This vegan pumpkin banana bread recipe is your perfect fall treat! Packed with comforting flavors like banana, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon, it's a sweet, tender loaf that blends the best of pumpkin season with classic banana bread. This loaf recipe is easy to follow, uses simple ingredients, and is a great way to enjoy the fall season without any dairy or eggs.
You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a perfect fall recipe. The combination of sweet banana, earthy pumpkin, and warm spices bring the best flavors of the season into one tender and fluffy bread.
- It's vegan and gluten-free friendly! This pumpkin banana bread is made using almond flour and tested with gluten-free all-purpose flour, so it fits a variety of dietary needs.
- It's easy to make. Just combine your wet and dry ingredients in one mixing bowl, and you'll have a warm loaf in the oven in no time.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flax Meal & Water: Flax eggs work perfectly as a vegan binder in this recipe, giving the bread a fluffy texture.
- Ripe Bananas: Bananas bring natural sweetness and moisture. Mash one banana into the batter, and save the second for a beautiful topping.
- Light Brown Sugar: You can substitute with coconut sugar or regular white sugar for less caramel notes.
- Unsweetened Soy Milk: Almond milk or any other plant-based milk works well here too.
- Pumpkin Purée: I use ready-made pumpkin purée for convenience, but go for homemade if you prefer. Avoid pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and seasonings.
- Avocado Oil: For a neutral flavor. You can use canola oil or vegetable oil too.
- Vanilla Extract: A must-have for enhancing the flavors.
- Almond Flour: Adds a rich, nutty flavor and tender texture while keeping the loaf gluten-free.
- All-Purpose Flour: I test all my baked goods with King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour and regular all-purpose flour. Both work great!
- Rolled Oats: Choose certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- Baking Powder: Helps the bread rise.
- Cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie Spice: These spices provide the essential fall flavor. You can always make your own pumpkin pie spice if preferred!
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Chopped Pecans: Add a nice crunch. Chopped walnuts or slivered almonds can add similar flavor.
- Turbinado Sugar: For a beautiful crisp top. You can also use sanding sugar or coconut sugar.
- Oats: For added texture and to indicate the oaty texture inside the bread.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread
1. Whisk: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flax meal with water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.
2. Prep: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line or grease a loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal later.
3. Mash: In the large mixing bowl with the flax egg, mash one overripe banana using a potato masher or fork until smooth.
4. Mix: Add the brown sugar, pumpkin purée, soy milk, avocado oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
5. Combine: Sprinkle the almond flour, gluten-free flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt over the wet mixture. Gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. Don't overmix-the batter should be relatively thick but not lumpy.
6. Transfer: Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
7. Top: Slice the second banana lengthwise and place it on top of the batter, cut side up. Sprinkle the top with pecans, rolled oats, and turbinado sugar.
8. Bake: Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Serve: Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!
Storage
- Store: Keep leftover bread in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, in 30-second increments in the microwave, or pop a slice in the toaster.
- Reheat: While reheating is optional, I love to toast this bread or place it in the air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for about 5 minutes and finish it with a bit of vegan butter for an indulgent treat!
Variations
- Add-ins: Mix in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried cranberries for an extra sweet treat or hearty texture.
- Topping Swap: Use green pumpkin seeds instead of pecans to double down on the pumpkin theme!
- Muffins: This bread is an adaptation of my vegan pumpkin banana muffins recipe. Make them for a grab-and-go option!
Expert Tips
- Especially in gluten-free and vegan baking, precise measuring is key. That is why I highly suggest a food scale!
- I love this bread warm with a little salted vegan butter. It's just divine!
- Be patient with the cooling. Denser sweet loaves like these continue cooking a bit while they cool. I promise it's worth it!
FAQ
Make sure you're using very ripe bananas, and measure your primary ingredients by weight if possible. Also, avoid overmixing the batter by stirring until everything is just combined. Taking extra care in these steps will ensure the perfect texture.
I'd recommend against it, but your best bet is likely cassava flour or another nut or seed-based flour such as cashew or sunflower seed flour. If you give one of these substitutes a try, please comment how it went!
Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf-if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, your bread is done. Also, make sure you give the bread plenty of time to cool. It will keep cooking and lose a bit more moisture as it cools, resulting in the perfect texture.
If you make this Easy Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread or any other sweet treat on Easy Chickpeasy, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It's a big help to others who want to try the recipe!
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Recipe
Vegan Banana Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon flax meal
- ¼ cup water
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ripe/overripe bananas , divided
- ¾ cup (144 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk (or preferred plant-based milk)
- ⅔ cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup avocado oil (or preferred neutral/baking oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (156 grams) almond flour
- 1 cup (120 grams) gluten-free all-purpose flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup(90 grams) old fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free oats if needed)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoons salt
Topping (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped pecans
- 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar (or sanding sugar)
- 1 Tablespoon old fashioned rolled oats
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flax meal with the water. Set this aside while you gather the rest of the ingredients (about 5 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line or lightly grease a loaf pan.
- In the large bowl with the flax mixture, mash one ripe banana until smooth using a potato masher or fork.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla) and stir until well combined.
- Sprinkle all of the dry ingredients (almond flour, flour, oats, baking powder, ground cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt) over top. Mix the dry and wet ingredients just until a batter forms.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the batter until it is evenly distributed in the pan.
- Slice the remaining banana in half lengthwise and lay both halves on top of the batter, with the sliced side facing up. Sprinkle the loaf with pecan pieces, oats, and sugar.
- Bake the loaf at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
- When the loaf has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before gently freeing it from the pan. Divide into 9 one-inch slices for serving.
- Store leftover bread in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Leftover bread is best enjoyed toasted or air-fried until lightly crisp with some vegan butter.
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