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Oat flour pumpkin bread is the best gluten free dairy free pumpkin bread & made in just 1-bowl!
Moist, classic pumpkin bread that’s lightly sweet, with perfect pumpkin spice flavors. It’s secretly the best vegan gluten free pumpkin bread!
Vegan gluten free pumpkin bread: they said it couldn’t be done. They said it’d be gummy. They said… Oh, heck, they said fuggettaboutit!
But today I’m saying, “Dontfuggettaboutit!” Alright, I’m probably not cool enough to pull that one off… Back on point:
I shared this vegan pumpkin bread with you a few years back, and since then, it’s stood the test of time. However, things weren’t always coming up roses.
The recipe testing for this now-beloved, but not-so-much-before recipe was… embarrassing. Like, cringeworthy, hide your face and change your name because you don’t need that ruined name anymore, EMBARRASSING.
vegan pumpkin bread: the best gluten free pumpkin bread recipe!
Before I got to the glory that is this oat flour pumpkin bread marvel, or it’s irresistible cousin Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake, there were trials. Let’s just say “trials” is the nicest word for what occurred, and I mean that word in every sense.
For fun, and as a lovely confidence booster for you (you = waaaay cooler than me), let’s go over these baking torture pumpkin bread trials. Grab a cup of coffee and a few of these Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies. Let’s dive in!
trial & error: developing vegan gluten free pumpkin bread
Trial #1: Extremely dry vegan gluten free pumpkin bread. Like, drier than any desert known to man. Drier than a piece of toast that’s been put into a dehydrator and soaked in salt or whatever they call it during the Wild West times. In fact, this vegan gluten free pumpkin bread might’ve been a great contender for throwing in the ol’ saddlebag for a good, three-month journey to avenge so-and-so’s brother over The Saloon Incident. Or something. Plus, it totally would have made for an amazing weapon.
things get spicy: vegan gluten free pumpkin bread
Trial #2: Less dry, too spicy. Yes, I said it. TOO SPICY gluten free oat flour pumpkin bread. As if people aren’t normally scared of gluten free bread enough. And hilarity of all hilarity, note that I did nothing to the spice ratio… sometimes a good bit of ironic kitchen uncool magic happens and you get super spicy, in a weird savory way, pumpkin bread. My friend, I truly, madly, deeply (oh haaaay, Savage Garden!!) love spicy foods, but this one was too unfortunate and oddly… “unique” to bear.
Trial #3: Straight-up savory. And while some folks might argue that savory vegan gluten free pumpkin bread can be quite the treat… allow me to convince you that this particular loaf was quite the trick. See what I did there??? Aw… come on, give me something for these foolhardy kitchen shenanigans!
I actually thought about saving this trial to turn into some kind of gluten free vegan pumpkin sandwich bread. I think it would’ve been really good with spicy hummus (inspired by Trial #2, of course), a healthy dosing of jalapeños and olives, and a Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie to cool things down. Yummmy!!!
the vegan gluten free pumpkin bread recipe trials continue…
Trial #4 (aka the “How do I even have the stones to call myself a ‘baker’” trial): Moist AF. Hide the kiddies and covers their gentle ears. AF. Yep, I said it!! There comes a time when all you can do is scream into a stack of oven mitts and throw a stare cruelly at your mixing bowl and in-cahoots whisk. This loaf actually looked pretty good on the outside. Good crust, strong structure. A promising vegan gluten free pumpkin bread recipe overall. Right?
Wrong. Oh so wrong… Alas, a mere two hours of waiting for it to cool later… a hearty slice of a center piece revealed… like, an ENTIRE can of pumpkin. It’s almost like it re-found itself inside the loaf. Like, it knew that it never wanted to meld with other ingredients ever again. It would just stay as one. 100% pumpkin puree. Forever and ever.
Trial #5 (aka the “Congratulations for being the BEST reader ever, you!! Can’t believe you’re still here, my favorite reader” trial): Meh. Yep, the Meh pumpkin loaf. The… if I brought this vegan gluten free pumpkin bread to a bakesale, no one would say a thing about it because… MEH. Oat flour pumpkin bread eaten and promptly forgotten. The “Beaming Baker can DO better than this, come on, girlfriend!!” pumpkin loaf.
the best vegan gluten free pumpkin bread: finally!!!
Trial #6 (aka There is Meaning in the World, Never Give Up on Your Dreams, Statues Will Be Named After Us Pumpkin Bread): From -1 million to so ridiculously positive, Rocky Balboa would be proud, 100 One Bowl Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread. But not with 100 bowls. Like… it would be rated 100 out of 100. Oh, you know what I mean!
