It’s officially Fall, which means it’s the perfect time for pumpkin bread.
This version is rich, moist and bursting with spice, just the way I like it! Even better, it’s gluten-free. (And grain-free, if you consider the fact that buckwheat is technically a seed, not a grain!)
Featuring a simple combination of buckwheat flour and pumpkin puree, what I love about this bread is how easily it comes together–> it’s practically fool proof! There are no egg-substitutes to worry about, and if you line your loaf pan with parchment paper, you don’t have to worry about the final result sticking to your pan, either. This seasonal bread makes a delicious morning treat when served with tea or coffee, or a nice afternoon pick-me-up on a chilly afternoon.
As an added bonus, your kitchen will be filled with the scent of Fall spices for the rest of the day!
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Vegan Pumpkin Bread (Gluten-free)
makes one standard loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
6 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. (Not to be confused with wax paper!) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda, then stir in the pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and water. Finally, add in the apple cider vinegar, which will help the loaf rise when it reacts with the baking soda!
Transfer the batter to the lined loaf pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup coconut oil , melted
- 6 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. (Not to be confused with wax paper!)
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda, then stir in the pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and water. Finally, add in the apple cider vinegar, which will help the loaf rise when it reacts with the baking soda.
- Transfer the batter to the lined loaf pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 146, Fat: 6g, Carbohydrates: 21g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 2g
Notes:
- I used Bob’s Red Mill Buckwheat Flour to develop this recipe, so that is the brand I recommend using for best results. Homemade buckwheat flour tends to bake differently, for some reason, so keep that in mind when making substitutions. Using other types of flours will also drastically affect the results, and are therefore not recommended.
- If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, lemon juice or another type of vinegar should work, as well.
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite flavor of quick bread? I have always loved zucchini and pumpkin flavors!
Thanks so much for this – you’ve made me look like a pro! I’m not strictly GF and definitely not vegan, but I try to avoid grains, veg oils, and refined sugar, so this is a breath of fresh air. I didn’t have to do any substitution math at all! (I did however add 2 eggs to open up the texture a bit.)
In all honesty, I didn’t fall in love with this at first bite. I initially thought it was a bit bitter, but I think I was just getting used to the rustic buckwheat taste. But I had doubled my first batch, and by the time I got to loaf #2, I was thoroughly addicted.
Then, I used this as the cake for a baby shower with a GF mommy. Everyone loved it, GF or not, even the guys! Note: excels with Nutella frosting.
Super excited about a gluten free, egg free AND gum-free bread! I wanted to share it with others (more like everyone) so I included it in my “Food Allergy Friendly and Clean Eating” Thanksgiving recipe round-up this year. I know my followers are going to love it! So, thank you!
http://infectiousoptimism.blogspot.com/2013/11/2013-food-allergy-friendly-and-clean.html
Is not better to use brown sugar than maple syrup?
Typically, brown sugar is just refined white sugar that has molasses added to it for color, moisture and flavor. So, brown sugar would be a more refined choice than pure maple syrup.
could I use organic raw honey instead of maple syrup
Sure you can, but once you bake it the honey will no longer be raw. I myself use organic coconut nectar syrup. I avoid maple and agave syrup in general, but note how all of these substances
referred to in this email have the common characteristics of thick, sweet liquid.
Megan, great recipe…so easy for a vegan recipe! I must admit I was a little skeptical at first because there is no egg substitute.
More egg free recipes would be great!
Trying utilizing vegan egg substitues. My favorites utilize flax seeds or chia seeds, thanks to the substance they exude known as “Mucilage”. In fact, mucilage even looks like egg whites and acts like egg whites also, but as a happy plant
based egg sub. Goggle key words of flax egg substitute and / or chia egg substitute and you’ll get lots of hits.
Plant based subs for eggs have been around awhile. This flax and chia are tried and true but other plant based sub options exist.
Made this with chickpea flour and it came out perfectly (no other substitutions). It was a hit with my husband and father in law. It’s not too sweet, so just perfect for a morning bite with coffee or last snack of the day with a cup of hot tea. You can also toast it (if you’re eating a slice that has already cooled) and add a touch of organic butter, maybe a drizzle of unpasteurized honey or a drizzle of real maple syrup. Overall another wonderful, tasty recipe.
