Easy, mouth-watering vegan gluten-free pumpkin bread filled with chocolate chips and warm fall spices. This delicious loaf is soft, moist, and of course, egg-free and dairy-free.
It’s perfect to make during the fall and Thanksgiving seasons, or any time of the year! And if you don’t like chocolate chips, no problem, you can customize by using a different add-in.
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Fall cannot be complete without making a few pumpkin recipes throughout the season. (also known as "pumpkin season!")
Recipes like vegan pumpkin pudding, pumpkin spice overnight oats, pumpkin pancakes, and this delicious vegan gluten-free pumpkin bread make the change from warm weather to chilly days a little easier.
You're going to love how easy it is to make and how you won't have to look for any strange ingredients, but what you're going to really love is how it tastes. It's soft, moist, filled with flavour and of course, chocolate chips which go so well with pumpkin.
If chocolate chips aren't your thing, you can substitute them with a different add-in, I have some suggestions below.
So read through this page, gather your ingredients, and get ready to make the most delicious pumpkin loaf you've ever had.
Oh, and if prefer pumpkin muffins over pumpkin bread, rather than altering this recipe, follow my recipe for vegan gluten-free pumpkin muffins instead.
If you love quick breads, like banana bread and apple bread, have a look through all of my vegan gluten-free quick bread recipes.
Ingredients You'll Need
As mentioned above, you aren't going to need any unusual ingredients, only simple ingredients.
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I have only used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (the one in the RED bag without xanthan gum) to make this recipe, I have not tried any others.
This recipe will not work with any single gluten-free flour, such as coconut, almond, rice, oat flour etc. It must be the blend mentioned above, for the best and intended results.
It’s extremely important to always use the same flour the recipe calls for to get the expected results (not just this recipe, but any vegan gluten-free recipe you are following!)
NOTE: When baking, measuring your flour accurately is so important to get the best results. Check out my article about how to measure flour correctly before you start.
Pumpkin Purée - Use unsweetened pure pumpkin purée for this recipe, NOT pumpkin pie filling. You can use canned purée or you can make homemade pumpkin purée. If your homemade purée is very runny, strain it to remove some of the water before adding it to the recipe.
If you don't have access to pumpkin, you can use a different puréed squash, like butternut squash or you can make my sweet potato bread instead.
Sugar – I use coconut sugar, but brown sugar can be used instead. I haven't tried making this recipe with liquid sweeteners (like pure maple syrup or agave) or sugar alternatives, so I am unsure how they would work.
Not all sugar is vegan, some are processed using animal bone char, so to be sure that yours is, buy an organic brand (organic sugar is not processed using bone char) or one that is labelled as vegan.
Oil - I usually use melted coconut oil, but any neutral-flavoured oil, like safflower, or sunflower can be used instead. If you use coconut oil, make sure that your other ingredients are at room temperature so it does not solidify when added to the recipe. I don't recommend using vegan butter and I have not tried to make this recipe oil-free; the combination of the oil and pumpkin helps to give the loaf its soft, moist texture.
Flax Eggs – Since this recipe is made without eggs, flax eggs, made with ground flaxseeds and water, are used as a replacement. Chia eggs will work as well if you cannot have flax.
Pumpkin Spices – A mix of three spices is used and cannot be left out, it's what gives the loaf its distinct flavour, however, if you have pre-blended pumpkin pie spice, you can use that instead. See the recipe notes if using pumpkin pie spice.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda - Make sure these ingredients are fresh, they’re both very important for the bread to rise properly and have the perfect texture.
Salt and Vanilla Extract - Just a little of each is needed to enhance the flavour.
Chocolate Chips - Use your favourite vegan chocolate chips, I always use vegan semi-sweet / dark chocolate chips. If you don't want to use chocolate chips, you can use chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
Not sure which chocolate chip brands are vegan? Read my article "Are Chocolate Chips Vegan" to find a comprehensive list of vegan brands to look for.
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
1. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
2. Add the chocolate chips.
3. Stir the chocolate chips into the pumpkin bread batter.
4. Transfer the batter to a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
Smooth the top of the batter and then bake.
Once the baking time has ended, double-check that it has cooked through by doing a toothpick test. See the "Recipe FAQ" section below for more info on how to do it.
Allow the finished bread to sit in the pan for a few minutes and then remove and place it on a wire rack to fully cool before slicing.
Don't be tempted to slice into it before it has cooled or it can fall apart.
Storing Leftovers and Freezing
Your pumpkin bread will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you still have leftovers after that time has passed, place the loaf in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for another 2-3 days. When you're ready to serve it, bring it to room temperature and enjoy.
Freezing
You can also freeze the loaf by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap (once it has cooled completely) so it's airtight and then place it in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze. It will keep in the freezer for up to two months.
Are you new to vegan gluten-free baking? If so, be sure to read all of my vegan gluten-free baking tips!
What's the Texture Like
It has a soft and moist texture and slices very well once it has fully cooled. Don't be tempted to slice into it before it has cooled or it can fall apart!
To get this texture, you must follow the recipe exactly as it’s written. If you make any substitutions or changes, you risk your pumpkin bread not turning out as it should.
