Festive Vegan Pumpkin Bread

by Sara Pompeo

You’ve completed your midterms, carved your pumpkins, and picked out the perfect post-pandemic Halloween costume...Now the only thing you have left to kick off the holiday season is the perfect fall treat to share with your family and friends! Why not impress your loved ones by putting a spin on your traditional pumpkin bread––gluten-free and vegan style? Everyone loves a tasty harvest dessert, but it certainly tastes better when it is free of animal products and belly bloat! 

​​

Behold your new staple recipe for fall parties, Thanksgiving, and on-hand snacking in between classes on chilly days! This recipe swaps eggs for flax meal (an excellent source of omega 3s and fiber), maple syrup for sweetener, and gluten-free flour for your usual refined white flour. 

Here is everything you’ll need to get started on this sweet n’ spiced goodness:

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

Servings: 10 (slices)

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly: 1 month (for those of you in your kitchen-less dorm rooms)

Shelf Life: 3-4 Days

Ingredients

(US Customary – Metric)

• 1 1/2 batches flax eggs (1 1/2 Tbsp (10 g) flaxseed meal + 4 Tbsp (60 ml) water)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 Tbsp mashed ripe banana 

• 1 cup packed brown sugar 

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 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* (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

• 3 Tbsp pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

2. Prepare your loaf pan by lightly greasing or lining it with parchment paper

3. Add pumpkin, mashed banana, maple syrup, and oil to your flax eggs and whisk to combine

4. Add brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk.

5. Add water to the mixture and whisk again

6. Add oats, almond meal, and gluten-free flour and stir. (note: if it appears too wet, add in another tbsp of oats or GF flour blend. It should be semi-thick and pourable).

7. Scoop into loaf pan and top with pecans (or nut of choice)

8. Bake for 40-47 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

9. Remove from the oven and let set in the pan for at least 20 minutes and then gently transfer to a plate to cool.

10. Let cool completely before slicing

11. 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.

Nutrition (1 of 10 servings)

Serving: 1 slice Calories: 235 Carbohydrates: 35g Protein: 4.5g Fat: 9.5 g Saturated Fat: 1.4g Trans Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 100 mg Fiber: 4.3g Sugar: 12.6g