Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Bread

This vegan pumpkin cranberry pecan bread is a festive addition to any Thanksgiving spread. A spiced spelt pumpkin loaf is dotted with crunchy pecans and chewy cranberries. 

This post is sponsored by Stevia In The Raw®. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Blissful Basil!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving week is already upon us. Perhaps it's this new perspective I have as a mom—counting time in weeks and months—but it feels as if life's zipping by faster than ever, and it's tricky to keep pace.

And so, we're keeping things simple this Thanksgiving by having most of our spread catered, but there are a couple vegan dishes I'll be preparing for the festivities. You know, just to ensure all tummies are equally content.

This vegan pumpkin cranberry pecan bread is on my short list of homemade goodies I'll be bringing to the party. Not only is it can't-stop-eating-it delicious, it's also versatile. The bread itself is subtly sweet and completely side dish appropriate. However, it can be transformed into a crowd-pleasing dessert in a pinch with the addition of a simple cinnamon glaze.

Two dishes, one easy recipe. Doesn't get much better...

The recipe is loosely based off my pumpkin muffins, except this loaf-shaped rendition gets a lightened-up swap because Stevia in the Raw® takes the place of coconut sugar.

Stevia In The Raw® is a zero-calorie sweetener that contains an extract from the sweet leaves of the stevia plant. Available in a Bakers Bag, it measures cup for cup with sugar, so it can easily be used in baking recipes to reduce added sugar with no conversion necessary.

Something to keep in mind when using Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag for baking recipes is that, in order to achieve the proper browning, rising, and caramelizing that only sugar can provide, it's best to replace about half of the sugar.

Since I typically use both coconut sugar and pure maple syrup in sweet quick bread recipes, I simply swapped out the coconut sugar in favor of Stevia In The Raw® and kept the pure maple syrup.

Easy like Sunday Thanksgiving morning.

This festive, orange-hued loaf comes together in a flash and requires a short list of easy-to-find ingredients.

To make it, you'll start by whisking together a flax egg (this helps bind the loaf together).

Then, whisk in pumpkin purée, almond milk, Stevia In The Raw®, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil.

Once the wet mixture is ready, add the dry ingredients—sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, dried cranberries, pecans, and whole spelt flour—one at a time, stirring after each addition.

The batter will be quite thick and fluffy.

Once the batter is ready, scoop it into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

Now, you have a decision to make: You can let the loaf cool and serve it as a nutty, subtly sweet, and nutrient-dense side dish OR you can transform it into something totally dessert-worthy with the addition of a simple cinnamon glaze.

I chose the latter for the photos but will be choosing the former for the big event this Thursday.

Either way, you can't go wrong with this simple vegan pumpkin bread. It's packed with vitamin A, vitamin E, fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants, and it’s a dish that everyone will love, vegan or not.

I hope this pumpkin bread brings a little more joy to your table this Thursday!

📖 Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Bread

This vegan pumpkin cranberry pecan bread is a festive addition to any Thanksgiving spread. A spiced spelt pumpkin loaf is dotted with crunchy pecans and chewy cranberries. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine plant-based, Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12 slices

Author Ashley

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons filtered water
• 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ⅓ cup Stevia In The RawⓇ Bakers Bag
• ⅓ cup melted virgin coconut oil (substitute grapeseed oil for a non-coconutty taste)
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Dry Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 ½ cups whole spelt flour

Cinnamon Glaze (optional)

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2–4 tablespoons filtered water
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 5 x 10 loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. Then, whisk in the remaining wet ingredients (i.e., pumpkin purée, almond milk, Stevia In The RawⓇ, coconut oil, and maple syrup).
• Stir the sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cranberries, pecans, and spelt flour into the wet mixture, one by one, in the order listed. Stop stirring when there are no flour patches at the bottom of the bowl. Be careful not to overmix—spelt has a delicate gluten structure, so overmixing will result in dry, crumbly bread. The batter should be quite thick and fluffy.
• Scoop the batter into the lined pan and use a spatula to gently smooth the top.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs at the tip.
• Cool completely.
• To make the cinnamon glaze (if using), whisk together the powdered sugar, filtered water (start with 2 tablespoons and add more as needed to thin to a thick but drizzle-able consistency), and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf and allow it to stand at room temperature until set.
• Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.