Tips for Success
- Use the same flour I use. Baking vegan gluten-free can be tricky because different flours produce different results. I know this particular flour works perfectly for this pumpkin loaf, so to duplicate that perfection, please use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (in the RED bag!).
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will help your recipe-making run smoothly, quickly, and easily. Also, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a scale (this is one I have (Amazon Link) and my weight measurements when making this recipe. If you don’t have a scale, lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it is overflowing and then drag the flat edge of a butter knife across the top to level it off. (NEVER dunk the measuring cup into the flour to fill your measuring cup because this will guarantee an incorrect measurement of up to 1.5x more flour and a recipe fail.) Learn more about how to measure flour correctly.
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. These are important ingredients that make the loaf rise and they also play a role in giving it the correct texture. If they are not fresh, your pumpkin bread will turn out dense and gummy.
- Take note of the different baking times to follow depending on the type of pan you use. See the recipe notes for more info. Also, note that if you use a different size pan than what I use (9" x 5") you will need to adjust the baking time.
- Don’t over-bake. If over-baked, you’ll end up with a dry, crumbly loaf.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included many tips and tricks to get things right. Also read through the actual recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results. This recipe, like all of my others, has been tested extensively and made by many readers since it was originally published. It works perfectly as written!
Want more pumpkin recipes? Be sure to look through this list to see all of my vegan pumpkin recipes!
Recipe FAQ
No, this recipe as it's written does not transform well into muffins. If you'd like to make pumpkin muffins, follow my recipe for Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins. The ingredients are the same but the quantities and baking times are different.
It depends on the type of canned pumpkin. Pure canned pumpkin and pumpkin purée are the same. They are pumpkin that has been cooked and then blended until smooth with no added ingredients. The only ingredient on the label should be pumpkin. Canned pumpkin pie filling is not the same as purée or canned pure pumpkin.
A simple toothpick test will let you know. Insert a toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester into the center of the pumpkin bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If it comes out with wet batter or streaks of batter on the tester bake it for a few more minutes and then re-test.
If You Make This Recipe
Please tell me how your gf vegan pumpkin bread turned out! Leave me a star rating and comment below or you can post a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see them. (I’m @delightfuladventures on Instagram!)
If You Like This Recipe
Here are a few other vegan gluten-free pumpkin recipes and quick bread recipes you may like, too:
Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 cups (280g) gluten-free flour blend **see important note about flour below**
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon (see note about spices below)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ cups (360g) unsweetened pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup (113g) coconut sugar
- ½ cup (120ml) melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (135g) chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165° C)
- Grease a 9" x 5" (1.5 quart / 1 ¼ lb) loaf pan.
- Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and flax mixture together.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. See notes below about baking time. Fully cool before slicing.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to sit in the baking pan for 10-15 minutes before removing and placing it on a cooling rack. Fully cool before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the info above and below before making this recipe.
- Baking times will vary slightly, depending on your oven and the type of bakeware you use. A metal baking pan will take about 45 minutes and a glass loaf dish will take closer to 50 minutes. Test the center of the loaf before ending the baking time.
- This recipe has only been tested using a 9" x 5" loaf pan, if you use a different size, you will have to adjust the baking time. (Smaller pan=more time, larger pan=less time)
- It's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results can vary if you substitute. I've never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill in the red bag, not the blue bag! Click that link to see the correct one), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with a different flour blend.
- Coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour will NOT work for this recipe. A gluten-free blend must be used, the one mentioned above for the best results.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly.
- If you do not have the three separate spices needed for this recipe, replace them with 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
- Brown sugar may be used instead of coconut sugar.
- Any type of neutral-flavoured oil can be used in place of coconut oil, such as safflower or sunflower.
- Place leftovers in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you still have any after the 2 days have passed, place the container in the refrigerator where it will keep for another 4-5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving (or you can enjoy it cold, it's up to you!).
- To freeze, wrap the whole loaf tightly in freezer plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag or an airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Bring to room temperature, slice, and serve
- Make your pumpkin purée instead of buying the canned stuff! Learn how to make homemade pumpkin purée here. If your homemade purée is very runny, strain it to remove some of the water before adding it to the recipe.
- The nutrition info listed below is for 1 of 12 slices and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here for more info on how nutrition info on this website is determined.
Nutrition Info:
This post was originally published on November 2016. It was updated in November 2022 to add new images and more helpful info. These are the old images:
Jessica says
This bread is amazing! I used "gelatin eggs" and Better Batter gf flour and it came out perfect. Thank you so much for your great recipes. I'm baking my way through all of them 🙂
Gwen Leron says
Glad you liked it, Jessica, and happy to know that it worked well with your substitutes. Let me know if you have any questions about the other recipes, I hope you love all of them, too 🙂
Katie says
Amazing!! Just made this and it’s delicious. Turned out excellent. Even my 6 year old picky eater declared it was amazing. Thank you for this allergen free recipe!
Gwen Leron says
The true test is always with the picky eaters! I'm so glad you and your little one liked it, Katie 🙂 Thanks for much for your note, I appreciate it!