This truly is the Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread, heck best pumpkin bread period, I've ever had! It is perfectly moist, fluffy, firm, healthy and totally oil-free! The texture is an absolute dream and it is only 8 ingredients and low-fat as a bonus!
1/4cup (60g)canned "lite" coconut milk (shaken first, I love the Thai Kitchen brand)
2 1/4teaspoonsvanilla extract
Optional: pumpkin seeds for topping and powdered sugar
NOTE
Of course, as always, I recommend highly to use a scale to prevent room for error. You don't need cups or to compare the weights to cups, just simply follow the weights listed, as this is exactly how the recipes are tested and made. Make sure to zero out before adding each ingredient.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9×5 loaf pan (I used stone so it's more moist) with parchment paper going in both directions cut to fit so that it lies flat in each direction with a slight overhang.
To a large bowl, add the syrup, coconut milk, pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk until completely smooth. Set aside.
To a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, cornstarch, baking soda, pumpkin spices, black pepper and salt. Whisk very well.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquid and stir gently, folding until it all comes together into a moist, cohesive batter. Don’t over-mix, just until combined and smooth. It will be thick.
Pour the batter into the pan. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the top flat and evenly out to the corners. If desired, sprinkle raw pumpkin seeds on top of the loaf now.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick is completely clean from the center to the bottom of the pan. Ovens will vary, so yours may take longer, but mine was perfect at 40 minutes.
Cool 45 minutes to an hour before slicing. This is hard to wait, I know, but the loaf must finish cooling. If you cut it too early, it will be a bit underdone in it’s texture. Lift the loaf out with the parchment paper and slice with a very sharp knife.
PUMPKIN SPICE: I recommend my homemade blend because it truly is the best and will give the most amazing flavor. The key to this loaf having the best flavor is the spices, of course. Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves and is sold at most grocery stores in the baking/spice isle. If you want to use a store-bought blend, that is fine, but ADD an extra 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves to the blend. As noted in the post, the secret to the best pumpkin bread flavor is that tiny bit extra of cloves. The store-bought blends don't have enough. If you don't want to make my whole batch blend, you can just use these measurements for this one time loaf: Combine the following well with a fork and add to the recipe: 2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. You do not add an extra 1/4 tsp cloves to MY blend, just the 1/2 teaspoon.
COCONUT MILK: For the coconut milk, I highly recommend the Thai Kitchen or Taste of Thai brands, they are high quality, the creamiest and not watery at all. Make sure to shake the can well before measuring. You do NOT taste coconut. If you are allergic to coconut, you can try another high fat milk, maybe macadamia or cashew, but it will likely not be as moist or fluffy since coconut is very buttery when baked. Do not use soy milk, the high protein will make the bread too chewy and it’s already a firm bread, like a pound cake texture.