Vegan Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread (Egg-Free & Grain-Free)

I like my pumpkin bread tender and warmly spiced, but also sturdy enough to cut into a generous slice—not damp or crumbly. This almond flour loaf delivers, with chickpea flour and psyllium helping it hold together without eggs. It is lovely plain and wonderful toasted the next day, and it is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and oil-free.

Introduction

The first cool morning of the season always sends me straight to the pumpkin purée and spice jar. I love a thick slice of pumpkin bread with my coffee, and I especially love one that tastes invitingly soft and spiced without turning heavy or damp in the middle.

Almond flour gives this loaf its tender crumb and richness, but baking an almond flour bread without eggs took a lot of experimentation (including many sunken, squishy mistakes). But I am happy to report success with this hearty, beautiful bread.

Chickpea flour does some of the work eggs normally do: it helps the loaf set and hold together. Whole psyllium husks add more structure and volume. It is a generous amount of chickpea flour, and it has an important job here; I would not leave it out or swap it casually.

The reward is a loaf I can cut into thin slices without crumbling, though who am I kidding, most days I go for thick, hearty ones. It is lovely plain, excellent toasted, and straightforward to stir together in one bowl. Give it the full baking and cooling time, and you will have pumpkin bread ready for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A proper sliceable loaf.Chickpea flour and psyllium help the egg-free almond flour bread hold its shape, even when you cut it thin.
• Tender, not soggy.Pumpkin keeps the fine crumb lightly moist, while the long, gentle bake cooks the center through. No sogginess at all, guaranteed.
• Made for several dietary needs.The recipe is vegan (egg-free and dairy-free), gluten-free, grain-free, and oil-free; it is also made without yeast or xanthan gum. Check labels for cross-contact if you need strictly gluten-free ingredients.
• One bowl, plain tools.A whisk, spoon or spatula, and loaf pan are all you need for the batter.
• Good later, too.The loaf stores well and tastes wonderful toasted.

Ingredients for Vegan Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Almond flour:Gives the loaf its delicate texture and richness. Use fine almond flour, not more coarsely ground almond meal.
• Chickpea flour:Helps the egg-free loaf set and hold together. You may also see it sold as garbanzo bean flour or gram flour. Its role here is structural, even though the recipe calls for a substantial amount.
• Pumpkin purée:Use plain, unsweetened canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Coconut sugar:Sweetens the bread gently. Other granulated sweeteners are covered in the substitutions below.
• Whole psyllium husks:Hydrate in the wet mixture and help the loaf keep its volume and shape. The tested ingredient is whole husks, which look like small, pale flakes; powder measures differently.
• Pumpkin pie spice:Gives each slice its warm spice flavor.
• Baking powder and baking soda:Help lift the dense, moist batter.
• Salt:Balances the sweetness and spice; adjust or omit to taste.
• Water:Hydrates the flours and psyllium.
• Cider vinegar:Adds acidity to the batter.
• Vanilla extract:Rounds out the pumpkin and spice flavors.

How to Make Vegan Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the pan.Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

1. Hydrate the psyllium.Whisk the 1 cup pumpkin puree, water, coconut sugar, whole psyllium husks, vinegar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl or other large bowl. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes, until it thickens. Do not skip this pause: the psyllium needs time to plump up.

1. Mix in the dry ingredients.Add the almond flour, chickpea flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir and scrape the bowl until no dry bits remain. Expect a very thick mixture, closer to a soft dough than a pourable batter.

1. Shape the loaf.Scrape the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly. With slightly damp hands, smooth the top and round the sides a little; the loaf will keep much of the shape you give it.

1. Bake thoroughly.Bake for 80 to 90 minutes, until the loaf is deep brown, the surface looks dry and feels firm, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. A relatively flat top is normal.

1. Cool before slicing.Leave the bread in the pan on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack before cutting.

Taste and Texture

Each slice has a fine, tender crumb with just enough firmness to hold together in your hand or in the toaster. The pumpkin keeps it lightly moist without a wet center, and the sweetness is gentle enough to let the warm spices come through. I like it in generous slices, though it cuts neatly into thinner ones, too.

Storage

• Cool completely:Let the loaf cool before enclosing it in a storage container or bag.
• Room temperature:Keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerator:Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Freezer:Store airtight for up to 6 months. Freeze sliced if you want to take out one portion at a time.

Serving Suggestions

Serve a thick slice plain with coffee or tea, or toast it and add jam, vegan butter, or nut or seed butter. It is gently sweet enough for breakfast and satisfying as an afternoon snack.

Flavor Variations

Stir 1 cup dried cranberries and 2 to 3 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest into the bread dough. If you like, you can also replace the water with an equal amount of orange zest.

Stir 3/4 cup miniature or regular dark chocolate chips into the bread dough. If you like, sprinkle a few more chips on top once the dough is in the bread pan.

Stir 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the bread dough.

Tips for Success

• Wait about 5 minutes after mixing the wet ingredients. That brief rest helps the bread gain and keep its shape.

• Stir until no dry flour remains, then spread and shape it in the pan. It will look more like a soft dough than a pourable cake batter.

• Look for a deep brown, firm, dry surface and a clean toothpick. Cool completely before slicing so the loaf can finish setting.

• With a high-speed blender, grind dried chickpeas in small batches until fine, then sift out any coarse pieces. I do not recommend a regular blender or food processor for this job; the hard chickpeas can strain the motor.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Other granulated sweeteners:Replace coconut sugar with an equal amount of lightly packed brown sugar, cane sugar, regular sugar, or a granulated sugar-free sweetener designed for baking. (note: the refined sugar-free description applies only when using coconut sugar or another suitable unrefined option).
• Liquid sweeteners:You can sub an equal amount of a liquid sweetener, such as pure maple syrup, date syrup, or agave nectar. If you do not need the recipe to be vegan, you can also use honey. Reduce the amount of water by 1 tablespoon.
• Reduced sugar:You can reduce the sugar for a less sweet loaf; I have advised that the pumpkin and water provide enough moisture that this should have little effect on texture. I have not specified a tested lower amount.

• In place of the 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, use a combination of 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves.

• Use an equal amount of another light-colored vinegar or lemon or lime juice in place of cider vinegar.

• I tested the loaf with whole psyllium husks. If you use powder, measure 3 teaspoons (15 g) rather than 3 tablespoons: the weight stays the same, but the volume does not. A reader reported excellent results with powder, though I have not tested this loaf with it myself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Almond flour gives the bread its tender texture, but it needs help holding together without eggs. Chickpea flour is a vegan egg replacement that helps the loaf set and slice cleanly; psyllium supplies additional binding and volume. Both are important to this nourishing pumpkin bread recipe.

I do not recommend a direct swap for the almond flour or chickpea flour. Oat flour/ oats will not work the same way in place of the chickpea flour. The water, pumpkin, and psyllium amounts are balanced for these particular flours. A reader reported replacing a small portion of the chickpea flour with quinoa flour in a loaf that also had other changes, but that is not a tested one-for-one replacement for the recipe.

I have not found a direct swap to recommend. Flax seed meal (plain, or mixed with water to make flax eggs) and chia would require changes to the recipe, so I would keep the psyllium for this loaf. I did not have success with flaxseed alone in my testing.

Kitchen-made purée varies in moisture, so it may need an adjustment to the wet and dry balance. I suggest starting with a little less purée and adding more as needed to reach a moist, very thick mixture; canned purée gives the most predictable result here.