Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping — Moist pumpkin bread is flavored with five kinds of spices for maximum fall flavor and topped with an irresistible streusel topping!
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Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Bread Recipe
This vegan pumpkin bread is so soft and moist, you won’t miss the eggs or butter one bit.
The vegan streusel toppings is slightly crispy, dense, very chewy and gives way to the tender, springy loaf underneath. It’s a texture contrast that’s supremely amazing.It’s a buttery, brown sugar-based streusel and it’s a thicker, moister streusel rather than a dry, crumbly one.
As the bread bakes, the topping spreads slightly and bakes into the batter rather than just sitting on top of the loaf like sandy pebbles, waiting to fall off all over my kitchen floor.
Bland pumpkin desserts are not worth eating, and all my pumpkin recipes are nicely spiced without being over-powering. Since there’s no chocolate to compete with, I upped the spices in the vegan pumpkin loaf just slightly.
The bread is pleasantly spiced with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and has molasses and vanilla for extra depth. If you’re more sensitive to cinnamon and or a certain spice, dial them down, to taste.
There’s just enough density, without being overly heavy, a curse that tends to plague vegan baked goods.
I love streusel-topped anything and it’s the proverbial icing on this cake. And I don’t doubt that you could bake this in a Bundt pan and call it a cake. No one would bat an eye.
But I’ll stick with calling it bread so I can have an extra slice or two.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
This is an incredibly simple vegan pumpkin bread recipe that requires no special ingredients or substitutes. You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Vegan buttery spread
- Light brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Pumpkin puree
- Granulated sugar
- Coconut oil
- Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract
- Spices (see full list in recipe card below)
- Salt
- Baking powder
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread
This is such an easy vegan pumpkin bread recipe! You just combine everything in a mixing bowl, then bake.
Here’s an overview of the baking process:
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients.
- Turn the batter into a greased and floured 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Make the streusel topping and sprinkle evenly over the bread.
- Bake until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
Recipe FAQs
The egg-free pumpkin bread doesn’t taste like coconut, and even if you don’t like coconut, I recommend using it. It adds a subtle layer of flavor you can’t put your finger on, in a rich and luxurious undertones kind of way. Substitute with canola or vegetable oil if you must.
I don’t have experience making gluten-free quick breads, so I can’t say for sure whether using a gluten-free flour alternative will work in this recipe.
You likely can, but I haven’t tried that myself. But I imagine chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit would work well here.
Whether you’re making vegan pumpkin bread or regular pumpkin bread, I recommend opting for a mild molasses (like from the Grandma’s brand). Do NOT use blackstrap molasses, as it’s very bitter and will affect the flavor of the bread.
Storage Instructions
This eggless pumpkin bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week. I store my bread by wrapping the completely cooled loaf in plastic wrap, and then placing loaf inside a gallon-sized Ziplock.
Bread will also keep airtight in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tips for the Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread
I recommend using room temperature non-dairy milk in this recipe so the coconut oil doesn’t re-solidify when it’s mixed into the batter.
Note that the batter for this quick bread is incredibly thick. That’s normal, don’t worry!
Make sure to grease AND flour your loaf pan so the bread comes out easily.
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Soft Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel Crust
Ingredients
Streusel Crust
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (or vegan buttery spread), slightly softened
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons additional if needed
Bread
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, other milks may be substituted including coconut, soy, rice, cow, preferably at room temp
- 2 tablespoons mild or medium molasses
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray one 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (or a 12-cup muffin pan) with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
Streusel Crust:
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and toss with a fork until mixture combines and crumbs and clumps form. This is a moist streusel, but if yours seems very moist and is paste-like, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, as needed to dry it out. Set aside.
Bread:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients through nutmeg, and whisk to combine. Using room temp milk will prevent coconut oil from re-solidifying, but if it does, a few small white clumps are okay.
- Stir in the flour and baking powder until just combined, don’t overmix. Batter is quite thick.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the top, using your fingers to break up large clumps if necessary.
- Bake for about 40 to 44 minutes, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bread to cool in pan, on top of a wire rack, for at least 30 minutes before turning out onto the rack to finish cooling completely.
- Slice bread with a serrated knife in a sawing motion, going over any stubborn patches of the crust a few times, taking care to be gentle to not compress the loaf.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Vegan Fall Recipes:
Chocolate Chip Vegan Pumpkin Muffins — These vegan pumpkin muffins are studded with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Plus, they’re packed with five different warming spices, which makes then extra flavorful!
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins — These apple cinnamon muffins are studded with BIG chunks of apple! They’re so easy to make and are perfect for a quick snack or breakfast to-go.
