pumpkin bread

Vegan pumpkin bread – this spiced pumpkin loaf cake tastes like Autumn in cake form! This one-bowl pumpkin cake is soft, moist, spicy, easy to make, full of Fall flavours and perfect for snacking on. Eggless and dairy-free.

I absolutely adore pumpkin cake; sadly pumpkin based baked goods are not very common here in the UK, and tinned pumpkin puree can be difficult to find, though I have managed to find it in Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s and Waitrose so far!

It’s a shame it’s not more popular here, as pumpkin cake is like the Autumn version of carrot cake; full of warming spices with a soft, moist, incredibly more-ish texture.

This vegan pumpkin bread is super easy to make and just uses one bowl – always a bonus to have less washing up to do! It has a wonderfully soft and moist texture and a beautifully spiced flavour; you would never be able to guess that it is vegan!

It keeps well for up to five days in an airtight container, and is perfect for snacking on or even for breakfast with a cup of something hot.

How To Make Pumpkin Puree:

I used tinned pumpkin puree to make this vegan pumpkin bread which I get from Sainsbury’s; it can also be found in some Tesco’s, Waitrose and on Ocado and Amazon. In the supermarkets it is often hidden away in a little ‘American section’ in the world foods aisles.

If you can’t find it however it is also really easy to make your own; you just need to halve, de-seed and roast an eating pumpkin (NOT a carving one) or a butternut squash until it is tender then scoop the flesh out of the skin and puree it until smooth.

Roast it at around 200C/400F/gas mark 6. The time it takes will very much depend on how large the pumpkin/squash is so just cook it until the flesh can easily be pierced with a fork.

I don’t recommend boiling the pumpkin to cook it as that will make the puree, and therefore the cake, too wet.

How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

Start by whisking together plain flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, pumpkin spice (or you can use your own blend of spices – quantities are given in the recipe card below) and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin puree (either tinned or homemade – see instructions above), sunflower oil (or another flavourless oil), non-dairy milk, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk gently until no dry lumps remain but be careful not to over-mix.

Transfer the batter to a greased and lined approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in loaf tin and spread it level. Scatter a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) over the top then bake for 60-75 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

Loosely cover the top with tin foil for the last 20 minutes of baking if it starts to get too dark.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully lift it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

Top Tips:

• If you are using tinned/canned pumpkin puree, make sure that it is 100% pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
• Don’t over-mix the batter as that can make the cake tough, just mix it until no dry lumps remain.
• Grease your loaf tin and line it with a strip of baking parchment that comes above the sides of the tin so that it is easy to lift the cake out of the tin.
• Depending on your oven the top of the cake might start to get a bit dark before it is cooked in the middle. If this happens you can loosely cover the top with a sheet of tin foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
• The cake is ready when it is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
• Make sure that the cake has cooled completely before you slice it as otherwise the texture can be a little gummy.

Optional Mix-Ins:

I love this pumpkin bread as it is, topped with pumpkin seeds (pepitas), but if you want to get creative why not try adding:

• chocolate chips
• dried cranberries
• raisins
• chopped pecans or walnuts

Can I Freeze This Vegan Pumpkin Bread?:

Yes. This pumpkin loaf cake freezes really well in well-wrapped individual slices (make sure it is completely cold before you slice and wrap it!). Allow to defrost at room temperature.

More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes:

• Vegan pumpkin cake with maple pecans and cinnamon buttercream
• Vegan pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin spice granola
• Pumpkin bread rolls
• Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
• Vegan sweet potato bread with pecan streusel (ok, so not technically pumpkin but pretty close!)
• Vegan pumpkin pancakes
• Pumpkin chocolate chip cake bars
• Vegan pumpkin mac and cheese
• Stuffed mini pumpkins with cranberry and pecan rice

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