Moist Pumpkin Bread (Dairy Free)

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This Ultra Moist Pumpkin Bread is dense, flavorful, and dairy free. Made with hearty pumpkin, almondmilk and plant based butter, this vegetarian pumpkin bread is the best thing since, well, sliced bread!

Let this be known as the year that I took nearly 2 months to post a pumpkin bread recipe after teasing it on Instagram three times. And by teasing, I mean “making promises and failing at keeping them“.

Look, there was this whole thing with my mental health and exhaustion and what not. But if that’s the worst thing I’ve done, then shackle me up and send me to the pokey.

Speaking of crimes, I hope you’re not one of those people who is so uncomfortable with the word “moist” that this post feels like a sensory assault. Because this pumpkin bread is moist as hell and you might see that word several times here.

So, let’s get to the point. I made moist, dairy free pumpkin bread and oh my goodness is it delish. You may be wondering, “Is this becoming a dairy free site?” Your guess is as good as mine.

All I know is that I’ve noticed that I feel so much better when I don’t consume dairy, as hard as that is for a cheese lover. I’m not sure I could ever completely cut cheese, but I feel like progress over perfection is my mantra.

And the great news is that thanks to the modern world of food production, you can absolutely make incredible desserts using ingredients that work for you. Like pumpkin bread that tastes just as good as any pumpkin bread with dairy in it.

The Best Pumpkin Bread

How did I achieve such a feat, you ask? Simple. I replaced dairy in your average pumpkin bread recipe with almond milk and my newest obsession, Country Crock avocado oil plant butter.

The result? A vegetarian pumpkin bread so moist and dense that you’d never know it was dairy free. And when I say dense, I don’t mean too dense. I mean a hearty consistency that just seems to melt in your mouth at every bite.

I like to keep half of the loaf wrapped up on my counter top to enjoy for a few days. I store the other half in my freezer and pull it out then thaw it in the fridge for a day until I’m ready for it.

How do you keep pumpkin bread moist?

Let me let you in on a little secret: Vegetable oil is better than butter. At least for making moist breads. And it took a lot for me to say that because I love butter. I’m passionate about butter. But again, I’m eating less dairy and I had to find something that works just as well.

So when I found the Country Crock avocado oil Plant Butter at my local grocery store, I was curious to know if it would hold up well in baking. I mean, it stands to reason that avocado oil would work like vegetable oil. It comes from a vegetable, after all.

And boy, does it hold up well. It probably also helps that I used brown sugar, molasses, and maybe a little more than half a can of pumpkin to achieve that rich, moist pumpkin bread flavor. This easy pumpkin bread turned out better than I could have imagined.

The only sacrifice (if you can call it that) is that Country Crock’s Plant Butter is salted. So look at your recipe and be sure to either reduce or eliminate the salt if you’re baking with it. I still included just a little salt for good measure.

Ingredients in Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread

Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegetarian pumpkin bread:

• Pumpkin puree
• Eggs
• Melted dairy free butter
• Almondmilk
• Brown sugar
• Molasses (or maple syrup)
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger
• Salt (Just a pinch, since the dairy free butter is salted)
• Flour

Pumpkin note: I used about a cup or so of canned pumpkin puree (about half of a 15 ounce can). Feel free to use homemade pumpkin puree if you’re ambitious. If you use the canned variety, be sure to choose the plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

Butter note: If you can’t find Country Crock plant butter near you, try using another plant based/vegan alternative that has a very similar texture and taste to dairy butter.

Side note: I have not tested this recipe with ghee or coconut oil. If you decide to try it, let me know how it worked out in the comments!

How to Make Pumpkin Bread

It’s so much more simple than you might be thinking. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5 bread loaf pan.
2. To make the batter, combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk them together until everything is mixed thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Then, add the dry mix into the wet ingredients in increments.
4. Bake the bread for 60-75 minutes. Allow it to cool to room temp, then serve and enjoy.

How do you know when pumpkin bread is done?

• Your pumpkin bread should be risen a bit over the top of the loaf pan and golden brown on top.
• If the top splits – don’t worry, it’s normal for quick breads. It just means the outside is baking a little faster than the inside, and it won’t cause any serious problems with the taste or texture of the bread.
• Stick a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread is done baking.
• You might still end up with some moist crumbs on your cake tester – that’s okay. What you don’t want is obviously uncooked batter coming out.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Bread

• Make sure not to stir the batter too much, or your pumpkin bread could turn out too dense and not rise enough.
• If you find that the top of your pumpkin bread is cooking much faster than the inside of the loaf, you can tent some tin foil over top to protect the bread and insulate the inside of the loaf.
• You can enjoy this delicious bread at any temperature. I love it warm with some salted butter on top. You can also spread it with honey pecan cream cheese or eat it plain.
• Store your bread wrapped tightly or in an airtight container on your counter top for 3 days for freshness. You can keep it fresh in the fridge for about a week or store it in the freezer for a month or so.

I hope you like this bread as much as I do! I can’t wait to share more fall & holiday recipes with you soon. But for now, let me know if you tried this recipe in the comments below!