Caramel Apple Muffins — Soft, fluffy, springy, loaded with chunks of apples, and so much CARAMEL flavor!! EASY, no mixer needed, and you’d never guess they’re accidentally vegan!!
Sweet Potato Muffins — The muffins are super soft and tender in the interior with slight chewiness around the edges. They’re springy, moist, fluffy, light, and accidentally vegan but you’d never guess it.
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins — Fast, EASY, one bowl, no mixer muffins that are on the SKINNIER side!! Loaded with CHOCOLATE in every bite! Soft, fluffy, and deliciously decadent tasting!!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins — Fast, EASY, one bowl, no mixer muffins!! You’d never guess they were vegan! Soft, fluffy, full of PEANUT BUTTER flavor, and LOADED with CHOCOLATE in every bite!!
I just made this — it’s in the oven now. The batter tastes amazing. One question — my streusel didn’t crumble even after I added lots of extra flour. I always have this problem when making streusel. Is it because my margarine wasn’t softened enough? I used Smart Balance margarine. Thanks! Love your vegan recipes!
When you say didn’t crumble, you mean it stayed more paste-like than getting crumbly bits and small pebbles? I have that same issue when I make crumble toppings with margarine rather than butter, too. I think it’s just one of those things that happens. I usually add more flour and then literally pick the ‘paste’ apart into small blobs with my fingers to try to replicate crumbles and pebbles from the paste. The joys of vegan baking.
Yes, it stayed like a paste. It turned out really yummy although I’d probably leave the crust off next time. Thanks for your response and all the yummy recipes!
Also, I subbed maple syrup for the molasses because I didnt have any molasses and it still turned out great.
This looks amazing! While I am not vegan (yet) I have a lot of vegan friends and it is always nice to have something I can bake for them. Just to clarify on the oil: you measure out 1/3 cup of the solid and THEN melt it, correct?
Pretend the oil is like vegetable or canola oil. You need 1/3 cup of it, like you’d normally measure other liquid oils in a measuring cup. Get there however you like -but I think if you measure first, then melt, it will be on the skimpy side.
Just made these…and it tastes amazing but is about half the width of your pictures…the loaf is really short. Have I done something wrong? Really love your recipes and want to get this pumpkin loaf right because it looks AMAZING!
Are you using the right size pan? I used a 9×5. Make sure yours isn’t bigger. Also, I use King Arthur flour. I find it to be far superior to other flours, especially for recipes like this. I discussed it more here
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/honey-butter-pumpkin-dinner-rolls.html
And you say half the width, and you say short – so not sure if you’re meaning width or length; but also remember that things look much different in photos than in real life. They appear much bigger in photos I find. As long as you’ve measured properly and are using the proper pan size and a quality flour that gives you good rise, then I’m sure you’re fine.
The loaf just did not rise…haha I meant length not width. Sorry I get those two confused sometimes. I used the right size pan and followed your directions exactly. I am living in the UK at the moment so have to just use the flour I can get at my local grocery store. Any tips on helping flour rise? Thanks!! Really love your blog and your recipes look amazing!
This sounds like a classic case of past its prime baking powder. Replace it and also switch brands of flour – whatever you’re using, use something else. Change it up. I am almost sure that will do the trick!
Wow, i can’t believe you just published this! i stumbled across it and then proceeded to read about 50 of your other recipes while baking the vegan pumpkin bread. very, very good–thank you. i find baking off blogs hit and miss, but i’ve finally started figuring out which recipes are going to be better than others. this is definitely the best baked good i’ve ever made from a blog. i thoroughly appreciated the detail and construction of your recipe–love the double spices and the textures of the cake. you’re awesome! i’m not vegan, but try to cut down on dairy when i can so recipes like this are perfect.
Thanks for the great comment, Kelsey, and for trying my recipe. Im not strictly vegan anymore either; I’ve always been veg or vegan, but am veg right now. But as you said, nice to keep the dairy out if possible. And yes, baking from blogs is highly suspect. There are tons of duds out there! I support my family with my blog/recipes and also am a published cookbook author and my reputation and livelihood are on the line – so I only create and publish recipes I know will WORK and taste great :)
Can I just have this entire loaf?? It. Looks. Incredible!!
I made it right after our weekend at D.H. The LAST thing I needed to do but hey, it was….vegan :)
I feel like I could just reach out and feel the soft and moist texture of this bread. It really is irresistible! I am always a big fan of your recipes, but lately you have really outdone yourself, and I’ve been pinning everything! Keep up the great work!
You are just too sweet, Nora! thanks for the kind words and for the pins and I do try hard with my recipes – sometimes things turn out better than others. Just never know…LOL :)
Made this yesterday and OMG! So moist, so flavorful!
