This Vegan Pumpkin Bread is so easy to make, perfectly moist, and completely oil-free. Made in 1 bowl with cozy Fall spices and dark chocolate chips, it’s the only pumpkin bread recipe you’ll ever need.
Why do I think this is the best vegan pumpkin bread? Well, for starters, it’s delicious.
This loaf moist, perfectly sweet, and flavored with my homemade pumpkin pie spice. But, there’s more. You can enjoy this amazing Fall recipe virtually guilt-free because it’s completely oil-free!
So, there’s no reason this vegan pumpkin bread should not be on your holiday menu. Because it’s going to be one of your favorite Fall recipes.
If you have the patience, let the loaf rest for an hour two after baking. It will taste even better and slice up beautifully.
Remember, Fall was made for dessert. So, don’t go and waste it on processed food or an overpriced latte. Stuff your face with this crazy good vegan pumpkin bread and love yourself. Now, get in the kitchen and make it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This Vegan Pumpkin Bread is so easy to make! All you need is 1 bowl, a few simple ingredients, and about an hour of your time. And, I’m pretty sure you have most of the ingredients already in your cabinet.
- Canned Pumpkin: be sure it’s pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Applesauce & Ground Flax: this holds everything together and replaces the oil and eggs.
- Maple Syrup and Vanilla: for sweetness and a flavor.
- Flour: organic unbleached flour or whole wheat pastry flour work best in this recipe.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: you can buy it, but I prefer to make my own.
- Baking Soda
- Chocolate Chips: this ingredient is optional but chocolate is always good. Just be sure to use non-dairy or vegan chocolate chips.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread
This Vegan Pumpkin Bread is easy to make, so moist, and completely oil-free. Made with warming Fall spices and dark chocolate chips, it's sure to be a family favorite. Start by preheating your oven to 350˚F.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the canned pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix well.
- Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir until everything is combined but do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and any other additions you wish to add.
- Pour & Bake: Pour the batter into your loaf, sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips, and bake for 45 minutes. The loaf will be finished baking when you insert a knife or toothpick into the center and comes out clean.
That’s all there is to it. Now, all that’s left is to let it cool for a bit. Enjoy!
Vegan Pumpkin Bread Suggestions & FAQ
Let It Cool.
You can eat this vegan pumpkin bread right away. But, it tastes and slices better after it has sat and cooled for 30-45 minutes. Let it cool for several minutes in the loaf pan then transfer it to a cooling rack.
Can I Freeze Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Yes, absolutely! To freeze the whole loaf simply wrap it in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. If you want to freeze individual slices just wrap then place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
How To Store Vegan Pumpkin Bread?
Vegan pumpkin bread will last up to 3 days covered on your counter. You can store it for 5 days covered in the fridge.
What Can I Add To Vegan Pumpkin Bread?
Try adding dried pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, or raisins. Also, try sprinkling the top with your favorite seeds, nuts, or more chocolate chips.
Can I Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread Gluten-Free?
Yes, absolutely! Simply use your favorite gluten-free flour or gluten-free oat flour.
This vegan sweet bread is great as a snack. But, I love having it for breakfast toasted with a smear of some homemade pecan butter. Serve it with a side of my Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon, Tofu Bacon, Spicy Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties.
This vegan sweet bread is great as a snack. But, I love having it for breakfast toasted with a smear of some homemade pecan butter. Serve it with a side of my Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon, Tofu Bacon, Spicy Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties.
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
Did you make this chocolate chip pumpkin bread? Be sure and let me know! Leave a comment, RATE IT, and tag a photo #shaneandsimple on Instagram. Happy Fall, everyone!
The Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Total Time1 hour
- Yield1 loaf 1x
- DietVegan
This Vegan Pumpkin Bread is so easy to make, perfectly moist, and completely oil-free. Made in 1 bowl with cozy Fall spices and dark chocolate chips, it’s the only pumpkin bread recipe you’ll ever need.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup mashed pumpkin or 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed (flax meal)
- 1 ½ cups organic unbleached flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. baking soda (NOT baking powder)
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Mix pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla, and unsweetened applesauce together in a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips, to the pumpkin mixture and stir together until everything is well combined.
- If using chocolate chips, fold into batter.
