I don’t know about you, but I always considered pumpkin to be a fall vegetable. I was wrong. In Germany, where we live, pumpkin is in season from September until January/ February. Pumpkin is such a versatile and flavorful vegetable that it is complementary to various cooking and baking recipes. Fun fact: Pumpkin puree can be used as a substitute for butter, oil, or eggs in vegan baking. ¼ cup of pumpkin puree equates to one egg. For oil, the ratio is 1-to-1, e.g., 1 cup pumpkin puree for 1 cup oil. Amazing, right?  

Recently, my sister Lisa made vegan and gluten-free pumpkin bread for us that was so delectable and easy to make that I had to share it with you. If you try it, leave a comment below to let us know what you thought. 

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free flour 
• ½ tsp sea salt 
• 3 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp allspice  
• 1 tsp just spices pumpkin pie spice mix  
•  ½ cup coconut sugar – brown cane sugar also works

Wet Ingredients

• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water/ stir and set aside for 5 minutes)
• 1 and ½ cups pumpkin puree 
• ¼ cup coconut oil or melted vegan butter 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds  

Instructions

1. Add all the dry ingredients to a large-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until well-combined.  
2. Add all the wet ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk thoroughly.  
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry one. Using a spatula, gently combine the two mixture. Don’t overmix! 
4. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
5. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F. Oil/butter your loaf pan.
6. Using a spatula, mix the batter a couple of times before transferring it to the prepared loaf pan. 
7. Top with pumpkin seeds and then bake for 40 minutes. 
8. Cover pan with the aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Do the toothpick check! 
9. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Enjoy!  

Storage Tips

• Wrap the bread in plastic/ beeswax wrap or aluminum foil. Alternatively, place the bread in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3 days. 
• Cover the bread with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. In its wrapped state, thaw the bread at room temperature or in the fridge. 

Kitchen Soundtrack