I am so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for telling me!
calling it bread makes is perfectly normal breakfast food, right? <-- INDEED! :) And I cannot believe you dropped yours. omg I would have freaked. I have spilled things and dropped plates and sprinkles everywhere but dropping the actual food...gah. The worst. Thankfully it only happens like 1x a year. Watch, it'll happen tomorrow. And yes, totally fine with no eggs in this! Beyond fine!
And calling it bread makes is perfectly normal breakfast food, right?! Love this! I actually made a pumpkin loaf with oat flour the other day, it was so good but dropped all over the patio when I went to shoot it, I am going to remake it and was thinking of cutting the eggs out, glad to see it worked for you :)
I just printed this recipe out, Averie. I have an unopened jar of coconut oil and half a dozen cans of pumpkin puree that I need to get moving through! Time’s a-tickin’ and my stomach is craving a delicious, beautifully spiced pumpkin loaf like this. I just bought a slice of pumpkin loaf from that famous coffee shop and I was so disappointed. First off, it was stale (boo) but it was also really dense without much flavour. I’m sure your vegan version will kick that loaf’s butt!
I just recently sampled some storebought/bakery pumpkin stuff, a cupcake, and it was so horribly bland. Like if I am going to eat a calorie, I better well taste it :) Why do places make things so boring and bland? I don’t get it! So disappointing is right!
I am so glad to hear you printed it and plan to make this. Whatever you don’t make as a loaf, the muffins that I linked to with choc chips are great. Same exact batter with the exception that the cake batter is slightly more spiced up with like 1 extra tsp I think of cinnamon. Other than that, same batter.
If you need other coconut oil recipes, LMK what you’re in the market for – cookies? I have a few good ones. Oh these make these! See how bossy I am :) https://www.averiecooks.com/soft-batch-dark-brown-sugar-coconut-oil-cookies/
lol, feel free to boss me around anytime, Averie, especially since you’re directing me to make delicious food! I’ve also printed out your coconut cookie recipes. You’d better believe they’ll be happening in my life soon!
You always make vegan look so good Averie!
And you would never, ever, ever think, ‘oh this is vegan’. It just happens to be, but you’d never know it!
My mom hates coconut and I have FINALLY managed to convince her to try coconut oil in baking. You really don’t taste it with so many other ingredients mixed in! This looks incredible–must make soon!
In this application, you cannot taste it! Good for you for convincing your mom to get on board!
Hehe – I always end up with streusel all over my newly-cleaned floor too (and it’s the best part of sweet breads & muffins!). I like that this streusel actually morphs into the bread itself! Delish.
P.S. Still Pinning your fab creations but I’m not using the pesky ‘@’ anymore. (Didn’t want you to think I stopped the Pinterest love.) :)
I know you’re still pinning and I appreciate it! :) xo
Say no more – that streusel crust already has me sold!
Oh how dreamy :) I adore pumpkin bread, especially with this beautiful crust!!
This looks like a killer bread recipe. I will let you know because I am planning on making it at 5:30 tomorrow morning for the boys to have with breakfast. I have all the stuff and who doesn’t love waking up to the smell of that??! I love how the topping seeps into the bread and gets all crusty and yummy looking. Simeon was just saying to me that he wanted to have some pumpkin or banana bread around the house, so…here we go! :-)
That’s just truly amazing that you’re going to get up at the crack of dawn and make this. Simeon’s request is kind of like, ask and you shall receive! Glad this recipe is going to come in handy and the topping is just that – seeps into the bread and gets crusty & yummy! LMK how it goes for you!
Well, I made this recipe and I doubled it. It turned out exactly like pictured, although I was a bit awkward getting it out of the loaf pans without wrecking the streusel topping! Also, I had to leave mine in the oven for about 20 minutes longer…maybe it was the two loaves, maybe it was that I threw in a little more pumpkin, a little more molasses, etc. :-) Anyway, the point is, like predicted, an entire loaf was eaten by all three in one meal but at least we had enough leftover for dessert that night and snacks, too. I definitely will be making this again!
So glad to hear that you made it and that a double batch was devoured the same day! Wow, you have a hungry crew and glad they loved it. You are such a good mama for always having homemade stuff for your family, Michele!
And yes, if you bake 2 loaves like this in the oven at once, being how moist they are, about 20 extra minutes to the baking time sounds about right.
To get mine out, I sort of loosened it in the pan (I am a big believer in cooking spray! I use Pam for Baking – lots of it! – and never have any issues) until it could slip-and-slide a bit, then I rotated the loaf so the base of the loaf was sitting on the side-edge of the pan, and then slid that out onto a cutting board. Hard to describe but basically just shimmy’ed it out of the pan, sliding it out against the pan’s edge until it was out. Hopefully that makes sense. Only possible through abundant use of cooking spray :)