- Pour mixture into a nonstick loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. If you don’t have a nonstick pan, you can line with parchment paper. If you do use a cooking spray, just lightly mist the pan.
- The loaf is done when a knife tester is inserted into the center and comes out clean, except for a few chocolate chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 18.1 g
- Sodium: 130.3 mg
- Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.7 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Prep Time: 15 mins.
- Cook Time: 45 mins.
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
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I use organic canned pumpkin and it is very wet so I eliminated the applesauce and reduced the maple syrup to about 1/3 cup. I used a stoneware loaf pan and oiled it with a bit of coconut oil. I used vegan mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Delicious! Previously I had used a silicone pan and all of the applesauce and it took over an hour to cook.
This recent version was cooked in 45 minutes. I read that Libby’s pumpkin is much drier, so the applesauce would be helpful.
Used crushed pecans instead of chocolate chips. All I can say is…delish!
I would like to know more about this recipe. Do you alternate ingredients? I do not like applesauce in bread. When using flax meal I have always heard flax is suppose to be soaked like making a flax egg for the moisture. I like folding in chocolate chips.
So delicious! I ate 3 slices warm right out of the oven!!
Made this tonight and gobbled down 2 pieces as soon as I could get it out of the pan! Delicious!
My husband has to avoid flaxseed, how much additional whole wheat flour should I add?
Try replacing the flax with chia seeds.
I subbed extra pumpkin for apple sauce.
I used whole wheat fresh ground flour.
I used an oiled glass pan.
I subbed honey for maple.
I used lemon since I needed an acid and didnt have baking powder.
I used a spoon of date syrup for fun since I had that.
The kids added a few spoons of chocolate powder when I wasnt looking.
It didnt rise.
Happened to have some cooked sweet potatoes that needed to be used up so I pureed them and other than that and my own spices, made this according to the recipe. My oven is wonky so I had to bake at 350 for an hour and 20 mins. This bread is excellent, especially toasted with a little PB. Love all your recipes, and thank you SO MUCH for all the hard work you put in to create them!
Awesome! Way to use what you got and thank you so much!!!
Can I replace the flour for this Pumpkin Bread with Whole Wheat Flour?
Sure.
I really enjoyed this pumpkin bread (and had no issues with the loaf collapsing on me). However I think you may have forgotten to list salt in the ingredients list. I’m going to make it again with 1/2 or 1 teaspoon salt next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Maria, and so glad you enjoyed it. I typically try and keep things very low sodium. So, feel free to add as much or as little as you prefer. Happy eating!
Hi Shane, thank u for another great recipe!
We love this bread, hubby said i can make that again! I used 1 cup bread flour& rest wheat flour, date syrup& leftover pumpkin from freezer, thawed. It is super moist& yummy! 😇
Hi Shane. Just took this out of the oven and it smells incredible. I used whole wheat pastry flour. It baked for 50 mins. and the knife came out clean except for some of the chocolate. It looked perfect until it sat for a few minutes and it sunk way down. Any idea what I might have done wrong? I used a 9 X 5″ loaf pan. Can’t wait to taste it. 🙂
The chocolate will always get on the knife because it melts. Not quite sure why it would’ve sunk, it’s the first time anyone has said that happened. I’ll have to think about that one.
Baked it for 60 minutes, still wasn’t cooked all the way through. I ate it anyway. Still yummy.
Hmmm, I’m sorry to hear that, and not quite sure why it didn’t cook. That’s not been an issue as of yet. What’s your location (not exact, must general geographic) because altitude can affect cooking times and temps.
I’ve made this recipe 2x and both times the bread sinks immediately after coming out of the oven. The first time I thought maybe it didn’t bake long enough, so I added time. But the second time the top got a little too dark and it still sunk – it’s very moist in the middle. I’m using Whole wheat Keto flower as that is all the store I went to had- do you think that could be the issue? It is delicious so I’m going to keep trying! Any suggestions would be helpful!
Hi, Lauren! Yes, that totally makes sense. I just had someone tell me the same thing. Gluten-free baking flour will work but the keto flour seems to be an issue. Try whole wheat or gluten-free baking flour. Hope this helps.
Hello Shane, Love your recipes I always like to make 2 of everything I was wondering with the pumpkin bread if the canned pumpkin is only 1 can for each of the batches as stated or is that a misprint . Thanks for all you do .
