loving Big Vegan Flavor!
This is the best and more delicious moist pumpkin bread I have ever done. Thank you!
Hi Teresa, thank you so much for your kind review!
Dear Nisha & Team,
The pumpkin bread is delicious. Perfectly moist and holds together beautifully. But the sweetness is overwhelming. Is it possible to use a lot less sugar? If yes, how much would you suggest to use next time I make it (because there will definitely be a next time, it’s really good)!
Cheers 🙂
Hi there, so happy you enjoyed the pumpkin bread! Did you make 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!
Found the answer in another comment, sorry. I made the cake without icing and already used one cup of sugar. I know that sugar contributes to the texture etc., so I will try 1/2 cup of sugar next time.
Deliciously moist, excellent spice balance. I have to disclose that I am not vegan, so I take a few liberties using non-vegan options that I have on hand when I don’t feel it will significantly change the taste or texture. In this case I used cow’s milk instead or plant-based. Otherwise, the recipe was executed as written. So good!
We’re happy to hear you had success with the pumpkin bread, Marilyn! Thanks for sharing!
I always absolutely love RPL recipes but this one did not work for me. I made it the first time using organic pumpkin and it did not turn out. Completely my fault as the recipe suggests against using organic pumpkin. So I made it again with non organic pumpkin but it turned out almost the same as the first time. I followed the recipe exactly even weighing my ingredients. I cooked it for a couple minutes longer than suggested but even still the bottom will not cook / rise. Flavor is good but texture is really off. Don’t know what I’m doing wrong, disappointed.
Hi Mckayla, we’re sorry to hear about that! There are several issues that could have caused the pumpkin bread to not rise or cook through.
First, do you have an oven thermometer? Most home ovens are not that accurate (unless they’ve been calibrated). It’s possible your oven is a bit cooler than stated, which would explain why it took longer than expected.
Second, it’s important when baking to not open the oven door (except when close to the end to check on doneness). Opening the oven door even for 10 seconds can dramatically drop the temperature of the oven. You want to particularly avoid this in the earlier part of baking, as i will interfere with the ability of cakes/quick breads/muffins to rise.
Third, it’s possible that your baking powder and/or baking soda are no longer fresh. These agents are responsible for baked goods rising, so if either is past its prime, it will contribute to the pumpkin bread not rising and instead staying uncooked in the middle.
Finally, it’s important to be gentle when folding the wet and dry ingredients together. Overmixing and trying to get a super smooth batter leads to excessive gluten development in the flour, resulting in a denser and more sunken texture.
We hope this answer helps you troubleshoot!
I rarely leave ratings on recipes, but I had to say this turned out spectacular! Really satisfied the pumpkin craving, and the tip to make your own pumpkin spice was absolutely essential. So moist, fluffy and bright, will be making this again!
Hi Shelle, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I just made this again myself, and it truly is such a wonderful recipe!