Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Maple Cashew Frosting

Super moist pumpkin bread slathered with a rich maple cashew frosting and adorned with pumpkin seeds. This vegan pumpkin bread screams Fall flavor!

This post was originally published in November 2018. More tips and video have been added.

Pumpkin recipes pretty much dominate Fall. From pumpkin pie to pumpkin almond butter (yes that’s a thing!) these Fall recipes are always a crowd-pleaser.

This pumpkin loaf is nothing short. Packed with cinnamon pumpkin flavor and the vegan cashew frosting is sweetened with maple syrup to give this quick bread an extra kick.

Ingredients for vegan pumpkin bread:

Luckily, pumpkin bread is easy to make plant-based. Why? Because pumpkin acts as a binding agent in baking which makes a great, natural substitution for eggs. Crazy, right?

Here’s some other ingredients you’ll need:

• Flour
• Coconut oil
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Brown sugar
• Flax “egg” (ground flax seed + water)
• Spices
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Pumpkin

Super easy! Most of these ingredients you probably have on hand already! That’s if you keep a well-stocked vegan pantry 😉

What kind of pumpkin to use

Canned pumpkin is used in this recipe which can commonly be found in the US all year round in the baking aisle. It’s more prominent in the Fall making it more accessible.

If you cannot find canned pumpkin, you can make pumpkin puree from scratch!

You can also use mashed butternut squash or sweet potato if you do not have pumpkin on hand.

How to make this vegan pumpkin bread recipe:

What I love about this pumpkin bread recipe is it only requires one mixing bowl. Less clean up for the win!

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together

Add all the wet ingredients and mix, being careful not to overmix. It’s okay to see some flour swirled in the batter.

Note: The reason it’s important to not overmix batter is so the bread is not chewy and dense.

The batter will be stiff and dry. If the batter is too stiff, you can add about 2 Tablespoons of almond milk.

What kind of pan to use for pumpkin bread

I use a Pyrex loaf pan to bake my quick breads in. If you use a metal loaf pan, you will want to check the loaf around the 50 minute mark as it will cook more quickly in a metal pan vs glass.

How to make vegan cashew frosting:

I adapted this recipe from Making Thyme for Health

1. Soak cashews overnight or a minimum of 4 hours
2. Drain and add to a high-speed blender
3. Add maple syrup, almond milk, lemon juice, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and blend until completely smooth

To test, I like rubbing a small amount with my thumb and pointer finger to ensure there are no pieces of cashew left. A smooth consistency is highly desired!

Ways to customize + mix in ideas for this vegan pumpkin bread:

• Mix in nuts (walnuts or pecans are a great option)
• Add chocolate chips
• Mix in craisins or raisins
• Substitute flour for a GF blend to make a gluten-free pumpkin loaf
• Swap out brown sugar with coconut sugar for a healthier alternative

How to store pumpkin bread

• Let it cool completely and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can store it in the fridge for about 5 days
• Pumpkin bread can be frozen as well (and so can the frosting!). I would just recommend freezing them separately and assembling once both ingredients are thawed out.

If you tried this vegan pumpkin bread, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!

If you like this pumpkin recipe, you’ll LOVE:
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin Almond Butter
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Smoothie

Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Maple Cashew Frosting

This easy pumpkin bread recipe only requires one bowl and a hand full of simple ingredients. Topped with a maple cashew frosting, this moist pumpkin bread recipe is the BEST!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: pumpkin bread recipes, thanksgiving dessert recipe, vegan frosting, vegan pumpkin recipes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread:

• 1 flax "egg" 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed + 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour can substitute with whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tablespoons almond milk as needed
• 1/4 cup walnuts chopped; optional
• pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for sprinkling on top before baking; optional

Maple Cashew Frosting:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)
• 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 fresh lemon squeezed
• 1.5 Tablespoons pure maple syrup more or less to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon almond milk
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Tools:

• mixing bowls
• loaf pan
• blender for frosting

Instructions

To Make Pumpkin Bread:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make the flax egg: Mix ground flaxseed with water in a small bowl and place in the fridge to set (about 5-10 minutes).
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, seasonings, and brown sugar.
• Remove flax egg from the fridge and add to dry ingredients.
• Add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, canned pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix until batter is just mixed. The batter will be stiff. If the batter is too stiff, meaning very dry, you can add 2-3 Tablespoons of almond milk.
• Stir in chopped walnuts (or any other add-ins like chocolate chips or raisins). All optional!
• Spread evenly into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle top with pepitas (optional).
• Bake for 55-60 minutes until thoroughly baked. Check by inserting a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before handling.

To Make Maple Cashew Frosting:

• Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak cashews for at least 4 hours.
• Drain cashews and add to blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth. Add more almond milk if consistency is too thick. If frosting is too thin, try adding a small amount of flour to thicken it up.

To Assemble:

• Once the pumpkin bread is cooled, frost loaf. Top with pepitas or chopped walnuts (optional).

Video

Notes

Use the leftover canned pumpkin for smoothies or oatmeal

If there is leftover frosting, you can store in the freezer for up to 4 months

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (1/8th recipe with frosting) | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.2g | Protein: 7.8g | Fat: 20.5g | Saturated Fat: 9.3g | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 23.2g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 4.1mg

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