Indulge in a healthy, delicious vegan and gluten-free pumpkin bread that captures the comforting essence of the classic! This easy-to-make loaf is wonderfully moist, tender, and packed with flavor, crafted without eggs, dairy, or gluten.

The Best Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread: A Healthier Classic

There’s a special magic that happens when pumpkin makes its way into our baked goods. A heartfelt thank you is owed to the visionary who first thought to combine rich pumpkin puree with flour, sugar, and warming spices, then baked it into a glorious loaf. That person, likely a baking enthusiast much like us, gifted the world the pure joy of pumpkin bread.

I know I’m far from alone in my deep appreciation for this seasonal (or anytime!) treat. The thought of a slice of pumpkin bread, with its incredibly moist texture, delicate crumb, inviting fragrance, and deeply satisfying flavor, is enough to warm any soul. Yet, for many, dietary restrictions like gluten intolerance or a vegan lifestyle often mean missing out on such simple pleasures.

That’s precisely why I embarked on a mission to create a recipe that ensures absolutely no one has to miss out. This beautiful loaf is every bit as delicious as the classic pumpkin bread you grew up loving, but with a healthier, more inclusive twist. It’s my perfected Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread – made without eggs, dairy, or gluten, and even featuring options for less sugar and oil, all while preserving every bit of that beloved flavor and comforting moistness.

Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Pumpkin Bread

This recipe isn’t just a substitute; it’s a celebration of flavor and inclusivity. Here are compelling reasons why this vegan and gluten-free pumpkin bread will become a cherished addition to your baking repertoire:

Dietary Inclusive: Perfectly suitable for those following vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, or dairy-free diets, making it ideal for gatherings and diverse palates.
One-Bowl Wonder: Streamlines the baking process, minimizing cleanup and making it a go-to for busy days.
Nut-Free Option: Naturally nut-free, catering to another common allergen, ensuring more people can safely enjoy a slice.
Naturally Sweetened: Made without refined sugar, using coconut sugar for a gentler sweetness and richer flavor profile.
Oil-Free Alternative: Thoughtfully designed with an oil-free option, allowing you to tailor it to your health preferences without compromising on moistness.
Rich & Aromatic: Infused with classic pumpkin pie spices, delivering that irresistible autumnal aroma and taste.
Healthy & Wholesome: Packed with the goodness of pumpkin, offering a delightful way to enjoy a nutrient-rich vegetable.

Essential Ingredients for Your Perfect Loaf

Crafting this incredible pumpkin bread requires a simple array of wholesome ingredients, readily available at most grocery stores. Each component plays a vital role in achieving its signature flavor and texture. You’ll find the precise measurements for both US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) in the comprehensive recipe card located at the end of this post.

Canned Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree: The star of the show! Ensure you’re using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices. It provides essential moisture, rich flavor, and a beautiful hue.
Coconut Sugar: Our choice for natural sweetness. Coconut sugar has a lovely caramel-like note and is a less refined alternative to white sugar. See the “Notes” section for other sugar options like brown sugar or maple syrup.
Neutral Vegetable Oil: Such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil, contributes to the bread’s tender crumb and overall richness. Check the “Notes” for a fantastic oil-free option using unsweetened applesauce.
Vanilla Extract: A crucial flavor enhancer that complements the pumpkin and spices, adding depth and warmth to every bite.
All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (1:1 Ratio): The foundation of our gluten-free structure. It’s important to use a blend specifically designed for a 1:1 substitution in traditional recipes to ensure the right texture.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: This blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves is what truly defines the classic pumpkin bread taste. Feel free to adjust the amount to your preference.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work in harmony to give the bread its perfect rise and tender, airy texture. Ensure your baking powder is certified gluten-free if strict adherence is necessary.
Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors, making them pop.
Water: Used to achieve the ideal batter consistency. Filtered tap water works perfectly.
Optional Toppings: Pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) for a delightful crunch and visual appeal, and a sprinkle of turbinado (raw) sugar for a sparkling finish and a slight sugary crust.

Simple Steps to Baking Perfection

Making this vegan gluten-free pumpkin bread is surprisingly straightforward, requiring minimal equipment and just one bowl for mixing. Follow these easy steps to bake a loaf that will impress everyone:

Prepare Your Oven & Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly spray or oil a standard 9×5-inch (22.5×12.5 cm) loaf baking pan. This ensures your bread won’t stick and will release easily after baking.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the unsweetened pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, water, neutral vegetable oil (or your chosen oil-free substitute), and vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together thoroughly until they are completely blended and smooth. This forms the flavorful liquid base of your bread.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: To the same bowl, add your all-purpose gluten-free flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently mix until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the wet mixture. Be careful not to overmix, although with gluten-free flour, the risk of developing toughness is minimal.
Fill & Garnish: Pour the smooth batter evenly into your prepared loaf pan. If you’re using optional toppings, sprinkle the top generously with pepitas and a touch of turbinado (raw) sugar. These additions provide a lovely textural contrast and a beautiful visual finish.
Bake Until Golden: Place the loaf pan into your preheated oven and bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes. The bread is done when a long skewer or even a piece of uncooked spaghetti inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating no wet batter remains.
Cool & Serve: Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Cooling is crucial for the bread’s structure to set properly. Once cooled, run a knife gently around the edges of the pan to loosen, then carefully remove the loaf. Slice it into desired portions and get ready to enjoy!

Hello, gorgeous! Your perfectly baked, moist, and fragrant vegan gluten-free pumpkin bread is ready to be devoured!

