This bread has been a long time in the making.
I posted about it weeks ago on Instagram and have since tested it a few more times to perfect it. The first attempt yielded moist, flavorful bread that was a bit too crumbly. The second attempt seemed hopeful, but it failed to remedy that problem once again. Third time was a charm! I think I’ve nailed it.
So excited to share this simple 1-Bowl Vegan AND Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with you guys!
It starts with the vegan miracle – flax eggs.
And then an additional natural binder: mashed banana. I’ve found that banana binds otherwise crumbly baked goods when they’re both vegan and gluten-free. Even though it’s the tiniest bit detectable in the overall flavor, the texture is spot on and the pumpkin and pie spices really shine through.
When you bake this up, two things happen:
1) Your house will smell like pumpkin heaven.
2) Dancing will ensue when you peer inside the oven and see how beautifully it rises and turns deep golden orange in color.
Huzzah! But you must, and I repeat, must, resist the urge to slice in right away. Let it cool completely before slicing or it can be a tad on the crumbly side.
Now the important part. What’s it taste like? AMAZING. It’s
Tender
Moist
Pumpkin-y
Perfectly sweet
Subtly spiced
Studded with pumpkin seeds
Light
Satisfying
& Shareable
In testing this recipe several times, I’ve eaten more pumpkin bread than any human should in one month. But, surprisingly, it was all so delicious it didn’t wear on me one bit and I even struggled to give the last loaf away to friends. That’s how good this bread is!
This is the perfect bread to make for fall parties, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, pumpkin carving, or just to have on hand for a snack on chilly days. Picture this: You, chai latte, pumpkin bread, oversized sweater, stretchy pants, a book. HEAVEN.
If you give this recipe a try, please let us know! We loving hearing about what you make and enjoy. If you do, be sure to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can check it out. Cheers and happy baking!
1-Bowl Pumpkin Bread (V + GF)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 4 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp mashed ripe banana (primarily for binding)
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 heaping cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 heaping cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend*
- 3 Tbsp raw pepitas (I mixed in a couple pecans)
Instructions
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- Prepare loaf pan by lightly greasing or lining with parchment paper.
- To the flax eggs, add pumpkin, mashed banana, agave or maple syrup, and olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Next, add brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk.
- Add water and whisk again.
- Add oats, almond meal, and gluten-free flour blend and stir. If it appears too wet, add in another couple Tbsp of oats or GF flour blend. It should be semi-thick and pourable (see photo).
- Scoop into loaf pan and top with raw pepitas (and/or pecans).
- Bake for 40-47 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let set in pan for at least 20 minutes and then gently transfer to a plate to cool.
- Let cool completely before slicing, preferably several hours. Otherwise, it can be a bit crumbly.
- Also, slice gently, as it’s rather tender.
- Once cooled, store in a covered container or cover with plastic wrap at room temperature to keep fresh. Freeze after that to keep fresh for up to one month.
Notes
*You can also substitute an equal amount of our NEW Minimalist Baker Gluten-Free Flour Blend for the gluten-free flour blend in this recipe.
*If not GF, sub a mix of whole-wheat pastry flour and unbleached all-purpose for the GF blend. Start with 1 cup and then add 1 Tbsp at a time as it can be more absorbent than GF flour.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Adapted from my V/GF Carrot Apple Muffins
Maker Majuer says
Love this recipe. Made this without oil by substituting tahini for olive oil and coconut sugar for brown sugar. Moist and delicious!
Yay, thanks for sharing your modifications!
Whitney Long says
If you don’t have brown sugar could you use something else? Or lore maple?
Hi Whitney! We think cane sugar would be your best bet.
Maker Majeur says
I used coconut sugar and it came our marvelously!
Elaine says
Several hours to cool. How many do you mean? I just made this.
Hi Elaine, it usually takes 2-3 hours for a loaf to cool fully.
Jo says
I really like most of MBs recipes, but this did not work. I was trying to find a GF recipe to serve a friend and so glad I tested it before taking a loaf to someone. The bread was dry and overcooked on the outside and barely done in the middle. The texture was like a grainy cake and the whole thing was flavorless. Plus it falls apart like most GF baked goods.
Hi Jo, we’re so sorry this one didn’t work out for you! Did you make any modifications?
Jo says
I did not make any intentional modifications, but will note that the recipe includes things like “a heaping cup” and “if it appears too wet, add in another couple Tbsp of oats or GF flour blend” and “plus more to taste” instead of precise measurements, so yes – it’s likely my attempt was different than that of the original recipe.