Dear reader, dear friend, dear best person ever for making it THIS far down this testing post, I’m here to tell you: IT. WAS. ALL. WORTH. IT. This oat flour pumpkin bread, this technically flourless pumpkin bread coz you can grind oats for the “flour”, this gluten free dairy free pumpkin bread, this gf pumpkin bread… whatever you want to call it… is WORTH IT.
You will make this vegan gluten free pumpkin bread like the bosslady or bossgentleperson-folk-being that you are. You will hold that whisk firmly and proudly in your ONE bowl. You will bake it like it’s hot. Because, well, it will be due to high oven temps… and then, you will wait 2-3 hours, most patiently for a thorough cooling. And then, you will slice this vegan gluten free pumpkin bread like you’re carrying the shiniest baton past the most reputable strip thingy at the end of marathons.
Then, you will bring this gorgeous loaf of oat flour pumpkin bread to your mother-in-law, or IRL boss (even tho we know who’s really the boss), or most important bakesale of the century, and present this loaf with a smirk. Because, it’s AWESOME.
Gluten Free Vegan Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
You’ll love all of the simple, vegan and gluten free ingredients used to make this deeply satisfying pumpkin bread. Check them out below:
How to Make Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Preheat
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, line an 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients
Add all the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Whisk all of the ingredients together until fully combined.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Add all the dry ingredients to that same bowl.
Now, grab a rubber spatula and stir & fold everything together until no flour patches remain. Isn’t this pumpkin bread batter seriously the prettiest color of orange?
Transfer Batter
Tip the bowl over your prepared loaf pan, dropping the pumpkin batter into the pan. It’s quite thick, so we’ll smooth it in the next step.
Now, smooth the thick batter into an even layer. Finish by smoothing the pumpkin bread batter into a loaf shape. Then, optionally, use a butter knife to cut a slit down slightly off-center of the loaf.
Bake, Cool and Enjoy
Bake, cool, slice and enjoy the best vegan gluten free pumpkin bread!
How to Store this Oat Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Storage Notes: Cool your pumpkin bread completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. As always, keep out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources & humidity. Those factors can cause the bread to spoil quickly.
- Freezing Instructions: This pumpkin bread freezes well. Wrap in parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, or heat in the microwave in 10-second increments until just warm.
Don’t fret about the holidays, I’ve got you covered. Especially since we’re getting the ball rolling nice and early! Pumpkin = friend, not foe. Holiday, let’s do this! Also, if you’re looking for another amazing GF bread recipe, try my friend Sharon’s gluten free cornbread. I’m probably going to make a batch of this healthy pumpkin oatmeal muffins and gluten free pumpkin cookies to keep this bread company. Are you excited about the holidays?
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
📸 Did you make this gluten free dairy free pumpkin bread recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸
Vegan Gluten Free Recipes
- Easy Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Irresistibly Moist Vegan Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Super Moist Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies (Vegan)
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (Vegan)
- Healthy Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread (1-bowl, Oat Flour)
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 flax egg, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, whisk together, set for 15 mins
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free oat flour – if using homemade oat flour, make sure it’s very finely ground (not coarse)*
- ½ cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside.
- Add the wet ingredients to a large bowl: pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, sugar, flax egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the same bowl: oat flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
- Whisk as long as you can—the batter will be thick. Switch to folding with a rubber spatula until no flour patches remain. Do not add additional liquids—the batter is meant to be very thick.
- Transfer batter into the prepared loaf pan. Using a clean rubber spatula, smooth batter into an even layer, with a gentle rise down the center—mimicking the shape of a perfect loaf. It is important to follow this step for the perfect loaf shape, as the batter will bake up very close to how it looks raw.
- Using a butter knife, cut a slit down the center (or off center, based on your preference, this is mine). Bake for 55-65 minutes. Mine took 60 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the center of the loaf. The toothpick will come out clean when the loaf is done.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 2-3 hours, or until completely cool. Lift out, slice and enjoy!
Looking for a nut-free version? Try my Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe! 🎃
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was the first gluten free “baked good” recipe that actually came out with a normal texture! YAY! Now I just have to figure out which of your recipes to try next. Thanks for creating.
Woohoo!!! That’s pretty much the best compliment that you could’ve given my recipe, Paige! 😉 It’s always my goal to make allergy-friendly, plant-based baking taste JUST like the classics we grew up with. 🙂 If you ever need any recipe recommendations, let me know! Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
Is there a way I could make this without maple syrup, using all coconut sugar? Would I have to increase the wet ingredients? Thanks.
Hi Hannah, I’m not 100% sure since I haven’t tried this sub before. Try subbing the maple syrup 1:1 with more coconut sugar, OR doing that and adding in 1 tablespoon water (to help dissolve the coconut sugar). Good luck! Let me know how this turns out. 🙂
This looks great! Do you have a weight measurement for the oat flour, by chance? Thanks!
