This vegan pumpkin bread is The Fall Aesthetic™ baked up in a loaf pan. It’s low-fuss to whip up (no fancy gadgets required!) and as it bakes, it perfumes your home with eau de autumn, a richly-spiced warmth courtesy of the homemade pumpkin spice.
It’s soft and light, moist and lusciously tender, never soggy or dense like many pumpkin bricks—ahem, breads.
Cut yourself a slice for an indulgent breakfast, snack on it with your afternoon latte, or hit it with a maple tahini drizzle or swoop of cream cheese frosting for a dessert that will catapult you into cozy autumnal bliss (… and that no one will guess is vegan!).
Pssst! This recipe is adapted from my vegan banana bread…so you know it’s a winner 😉
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!
Avoiding the main pitfalls of pumpkin bread
After many rounds of testing, I’m pleased to present a recipe that sidesteps the two major perilous pitfalls of pumpkin bread:
Pitfall 1: Dense, soggy texture
Solution: Pumpkin purée is thick by nature, which often translates into a heavy, sodden loaf—but not this one, thanks to vegan buttermilk for a soft, tender crumb, and whipped aquafaba (read more in the Ingredient notes), a secret weapon that provides extra rise!
Pitfall 2: “Pumpkin spice” that tastes flat
Solution: 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 two minutes to throw together but really changes the flavor game.
Ingredient notes
- Vegan buttermilk: This is simply a mix of plant-based milk and a source of acid, like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. I use oat milk for its superior browning capabilities in baking, though some readers have used soy milk successfully.
- Aquafaba: AKA the liquid from a can of chickpeas! By whipping it slightly to incorporate some air, it gives this loaf lift and lightness.
Trust me—aquafaba will level up your vegan baking game in a major way. 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!
- Canned pumpkin: This recipe calls for a whole can for serious pumpkin flavor (AND you don’t have to figure out what to do with a weird amount of leftover canned pumpkin!). If canned pumpkin isn’t available where you live, check out the FAQ section to see how to make this with fresh pumpkin.
- Homemade pumpkin spice: This easy homemade blend—featuring freshly grated nutmeg for spicy zing and a generous amount of warmly sweet cloves—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 have not had good results with gluten-free flour and would not recommend it, though some commenters have given it a try (with mixed results).
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.
Add your lightly whipped aquafaba to the brown sugar mixture. Mix until the aquafaba is well incorporated.
Add in the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vegan buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix again until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the ingredients into each other.
Mix just until the flour pockets are gone, then stop mixing. The batter should be somewhat lumpy and thick.
Pour the batter into a lined 9×5” (23×13 cm) loaf pan and smooth out the top with the spatula.
Bake at 350ºF/176ºC for 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using the parchment paper handles, remove the bread from the pan and cool on the wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing.
When ready to serve, drizzle with tahini icing (or serve on the side), or spread with the cream cheese frosting.
Tips for making this recipe
Opt for conventional over organic canned pumpkin purée
If you live in the U.S.: For whatever reason, organic canned pumpkin puree is more watery than conventional canned pumpkin from Libby’s. 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 recommend straining the pumpkin purée over a fine-mesh sieve to remove excess water.
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 don’t reach the stated temperature when the preheat cycle is over.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick. Insert a toothpick into the bread at an angle, not straight down. This angled position is a much more reliable indicator of whether a tall loaf cake is baked through. See 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.
Beware of overmixing!
Mixing develops the gluten in the batter, and overmixing = overdeveloped gluten = 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 (just like in my Pumpkin Pancakes!).
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!
- Maple tahini icing: The tahini brings a unique nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the classic pumpkin spice flavors.
- Vegan cream cheese icing. A more 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. 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).
Aquafaba is one of the ways I keep this pumpkin bread light and tender, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting it.
A lot of recipes suggest using flax eggs but in my experience, they work much better in denser baked goods (like my vegan chocolate chip cookies).
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.
If unfrosted, store it covered or wrapped in plastic on the counter for up to 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).
If making the cream cheese icing, store the bread covered in the fridge for at least 5 days.
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
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP (90g) aquafaba
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) oat milk, or unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup (75g) sunflower oil, or any neutral-flavored oil
- 1 cup + 2 TBSP (170g) organic brown sugar, loosely packed
- 1 15-ounce (425g) can pumpkin puree (ideally NOT organic pumpkin, see Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Homemade Pumpkin Spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves (see Note 2)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (see Note 3)
- 1 handful pepitas (optional, for topping)
Frosting option 1: Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 tablespoons (56g) vegan butter, softened at room temp
- 2 ounces (56g) vegan cream cheese, softened at room temp (see Note 4)
- 1 cup + 2 TBSP (135g) organic powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Frosting option 2: Maple Tahini Icing
- 1 cup (120g) organic powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons good-quality tahini
- 3 tablespoons oat milk or unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Arrange a rack in the middle or bottom third of the oven. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan (23×13 cm) with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides to form a sling.
- Make the "buttermilk": Stir the vinegar into the milk and set aside for a few minutes.
- Pour the aquafaba into a small bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, whip the aquafaba on medium speed for 45 seconds, or until uniformly foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and oil. Mix using the electric mixer or a whisk until well combined. Add the whipped aquafaba and mix until well incorporated. Add in the “buttermilk,” pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and the ingredients are very well incorporated (this is important so you don't overmix).
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and Homemade Pumpkin Spice. Whisk well to ensure the leaveners and spices are evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until just barely combined and no flour pockets remain, then stop mixing! The batter doesn’t need to be totally smooth—some lumps are normal. It should be quite thick and almost fluffy at this point.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top sides of the cake comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.I like to check the bread at 53-55 minute mark. To test if it's done, insert a toothpick downwards at an angle (not just straight down). If the toothpick has batter that is a bit gooey, bake for 5-10 more minutes. If you’re worried about the top browning too much, loosely tent the pan with foil.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10-15 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper handles, remove the bread from the pan and cool on the rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve plain, or with the Cream Cheese Icing or the Maple Tahini Icing and scatter with handful of pepitas. See Note 5 for storage instructions.
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. 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 thick, add a splash of plant-based milk. If too thin, briefly refrigerate.
Maple Tahini Icing (optional, see Note 6)
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl (sifting gets rid of the lumps in the sugar). Add in the tahini, milk, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine until the icing is 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).
Video
Notes
- 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.
- If you are grinding whole cloves, use less as it’s more potent, about 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cloves.
- Freshly grated whole nutmeg makes a difference! If using pre-ground nutmeg, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
- My favorite vegan cream cheese brands are Violife and Tofutti.
- See FAQ for how to store pumpkin bread depending on how you serve it.
- If you are not serving the entire bread now, pour the maple tahini icing only over the amount you plan to eat; otherwise, it will get soggy the next day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
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!
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!