Hi Jo, Another idea – what gluten-free flour blend did you use? They can vary quite a lot and we wonder if the one you used may have been higher in refined starches like white rice flour.
Grace says
This is absolutely delicious; made it this morning. I didn’t have traditional brown sugar so I used coconut sugar plus like 1 tsp molasses. And for the almond meal (I followed the link to the almond meal recipe) I used like 1 c almonds and 1/2 c pecans blended together. I think those were the only substitutions I made. I used HEB Organics brand GF flour. I did cook it slightly longer because I know my oven … I think I did 51 minutes. And I let it sit for like 3 hours before cutting into it. I enjoy having the seeds on top because they add a nice texture but they create a little extra difficulty when slicing the loaf (kind of ripped it up a little). Anyhow, it’s light, fluffy, moist, substantial, and the perfect amount of sweetness. Love it, and will be making it again and again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Grace. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
Tania Spil says
I followed the recipe except used almond flour instead of almond meal. The flavor was great! Super moist! But mine was a bit crumbly yet still delicious! I guess maybe due to the almond flour. I added more spices, extra cinnamon, cardamom and pumpkin spice. A winner and I will definitly try it again. Thank you, as I know all the trial + error that goes into your work and the time +energy for writing and posting.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tania. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
Kathy says
Made this today – perfect Fall bread. Your recipes never disappoint. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kathy. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Kelly says
Don’t use namaste flour, it made the texture gummy and dense. I’d give it a lower rating but because I didn’t use the same flour blend as written that seems unfair. Just don’t make my mistake.
We’re so sorry it didn’t turn out well, Kelly! If you’re up for giving it another try, we’d recommend our DIY blend (link in recipe) for best results. Hope that helps!
Vanessa says
This pumpkin bread is fantastic! I made it as written. I had some bags of frozen pumpkin puree from pumpkins I grew last summer. It’s now June and I need to make room for this season’s produce. I’m so glad I found this recipe! I’m back for the recipe today because I’m going to make a double batch and freeze the extra.
Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review, Vanessa! xo
Georgina says
How do I switch it for not vegan and GF? Hope to hear back soon
Thanks 😊
Hi Georgina! We haven’t tried this recipe with eggs or regular flour and we aren’t sure if it would work. You could possibly try it with 2 eggs (in place of the flax AND water) and ~1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour in place of the almond meal AND gf blend.. but we cannot guarantee results. Hope this helps!
Liv says
This was great!
Super tender and I loved the oats in it. Made lovely chewy bits!
Didn’t have pepitas, which while normally a favourite, surprisingly we were great without! We used Robin Hood gluten free flour and Bobs Red Mill egg replacer instead of the flax. Used all cinnamon instead of the spice mix and tripled it on top of that! Delicious!
Ate a huge slice for dessert, slathered with vegan butter! Heaven.
Tempted to find a vegan spiced buttercream to put on for tomorrow.
Healthy, tasty and way better than Starbucks! Great job.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Liv! A spiced buttercream would be AMAZING on this! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Jennifer says
This is the best thing I’ve made so far this holiday season! Wonderful texture and flavor. Thank you so much for making GF/vegan recipes that are so awesome 😊
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Jennifer! We are so glad you enjoy it! xoxo
Nicole says
Dana and team,
I’ve been making your recipes for years, and this is my first review (long overdue!). Thank you so much for all of the amazing vegan recipes–so many of your recipes have added so much enjoyment and joy to my and my loved ones’ lives!
More specifically, this recipe is the best of yours that I have ever made! I cannot believe how good it is. I added chocolate chips instead of the seeds and walnuts (i also used Bob’s red mill 1:1 gluten free flour), and everyone that tried it LOVED it.
Thank you for all of your recipes, but especially this one!!
Woohoo! We LOVE to hear this. Thank you so much for such a lovely and thoughtful review, Nicole! We are so glad you’re a part of the MB community!
Crystal Fu says
Hi, I LOVED this tender pumpkinbread, but my bf and his family were less than enthused. Probably b/c I used 1 c of dates instead of brown sugar and maple syrup. I probably would use more pumpkin puree and more
spices in the future. I don’t eat a lot of processed food, so I prefer
my desserts to be a lot less sweet than the typical American.
Hi Crystal, We’re glad to hear you enjoyed it! Dates will contribute a different texture, so perhaps that’s why they didn’t enjoy it as much? Thank you for sharing your experience!