The combination of brown sugar, pumpkin, vegan buttermilk, and olive oil is key to the texture. I tested this recipe with maple syrup, less sugar, less oil, and different egg replacers, but each variation resulted in a drier loaf - this combination gave me the best result.
If you love pumpkin baking, my vegan pumpkin muffins are a great individual version, while my vegan pumpkin coffee cake doubles down on the streusel with a layer of pumpkin butter in the center.
And if you're in full pumpkin-baking mode, you can browse all of my vegan pumpkin desserts in one place, from cozy cakes and breads to cookies, pies, and no-bake treats.
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Why this recipe works
- Soft and incredibly moist: Pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, and vegan buttermilk give the loaf a tender crumb that stays moist for days.
- No eggs or dairy: This is an eggless pumpkin bread made without any commercial egg replacer, and it's completely dairy-free too.
- That topping: Unlike a basic pumpkin loaf, this is pumpkin bread with streusel - specifically crunchy pumpkin-spiced pecans. Plus a Biscoff glaze for a caramelized, lightly spiced finish.
- Easy to make: The batter comes together with simple mixing bowls and a whisk, without needing a mixer.
Key Ingredients
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Pumpkin purée: Use canned 100% pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin is consistent and lower in moisture than most homemade purées, which helps give the bread the right texture.
Vegan buttermilk: Soy milk mixed with apple cider vinegar creates an easy vegan buttermilk that helps give the loaf a light, fluffy crumb. Oat or almond milk can also be used if needed.
Brown sugar: I use mostly light muscovado with a little dark muscovado. The molasses in the sugar adds caramel flavor as well as moisture, which is one of the reasons I don't recommend cutting the sugar too heavily here.
Olive oil: Oil keeps this loaf softer for longer than a solid fat would. I recommend a mild olive oil; if you're sensitive to its flavor, use a neutral oil such as canola, rapeseed, or sunflower instead.
Pecans + Biscoff: The pecan streusel is what turns this from simple pumpkin bread into more of a pumpkin pecan bread, adding a crisp contrast to the soft crumb. The Biscoff glaze brings a caramelized cookie flavor that works so well with pumpkin spice - a combination I also use in my vegan pumpkin cake.
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How to make vegan pumpkin bread
Start with the pecan streusel so it has time to chill while you make the batter. Rub the chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, pumpkin spice, and melted vegan butter together until you have a crumbly mixture, then pop it in the fridge.
For the bread, whisk together the pumpkin purée, vegan buttermilk, brown sugars, olive oil, and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients separately before folding them into the pumpkin mixture in a couple of additions. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour - overmixing can make the crumb heavier.
Transfer the batter to your lined loaf pan and cover the entire surface with the pecan streusel. Bake until the loaf is well risen and golden and a skewer inserted through the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Leave it in the pan for around 10 minutes before carefully transferring it to a cooling rack. This is especially helpful with a moist pumpkin loaf, as leaving it sitting in the hot pan for too long can trap steam underneath and give you a gummy base.
Once completely cool, whisk together the Biscoff glaze and drizzle it generously over the streusel. Make sure the loaf really is cool first, otherwise the glaze will melt straight into the topping.
Christina's recipe tips
Don't reduce the wet ingredients too much. I tested versions with less oil and less sugar, but they all produced a noticeably drier loaf. The ratios in the final recipe are deliberate.
Don't overmix the batter. Fold just until the flour disappears. Pumpkin already gives the batter plenty of moisture, so excessive mixing can leave you with a denser crumb.
Use mild olive oil if possible. If you don't enjoy the flavor of olive oil in sweet baking, go straight for a neutral oil instead.
Cool it on a rack. Let the loaf sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it. This allows steam to escape rather than collecting underneath the bread.
Wait before glazing. The Biscoff glaze should go onto a completely cooled loaf so it stays thick and visible over the pecan streusel.
Variations
Pumpkin seed bread: Skip the pecan streusel and scatter pumpkin seeds over the batter before baking for a simpler loaf.
Pumpkin walnut bread: Swap the pecans for roughly chopped walnuts.
