Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Nothing announces the arrival of Fall like pumpkins! Those blobs of orange on pumpkin patches and the huge boxes of humongous sized pumpkins outside the grocery stores are telltale signs of falling leaves and chilly weather around the corner. It’s also the time when Starbucks and other coffee shops add back the pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin scones to their menu, and folks start dusting off their pumpkin pie recipes.

It’s times like these when I wish folks would choose healthier and wholesome pumpkin recipes, such as this oil-free and refined-sugar free pumpkin loaf. I guarantee you it’s a lot cheaper than that store-bought latte, plus your family and you can enjoy several helpings of this slightly sweet bread. Bonus – your house will smell heavenly with the aroma of spices baking in your oven. 

Once this loaf is out of the oven, the hardest part is letting it cool completely before slicing. But trust me and wait for those 30 minutes before slicing. It will still be slightly warm, but moist and delicious. I find that the bread tastes even better the next day when reheated slightly in the oven or toaster.

Dates vs. Maple Syrup

You will notice I have provided an option to use either dates or maple syrup in the recipe. Let’s face it, any sugar, unrefined or not, is bad for our health. However, humans also innately crave foods sweet to the taste, hence the never-ending search for natural alternatives to sugar. A whole foods plant based diet recommends use of sweeteners that are available in their natural state. Dates is a whole food, completely unprocessed, contains many nutrients and fiber and has a low glycemic index. However, it takes a lot of dates to get the required level of sweetness in a recipe and that can rack up calories in a recipe pretty quickly. Maple syrup, on the other hand, is not a naturally occurring sugar since it is derived by boiling the sap of a maple tree until it thickens, but it is less refined than raw sugar. It contains many of the same nutrients as dates, but it does not have fiber and has a high glycemic index. Now, armed with this information, you can make a choice when you make this recipe. I use dates whenever I bake this loaf.

Storing and Freezing

Once cooled completely, this bread stays well in a covered container at room temperature for 2 days. You can store it in the fridge for a week. You can also freeze individual slices in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating slightly and eating.

If you made this recipe or made some modifications, I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment below or rate it.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Recipe by theplantpaletteblogDifficulty: Easy

Yield

1

Loaf

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• Wet

• 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 10-12 dates or 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Dry:

• 1½ cups organic whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup flax meal (or ground flaxseed)

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk all the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds) in a large bowl until well combined.
• Blitz the wet ingredients in a food process until well combined. If using dates, small pieces will be seen in the mixture which is fine.
• Fold the wet mixture into the dry gently, until just combined. If using chocolate chips, fold gently into batter. Do not overmix.
• Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with the pumpkin seeds. Bake for 45-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Melted chocolate chips may be visible on the toothpick which is fine.
• Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!