Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Ah, pumpkin bread—the ultimate fall comfort food! But what if you could enjoy the warm, cozy flavors *without* all the refined sugar? This healthy vegan pumpkin bread is exactly that—delicious, wholesome, and nutritious.
It’s made with whole wheat flour, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and packed with pumpkin puree and fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
Plus, it’s egg-free and dairy-free, making it perfect for anyone with dietary restrictions. Let’s get baking!
What you’ll love about this healthy pumpkin bread recipe
If you’re looking for a healthy, family-friendly treat, this pumpkin bread ticks all the boxes:
Wholesome ingredients: No refined sugar or white flour
Vegan: This is a completely plant-based vegan quick bread
Kid-friendly: Perfect for lunchboxes or an after-school snack
Freezer-friendly: Bake ahead and freeze for busy days
Now, let’s dive into the recipe and some tips to ensure your pumpkin bread turns out delicious and flavorful every time!
Pumpkin bread ingredients and some notes
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this refined sugar free pumpkin bread (hint: you won’t need anything weird or specialty):
- Whole wheat flour – A great source of fiber and other nutrients. You can also try white whole wheat flour for a lighter crumb.
- Canned pumpkin puree – Provides moisture, natural sweetness, and that signature pumpkin flavor. Make sure you use *pure* pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup – A natural sweetener with a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with fall spices.
- Neutral oil – As opposed to butter, oil keeps baked goods from drying for a longer period of time, so you can have moist pumpkin bread for days. You can use a neutral oil like avocado, grapeseed oil, or melted refined coconut oil.
- Baking powder and baking soda – These two work together to make the bread rise into a nice dome.
- Classic fall spices – This recipe is filled with a warm blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Here’s a recipe for the best pumpkin pie spice mix that you can mix up. Having this already mixed up makes adding fall spices to your baking goods faster and easier.
- Vanilla – Brings more flavor to the bread.
- Salt – Salt enhances flavor, balances sweetness, and strengthens the batter’s structure. I use kosher salt.
How to make healthy pumpkin bread
1. Preheat the oven. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, then lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan to act as a sling for removing the bread later.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, fall spices, and salt. This ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, neutral oil, and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold the batter together—don’t overmix! Overmixing can result in a tough bread.
5. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading the top evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes. If the top starts to brown too quickly, tent it with foil during the last 15 minutes.
6. Cool and Enjoy. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Letting it cool completely is key—cutting the bread while it’s hot may cause it to smoosh and be gummy.
Baking tips for making the perfect healthy pumpkin bread
- Measure your flour correctly. Scoop and level the flour with a knife to avoid adding too much. Packed flour can make the bread dry and dense. Better yet, weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale instead. I include the weight for the flour and other ingredients for all my recipes.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures everything mixes together evenly.
- Don’t skip the cooling time: It might be tempting, but letting the bread cool ensures the flavors set and the texture firms up nicely.
- Make it your own: Add chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries for extra texture and flavor! Keep the mix-ins to about a cup or so to ensure that the bread still bakes evenly. Too many mix-ins can mess up the bake.
How to store and freeze
Storing: Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: Slice the bread and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. This makes it easy to grab a slice whenever you want! Just thaw at room temperature or warm it up in the toaster oven.
Final thoughts
This healthy vegan pumpkin bread is more than just a fall or October treat—it’s a wholesome way to easily enjoy the flavors of the season.
Whether you’re making it for your family, serving it at a gathering, or enjoying it as a mid afternoon snack, this bread is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
So, preheat that oven, grab your whisk, and get ready to bake up some cozy goodness! Don’t forget to let me know how your pumpkin bread turns out in the comments. Happy baking!
Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Bread
October 15, 2024Equipment
- 9" x 5" loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour (360 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ⅛ tsp cloves
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree (375 g)
- ¾ cup maple syrup (240 g)
- ½ cup neutral oil (94 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Put an oven rack in the middle position of your oven. Heat the oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Lay a piece of parchment inside the pan to form a parchment paper sling for easy removal of the baked bread.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.3 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ⅛ tsp cloves, ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla.1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, ¾ cup maple syrup, ½ cup neutral oil, 2 tsp vanilla
- Add the flour mixture in with the pumpkin mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients until no more dry flour remains.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using the spatula to get all the batter out. Smooth the top of the batter to create an even layer.
- Bake for 55 – 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove using the parchment sling and allow to fully cool on a wire rack.