It’s one can per batch.
A lot of your recipes call for flax eggs. I’m allergic to flax. What is a good substitute and how to I incorporate it into the recipe.?
Hi, Janet! Here’s a great resource for egg replacements in vegan baking.
LINK: https://proveg.com/plant-based-food-and-lifestyle/vegan-alternatives/egg-alternatives/
Have you tried this with almond flour? Trying to stay away from AP flour
Almond flour won’t work. But, you could use whole wheat or gluten-free baking flour.
Is spelt ok?
Yes. It might be a little dense but should work fine.
Can you make this into muffins/ cupcakes?
Sure thing!
Delicious recipe. I use 1 cup ww flour and 1/2 cup regular unbleached, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts with 1/4 cup raisins instead of the 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and I add 2 tablespoons of oil to make the texture a little more palatable to my dad, so I can send him on his recent work trips out of town with something relatively healthy to snack on, haha. He raved about the last loaf without knowing about its mysterious healthy inner workings, so it’s going on the regular rotation. 😉 Oh, I also had to make the pumpkin pie spice from scratch, and have been using cardamom instead of cloves since that’s what I have on hand. Delightful! Very forgiving recipe with my changes, haha. Thank you!
I was hesitant on making this one…not a big fan of pumpkin bread generally but my hubby wanted it… I am SO glad I made this .. absolutely delish!! I will be making this again!
That’s awesome!
Hi folks, I posted a comment yesterday along with some questions. Today, I looked for a reply and discovered my post had disappeared. Too bad. I had hoped to figure out how to make the recipe work well.
Hi, Jo! I apologize and not quite sure what may have happened. I usually don’t work on Sundays so I haven’t seen any comments since then. Please post your question again. Mucho apologies.
Hi folks, I made this recipe tonight and had to bake it for 1 1/2 hours. It still was goopy in the middle – never did bake all the way through. It tastes really good, but I’d like to know what happened. I followed the recipe exactly and my oven runs a little cool, so I set the timer at 50 minutes to start. But it took forever and still didn’t bake all the way through. Do you strain the applesauce? The pumpkin? Any ideas?
Hi, Jo! Just saw your comment. If your oven runs cool I would increase the temp. by 5-10 degrees and give it a little more time to preheat. Cook at the regular time then check. If it is still not quite done bake for 5 minutes at a time and check. let me know if this helps.
I made this wonderful pumpkin bread, but had to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose baking flour (same proportion) plus 1 tsp of Xanthan Gum because I have Celiac disease. I wanted to let you know it worked out great; the bread had a nice spongy texture. It made me really happy, since trying to make gluten free, vegan breads doesn’t work out well most of the time.
Do you think I could make this into muffins?
Yes!
Can you reduce the amount of maple syrup without causing a problem?
Sure thing.
So YUMMMMM and super easy to make.
I had pumpkin left over and was wondering about pumpkin bread. Of course I checked out your page as your recipes always work out and don’t ask for ridiculous ingredients. And I was right, I had all the ingredients already in my cupboard. I followed the recipe to the letter but had to bake it 30 minutes longer.
The bread came out perfect. I will make this again real soon.
I might try and experiment by swapping the chocolate chips with raisins and adding some orange zest for a more christmas-like feel.
That’s awesome!
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you!
Can you use almond flour? I am new to this vegan baking.
Not for this recipe. But, if you are trying to make it gluten-free oat flour is good or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour is great as well.
Any substitutes if I’m house bound and out of apple sauce?
Hi, Andrea! Here is a list of oil replacements for baking. Hope this helps.
https://shaneandsimple.com/healthy-oil-replacements-in-baking/
Made two of these loaves this morning, and they are really, really good. Used whole wheat pastry flour and Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips, subbed individual spices for pumpkin spice, and mixed flax meal in with apple sauce before adding pumpkin. “Why would you double the recipe on your first time trying it,” you may ask? Well when I tried your banana bread recipe two days ago, the family liked it so much I barely got any. Then there’s the note that says it’s important to wait until this pumpkin loaf is cool — yeah, I knew that wasn’t gonna happen so that’s what the second loaf is for! Anyway, thanks for another great recipe. It was a great way to start the New Year!
That is so awesome! So glad you enjoyed it and made enough this time:) Happy New Year!