Expert Baking Tips for Success

Achieving the perfect loaf of pumpkin bread is easier than you might think, especially with a few insider tips:

No Over-Mixing Worries with GF Flour: One of the beautiful advantages of baking with gluten-free flour is that you don’t have to stress about over-mixing. Unlike wheat flour, which can develop tough gluten strands when over-agitated, gluten-free flours remain tender. Mix until just combined, and your bread will still turn out wonderfully soft. Enjoy this worry-free baking experience!
The Skewer Test is Your Best Friend: For moist quick breads like this, relying solely on visual cues can be misleading. Always perform the skewer test by inserting a long, thin skewer (or a piece of dry spaghetti) into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean with no wet batter attached, your bread is perfectly baked through.
Cooling is Crucial: Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to cooling baked goods. Allow your pumpkin bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. This allows the internal structure to set, prevents it from becoming gummy, and ensures clean, beautiful slices.
Don’t Pack the Flour: When measuring gluten-free flour, spoon it lightly into your measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge. Packing the flour can lead to too much flour, resulting in a dry, dense loaf.
Room Temperature Ingredients: While not strictly necessary for this recipe, using room temperature pumpkin puree and water can sometimes help ingredients combine more smoothly, leading to a more uniform batter.

Storage, Substitutions & Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about storing your delicious pumpkin bread or making adjustments to the recipe? We’ve got you covered with these helpful tips and answers:

How should I store the bread? To maintain its freshness and moistness, store the cooled pumpkin bread in an airtight container. It will keep well at cool room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. For freezing, slice the loaf first, then wrap individual slices in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. This makes it easy to grab a single serving whenever a craving strikes!
What is a good substitute for coconut sugar? You can easily swap coconut sugar with an equal amount of brown sugar, granulated cane sugar, or your preferred granulated sweetener. For a liquid sweetener option, an equal amount of pure maple syrup can be used. If using maple syrup, reduce the total water in the recipe to 1/3 cup to account for the added liquid.
Is there an oil-free option for this bread? Absolutely! If you prefer to bake without oil, simply substitute the vegetable oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. For an even richer, oil-free texture, you can replace both the oil and the water with an equal total amount of full-fat canned coconut milk, which adds a wonderful creaminess.
Can this bread be made with all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour if I don’t need it to be gluten-free? Yes! If gluten is not a concern for you, feel free to substitute the all-purpose gluten-free flour with an equal amount of regular all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. The results will be equally delightful.
Can the bread be made with other gluten-free flours like almond or coconut flour? While I adore experimenting with various gluten-free flours in other recipes, I do not recommend substituting them directly in this particular pumpkin bread recipe. Flours like chickpea, coconut, cassava, or almond flour have unique liquid absorption properties and will drastically change the texture and consistency, requiring significant recipe adjustments. Stick to a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free blend for the best results here.
Can I add mix-ins to the batter? Yes, absolutely! Feel free to customize your loaf with your favorite additions. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chocolate chips (vegan, if preferred), chopped walnuts or pecans (if not strictly nut-free), dried cranberries, or shredded coconut into the batter just before spreading it into the pan.

I genuinely hope you and your family enjoy this wholesome and delicious pumpkin bread recipe as much as mine does! Happy baking, and may your kitchen be filled with the wonderful aroma of fall.

More Delightful Pumpkin Recipes to Explore

Pumpkin isn’t just for autumn; it’s a versatile, nutrient-rich ingredient that I love to incorporate into my cooking all year round! It’s such an easy way to boost the vitamin and fiber content in baked goods, breakfasts, soups, and smoothies. If you enjoyed this pumpkin bread, I encourage you to try some of my other favorite pumpkin creations. They’re all designed for ease and deliciousness, perfect for your kitchen:

Pumpkin Almond Flour Biscotti (4 ingredients, oil-free)
Quick Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
4-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Spread
Pumpkin Toasted Walnut Hummus (no beans)
Chickpea Flour Pumpkin Muffins (grain-free)
Pumpkin Coconut Flour Biscuits (grain-free)

vegan and gluten-free pumpkin bread in a loaf pan atop a marble cutting board

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 5 votes

Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread (Easy, Oil-free option)

By:
Camilla

Healthy, delicious vegan gluten-free pumpkin bread that tastes like the classic! It is delicious, easy-to-make, & made without eggs, dairy or gluten.

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

1 hour

3 minutes

Servings:

12
slices

Ingredients

1 3/4
cups
unsweetened pumpkin puree,
(one 15-ounce can)
1/2
cup
coconut sugar,
(see notes for options)
1/2
cup
water
3
tablespoons
vegetable oil ,
(I used avocado oil)
1 1/2
teaspoons
vanilla extract
2
cups
all-purpose gluten-free flour (1:1 ratio)
1
tablespoon
pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4
teaspoons
baking powder,
(certified GF, as needed)
1
teaspoon
baking soda
3/4
teaspoon
salt
Optional: 3 to 4 tablespoons pepitas,
(green pumpkin seeds)
Optional: turbinado sugar

US Customary –
Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray or lightly oil a 9×5-inch (22.5×12.5 cm) loaf baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, water, oil, and vanilla until blended.
Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Mix until completely blended.
Spread batter in prepared pan; if using, sprinkle top with pepitas and a bit of turbinado/raw sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes until a long skewer (a long piece of uncooked spaghetti works great) inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edges and carefully remove loaf. Cut into slices.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Oil-Free Option: Replace the oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.

Sugar Options: An equal amount of brown sugar, cane sugar, or the sugar of your choice can be used in place of the coconut sugar. An equal amount of maple syrup can also be used (reduce the water to 1/3 cup total).

Flour Options: If you do not need the loaf to be gluten-free, feel free to use an equal amount of white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour or spelt flour in place of the all-purpose gluten-free flour.

Nutrition

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