Hi Lindsay, sorry, I don’t! 🙁 It’s on my super long To Do list to start adding weight measurements across the site. Thank you so much for your patience! xo
Hi there!! I love your recipes- They all look amazing 🙂 I recently tried out this one and your pumpkin muffin recipe and they tasted delicious but they were pretty dense.. I’m wondering if I did something wrong technique-wise? Because in the instructions it said to pour the batter- but mine was already so thick it was more like a dough! if you had any thoughts I would love to hear them as I would love to try see the recipe as you intended it! 🙂 thank you!!
Hi Alex! That’s so sweet of you to say. 🙂 Did you like the final texture though? Yeah, the batter is definitely thick enough to qualify as a dough. To see a visual example of this, watch the video in this recipe post: https://beamingbaker.com/gluten-free-maple-pecan-pumpkin-muffins-gf-vegan-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free-video/ That’s how thick it should be. Hugs!
This looks great. Do you think it would.work as well using egg replacer instead of the flax egg? Thanks, can’t wait to try it!
Hi Hannah, thank you! Yep, that should work just fine. Just make the equivalent of one “egg.” Can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
Hi! I just made this for my toddler who is allergic to wheat, egg and dairy. I did halve the sugar but the flavor was still soooo good. But my bread fell 🙁 it ended up only being 2″ tall in my 8.5×4 glass Pyrex. Is this due to the lack of sugar or because of the glass Pyrex? I used parchment in the bottom and coconut oil sprayed everywhere. Thanks!
Hi Mandy! I believe the issue lies in halving the sugar. I developed this recipe so that the wet ingredients (including the sugar) are perfectly balanced with the dry ingredients (flour, etc.); so when you remove a big chunk of one side of the ratio, something on the other side needs to be removed to adjust. It would take quite a bit of experimentation to find just the right balance. I hope this helps! Hoping that you and your toddler get to enjoy this soon! 🙂
Great recipe! Making my second batch in under a week. I doubled the recipe and baked in a divided brownie pan which gave us 18 equally sized individual servings, plus an additional dozen that fit into a muffin pan. 30 servings ready for breakfast and snacks and only 4 points each for weight watchers. Wil probably take the muffin pan out a little earlier because of the open source between each, compared to the brownie pan where though divided, they are al mused together like a loaf.
Hi Stacy, so happy to hear that you’re loving this! 🙂 And it sounds like you’re having a bit of fun with experimenting in different pans. 😉 If you ever need the recipe for exactly 12 pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips (and the precise timing for baking in the muffin pan), this will help: https://beamingbaker.com/one-bowl-gluten-free-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins-gf-vegan-dairy-free/ Thanks for reporting back and letting me know how much you enjoyed these. Can’t wait to see what you try next! 🙂
Thanks for replying so promptly, just wondering if I could use coconut flour or buckwheat flour?
Many thanks
Hi Antoinette! 🙂 My pleasure. Definite no on the coconut flour–it’s much, much more absorbent than oat flour. Buckwheat flour might work–I’m not sure because I haven’t tried it. Also, buckwheat tends to have a distinct, strong flavor. Good luck!
Hi, this recipe looks great but just wanted to know if I could substitute the oat flour with an additional 2 cups of almond meal. I don’t use any of the store bought gluten free flours or oat flour as my daughter doesn’t do to well with any of them. Many thanks for your help.
Hi Antoinette, unfortunately, I’m not sure how subbing all the oat flour for almond meal will turn out. My biggest concern is that oat flour is more absorbent than almond meal, so you’d have to decrease the wet ingredients to compensate for that. Since I haven’t tried it out yet, I’m hesitant about the results. Maybe play around with the recipe a bit–try subbing all the oat flour for almond meal and decreasing the wet. See how that turns out and adjust as needed. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Demeter- I have a couple of questions– would it be possible to use a 1-1 flour mix (ie: Bob’s Red Mill) instead of the oat flour? My hubby doesn’t tolerate oats so well. I have not yet used coconut sugar in my baking. How does it differ in its behavior from either demerara or brown sugar?
Thanks so much in advance-
-Jane
Hi Jane! Okay, let’s see… 1-1 flour mix: that would work, but just be aware that the loaf could turn out drier. Every all-purpose GF flour mix I’ve used varies from brand to brand. You might need to do some experimenting and perhaps leave out 1-2 tablespoons of flour, or decrease the baking time by 5 minutes or so. Coconut sugar vs. brown sugar: they’re pretty much the same in flavor and behavior. My pleasure! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out. 🙂 xo, Demeter