I must have tried a handful of gluten free pumpkin recipes this week and was getting quite discouraged I wouldn’t have a sweet treat for thanksgiving. This recipe delivers what it promises. I followed the recipe exactly and used light agave instead of maple syrup. I also took a reviewers suggestion and added 1/4t salt. Thank you so much! It really means so much.
Sounds delicious! Love all your recipes!
Just made this – tastes SO good! Only thing is I subbed 1/2 the baking soda for baking powder because I was afraid of the taste. It didn’t rise as well as yours though – is that because of the baking soda?
Thanks!
Sheila
Probably but more specifically the inter-relationship of baking soda and the Apple Cider Vinegar.
They are bubbly little friends when co-mingled. Simple alchemy … perfection.
So by the way… this works AMAZING with mushed banana instead of pumpkin, too! 🙂 And with crushed dark chocolate sprinkled in… 😀
I substituted millet flour for buckwheat flour and allspice for cloves. Oh…and coconut nectar for the maple syrup- only because those were the ingredients I had on hand. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Delicious! I will be making this again. Very easy.
I just made this recipe and OMG I love it! So happy Ii found it. Perfect!
Okay I gave this a whirl with chickpea flour as someone mentioned it had worked…also used honey instead of maple syrup bc that’s all I had on hand…the batter tasted delicious..hope it comes out just as good…20 minutes left!!!
This recipe rocks! I have a long list of foods to avoid, but this recipe made the cut with one alteration: I subbed butternut squash puree for the pumpkin. The result was moist and dense and sooo tasty 🙂 So happy to have a “pumpkin” bread that works for me to ring in autumn:)
I made this with spelt flour and looooved it! Topped it with a little almond butter and it was sooo delicious! thanks for the recipe! I wonder how to make the bread raise more by the way… should I double the baking soda?
Try the doubling but keep in mind the baking soda and Apple Cider Vinegar work in tandem so keep the proportion
in check.
Also, may I reframe this as perhaps it’s not just a “rising” issue but rather a texture issue, perhaps? Or perhaps not.
But if so, try arrowroot powder. Vegan, check. Creates a softer and lighter texture in baked goods, check.
Use a perhaps a 1/4 cup per batch. Adjust up or down, if needed, until you’ve reached the perfect loaf you’re searching for.
great recipe … but do you think i can use sweet potato instead of the pumpkin :)?
greetings from finland!
Yes, sweet potato cooked prior will work as a fine sub. Run in a food processor to puree to the extent that you
would have a puree from pre purchased pumpkin puree. You’re going for smooth, silky texture, lack of lumps and chunks. Won’t hurt you, but to stay true to the texture of this recipe.
Keep in mind you may want to peel the sweet potatoes and not include peels in recipe, but again, you could as long
as it purees like you’d desire.
Can’t wait to try this. I am not actually Vegan, but always looking for healthy/paleo (ish) friendly recipes that don’t involve a million eggs. This fits the bill perfectly 🙂
This was beyond delicious! We were so pleased how it turned out. To add our own spin on it we baked cinnamon apples into it and topped with some nuts. A+taste and healthy!
Would this recipe work if I used Coconut or Almond flour ?
and could I use coconut flour instead of buckwheat
Coconut and / or Almond Flour would “work” but absorb much more liquid content.
Experiment to find proper liquid ratio but don’t over-liquid.
The result, though tasty, will be a different texture. Probably flatter and bit more dense. Perhaps
more of a bar, not a loaf so adjust your pan accordingly to accommodate the end “bar” result.
This bread is awesome! I left out the maple syrup and replaced it with 1/8 teaspoon of powdered stevia for a lower calorie snack. Also made it with butternut squash instead of pumpkin because I already had puree in my freezer. Ate it with apple butter that I made with your recipe which was also delicious! Turned out great either way! Thanks!
Excellent recipe! I didn’t have buckwheat flour and my small town local grocery store doesn’t care it either so I used brown rice flour. Turned out perfect. I’ll be making this recipe again!