They took a while longer to bake. Overall a good recipe. I gifted them to the neighbors. I forget that vegan bread is never as sweet as the standard banana bread. I used homemade puree from our halloween pumpkins.
Sounds great, Amy! I’m also honored you used them as gifts. Thanks for reaching out and happy holidays! Blessings!
When you leave this out overnight, do you cover it and if so, with foil? a towel?
Thanks! Really looking forward to trying it!
I usually wrap it in aluminum foil or put it under a cake dome.
Hello! I made this a couple of nights ago and it was delish! I only had Cassava flour on hand so I used 1 cup of that in place of the whole wheat flour (we are GF) and it worked. It was a bit gummy so I’d like to make it again and maybe try to throw in some GF oats? Or do you have any suggestions on how to make it less chewy/gummy? I have the same problem with Bob Mills 1:1 on other recipes. Thoughts?
Made this bread a couple of days ago and have been eating it for breakfast. Very moist, and the pumpkin/chocolate combination is so satisfying (I like to have sweet in the morning)! Thanks for a great recipe!
Megan, that is awesome! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. I love it with a hot cup of coffee when there’s a little chill in the air and early morning. OK, I’m getting nostalgic. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.
Made this tonight. Loved it. It was full of great flavors. Great combination. I used whole wheat pastry flour and it was fabulous. Thanks for a great recipe Shane!
Nancy, that is so great! Thanks for making and I’m pumped you liked it. Whole Wheat pastry flour is a gift from heaven:) Have a great weekend!
I really want to try your healthy baking recipes but due to allergies, I’m not sure what to replace ground flax with. Any ideas? Thank you!
Thank you, Amy! Sure thing on the flax. You can use and equal amount of chia seed; 1/4 cup arrowroot power + 1/4 cup water; and, 1/4 cup silken tofu pureed as well. Hope this helps.
Hi Shane, if you use chia instead of flax do you use them whole or grind them? I have never used them but have an unopened bag. Thank you.
You could either.
Can I substitute sweet potato for the pumpkin? Love your banana bread recipe and would like to try this.
I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. Make sure to puree the sweet potato and use equal amounts. Good luck! Be sure and let me know how it goes.
Haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I made your banana bread and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! It is now my “go to” banana bread! Can’t wait to make this. I happened to “stumble” across your banana bread recipe. So glad I did. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! Thanks for keeping it simple and REAL and for sharing!
Thanks so much, Teri. Happy to have you in the community. I hope you enjoy the recipes and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Blessings.
Absolutely wonderful! I did use whole bread flour since that’s what I had available and this loaf turned out amazing.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
Made this tonight. It’s very good! I added walnuts. I love your banana bread too!
Very easy to make. Thank you for the awsome recipe!
Jan, thanks! So glad you enjoyed it and I like the walnuts too:)
Is there a gf alternative you’d suggest? A few of us in the family have gluten allergies and trying to find WFPB quick breads has been a struggle. ?
I would try oat flour or a mixture of oat flour and bob’s red mill gluten-free baking flour. Let me know what you try and how it works. Hope this helps!
Oh my, this was so good, and it was quick and easy to prepare, and those who know me, that is a must! Thank you, Shane !
Those who know me know that is a must for me too:) So glad you enjoyed, Gayle. And, thanks for reaching out. Peace.
Hi Shane!
I only have whole wheat pastry flour. Do you think it will work in this recipe?
Thanks,
Becky
Absolutely! No problem at all.
I made this pumpkin bread and it’s gone in 2 days! It was outrageously delicious, enjoyed by my whole family. Perfect, easy recipe. I will try using pecans and raisins, as suggested by my son. I plan to make it again this week, perhaps even twice so it might last longer. Thanks Shane!
Wow, that’s so great to hear. Thanks for reaching out:)
Gosh this looks so good. I’m definitely going to make this. Thank you for sharing your fabulous recipes Shane.
Diana, I hope you enjoy it. And, you are very welcome. Thanks for reaching out! Peace.
Made this afternoon. So delicious. I used my home made date syrup in stead of maple. Next time I’ll add another tsp of the spice mix and try raisins and walnuts instead of choc chip. Outstanding.
Anne, that all sounds great and so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reaching out and thanks for sharing your ideas…I may have to steal one or two:) Blessings.