Chocolate chip pumpkin bread: Fold dairy-free chocolate chips through the batter before baking. If that's more your thing, you might also like my vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Without Biscoff: The bread is plenty flavorful without the glaze, or you can finish it with a simple vanilla glaze instead. For another way to serve it, spread a slice with my homemade pumpkin butter.
FAQs
Yes. This eggless pumpkin bread was specifically developed without eggs or a commercial egg replacer. Pumpkin provides moisture and some binding, while the vegan buttermilk, oil, and carefully balanced dry ingredients create the structure.
I actually tested the recipe with different egg replacers and found that they made the finished loaf drier, so there's no need to add one.
Rather than changing the baking time and quantities for this loaf, I recommend using my vegan pumpkin muffins. They're based around the same soft, moist pumpkin-spice flavors but have been developed specifically to bake as muffins.
Yes. Once completely cool, cut the loaf into individual slices and separate them with parchment paper before placing them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to one month and let individual slices thaw at room temperature when needed.
For shorter storage, keep the loaf tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature, provided your kitchen isn't too warm, or up to 7 days in the fridge.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Bread With Pecan Streusel
Equipment
Ingredients
Pecan Streusel
- 50 g (½ cup) pecans roughly chopped *see note 1
- 25 g (3 ½ tbsp) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 20 g (5 tsp) brown sugar I use light Muscovado
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix *see note 2
- 4 teaspoons vegan butter melted
Pumpkin Bread
- 118 ml (½ cup) soy milk *see note 3
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 250 g (1 cup) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 200 g (1 cup) light brown sugar I use light Muscovado
- 30 g (2 ½ tbsp) dark brown sugar I use dark Muscovado *see note 4
- 118 ml (½ cup) olive oil *see note 5
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 250 g (2 cups + 4 tsp) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix *see note 2
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Biscoff Glaze
- 80 g (⅔ cup) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 50 g (⅕ cup) biscoff spread melted
- 3 tablespoons soy milk *see note 3
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Tip: I highly recommend using a digital scale and measuring in grams for the most accurate results. Also, check out the post above for tips and tricks!
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F.Lightly grease a 1-pound loaf pan with some oil or vegan butter and line it with a sling of parchment paper - leaving an overhang on the sides.To prepare the vegan "buttermilk" add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to a jug, stir, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.Prepare the pumpkin spice if using homemade (see recipe note 2).
- Make the pecan streusel: Add the chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, pumpkin spice, and melted butter to a medium bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a crumb consistency. Set aside (in the fridge if your kitchen is warm).
- Mix the wet ingredients: Add the prepared vegan buttermilk, pumpkin puree, light and dark brown sugar, olive oil, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice mix, cinnamon, and salt.
- Make the batter: Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2 parts. Fold the ingredients into the batter between each increment until there are no pockets or streaks of flour. Do not be tempted to overmix!
- Assemble: Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top of it with a spatula or knife. Sprinkle the pecan streusel mixture on top in an even layer, coating every part of the batter.
- Bake: Bake for 50-60 minutes on an aluminum baking sheet or baking tray. The loaf will rise and the top will be golden brown. Check the cake is done at the 50-minute mark by piercing it with a toothpick or a knife, the knife should come out clean with a few crumbs on it. Continue to bake in 5-minute increments as and if needed until baked through. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, biscoff spread, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Cover and set aside until ready to use.Once the loaf is completely cool, transfer it to a tray or sheet of parchment paper and drizzle the glaze all over the top.
- Storage: When your cake has cooled, wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or foil, or place it in an airtight container. It can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days (provided your environment is not too warm) or in the fridge for up to 7 days. To freeze, cut the bread into individual slices and separate them with sheets of parchment. Make sure they are wrapped well or place them in a sealed container and freeze for up to a month. To defrost, let it thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Notes
- Pecans: Use walnuts instead if preferred.
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice: Mix together the following: (2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp allspice, and ¼ tsp ground cloves).
- Soy milk: Sub with oat milk or almond milk if needed.
- Dark Muscovado Sugar: Replace this with additional light brown sugar if needed. You can also omit it for a slightly reduced sugar content but note that the loaf won't be quite as moist.
- Olive Oil: Replace with a neutral oil such as sunflower or rapeseed if preferred.
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This recipe was originally posted in October 2021. It has since been modified and improved.