This was incredibly moist! I used Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat flour and subbed the ac vinegar with fresh lemon juice. Will definately make again!
I baked this one for 50 min, the outside was good, the inside a bit raw, im putting it another 15 min..did anybody have an issue with the texture or is my oven? if adding salt cooks better? I used chickpea flour.
thank you and happy thanksgiving to all of you! <3
Another winner. Followed the recipe as written. So easy.
Dad and baby are napping and I felt like baking, so I love how easy and “quiet” (no blender or hand mixer) this recipe is! Don’t have a loaf pan though, so I doubled the recipe and made 18 smallish muffins (baked for 20 mins instead of 50-60). They are tasty and moist 🙂 Thank you so much. I actually forgot to add in the maple syrup and they are still yummy… on their own or with jam. Next time will add the maple syrup. Yes- will definitely be making this recipe again!
If you double the recipe how long should you cook it (in a regular bread loaf pan)
This bread is FABULOUS. My daughter is Vegan and when I baked this for her she absolutely loved it. The bread is so moist and doesn’t crumble. I use Anita’s Organic Buckwheat which is from Canada and it turned out perfectly. I also used 2 mini loaf pans instead of 1 big loaf.
Very nice. I’m not a vegan so I substituted the coconut oil for butter. Worked just perfectly. I love the buckwheat flour. Gives a nice texture and flavour. We have an abundance of butternut pumpkins this year so this recipe was perfect for using some up. My daughter and I are not celiac but we are wheat intolerant so I have been searching for good recipes using alternate flours and this one is going into my favourites folder. Thank you for sharing with us.
Best recipe out there for bread. Leave out the spices and it makes a great sandwich or toast type bread. Only thing my kid can have.
thanks for the idea Jak!
I plan to make this bread, but I want to add raisins or craisins. I bought Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat flour today. Has anyone tried it with raisins or craisins?
Making this tonight! Love my Friday night baking 🙂 Will be instagramming so look out for the finished product! 😉
FYI I’m like the Detoxinista queen XD I rave to my friends and social media accounts (Blogilates & Insta) about your blog! It’s such a beautiful gem. I’m after making soooo many of your recipes and I own your gorgeous cookbook 😀 I’m not strict with food combining but I love how there is a hard copy in the cookbook I can refer back to. I follow some of the easy rules like trying to eat fruit on an empty stomach or just in the morning to help digestion 🙂 I think there is definitely some truth to food combining for sure!
Hey 🙂 Just wanted to let you know I baked this bread yesterday and it was really good! I make my own buckwheat flour (I just grind the groats in my coffee grinder) and it came out beautiful – smooth texture, soft but still moist. I omitted the maple syrup and just put a spoon of coconut sugar in and it came out just sweet enough for me.
Question though: mine came out really orange, not that it matters really. Is yours darker because of the maple syrup you think? Also, do you think it would taste good with some cocoa in it?
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be making different versions of it just about every week now!
When you grind your own buckwheat groats, the resulting flour is a lot lighter in color– that’s why your loaf would be orange! I actually prefer it that way, but store-bought buckwheat flour has a dark, bluish-gray tint to it because it’s usually made with unhulled buckwheat. (Which also makes the flavor slightly more bitter.) I haven’t tried adding cocoa powder, but I imagine it would be delicious!
Hey Megan: This bread is amazing! Everybody loves it, I make at least 2 every week. So yummy! Thanks for sharing. Your blog is one of the best … all your recipes are just out of this world! I recently got your book, which I love too.
I wanted something different to bring to a Christmas/Hanakkuh party and this was it! It was a hit and the recipe was requested. I added some vegan chocolate chunks inside and sprinkled some on top. I’m baking it now, but without the chocolate chunks this time.Thanks bunches for sharing this great recipe!! <3 <3 <3
I used 5 tablespoons of honey in place of the syrup and it turned out wonderfully. Thanks for sharing!
Just started experimenting with buckwheat flour, and this recipe is a winner! Followed instructions almost to the letter, except that I added walnuts and raisins to the batter and greased my loaf pan with Earth Balance rather than using parchment. So delicious, and the texture is spot on. Thank you! 🙂
I absolutely love this delicious and super easy pumpkin bread!
This is my fourth time making it, and not only does it make the house smell incredible, but it makes my tastebuds sing with delight! Made in the form of muffins this evening, currently baking away. Only modification is using 10 drops of vanilla stevia instead of maple syrup for a candida-friendly version. Works like a charm…not too sweet, and divinely paired with homemade sunbutter.
Just made it, but added 1/3 cup cocoa. Instead of 1 cup buckwheat flour, I did 1/2 cup buckwheat flour and 1/2 cup flaxseed meal. Instead of coconut oil, I used 2 Tbs heart-healthy avocado oil. I baked it at 350 for 35 minutes…it was perfect. A dab of Nutella make it yummier. Next time, I might consider adding some mini chocolate chips. Thx so much for this recipe!
An excellent recipe, thanks! I substituted avocado oil for the coconut oil but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Next time, I’ll increase the spices a bit, to heaping servings because we like things spicy. Toasted, with a touch of butter, it made for a lovely breakfast. It’s not too dense, it holds together well and is flavorful. Many thanks!
Thanks for this great recipe and the Vegan option. I really don’t understand giving up meat and animal products out of principal because we get so much important nutrition from the fats and proteins we get from eating clean meat and fish but I don’t tolerate egg whites well (just yolks) so I appreciate recipes marked “vegan” or egg free and then I can modify from there. I followed the vegan recipe but I used sweet potato flour and sweet potato purée and subbed the water with egg yolks and this bread is fan-effing-tasting! It’s dense, moist, just sweet enough and it actually has some height to it. Thanks!!
I make this bread for our family all the time, and we love it! i need to make it without any oil for our next batch, if possible. do you think applesauce would work, or do you have other suggestions! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!
I decided to go ahead and try this recipe with applesauce in place of the coconut oil, and it worked! i used 1/4 cup applesauce in place of 1/4 cup coconut oil, and i kept everything else the same. it came out maybe a tiny bit drier, but i loved it! super healthy, oil free, gluten free, vegan — awesome!
Thanks for this post! I’ve been traveling 5hrough the comments to see if anyon3 gad tried this sub. Thanks, ight add a bit extra applesauce if it’s a bit dry then.
First off I want to say wonderful blog! I had a quick
question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was interested to know how you center yourself and clear your head prior to writing.
I’ve had a tough time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out.
I truly do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to
15 minutes tend to be wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas
or tips? Many thanks!
As a busy mom, I don’t have time to center myself– I usually have 10-15 minutes total at any given time to work, so I usually have to “throw up” my thoughts on the page, then edit later! I find that forcing myself to write whatever is in my head keeps my posts more authentic, and coming back to edit later I’ll make sure things actually make sense. 🙂
I can not have grain nor seeds. What would you suggest for me to use.
I’d start with a different recipe, like this one: https://detoxinista.com/paleo-pumpkin-spice-muffins-nut-free/
Can I substitute applesauce for the oil ????
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve been experimenting with vegan baking for many years, and this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever used. I love the texture- I have never been able to achieve this texture before- most of my creations are really dense and a little too moist/undercooked. Given how much I love this recipe, are there others that you recommend?
Hey Megan,
Fantastic recipe, this Vegan Pumpkin Bread. I would love to feature this in Greenthickies, our website. Not the actual recipe, but only one image and a small quote. And I will link everything back to this original post. Is that okay with you?
Cheers 🙂
Katherine
pumpkin bread looks great ! Cant wait to try it
Hello Megan,I live in Greece and there is no buckwheat flour,I cannot find it anywhere,so can I use regular flour??
This recipe worked great. All my children and my husband loved it. They all thought it had chocolate in it, even after tasting it. 😉 Thank you this recipe has been a great help since we are new to exploring wheat and gluten free recipes.
I use buckwheat all the time but this is the first time I used it in a cake and it was amazing! My only change was I used olive oil and added walnuts, and we don’t eat sugar so I used 3 tablespoons of rice malt syrup. Really great cake. Thanks for the recipe.
Followed this recipe exactly and it turned out perfect and tastes wonderful!