Spiced Applesauce Bread

This applesauce bread recipe is the best quick bread! It’s unbelievably tasty and cozy spiced. Step it up with an easy icing drizzle! There’s zucchini bread for the summer and pumpkin bread for the fall…but here’s a cozy quick bread that works for anytime. This spiced and iced Applesauce Bread recipe! This one is perfectly spiced with cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and studded with oats. It’s so tasty and perfect for special occasions! Suffice it to say, it went over very well in our house. Take it over the top with an easy icing drizzle. It’s great for an occasional treat or as a way to use up applesauce. Here’s how to make this impressive loaf! Ingredients in applesauce bread This applesauce bread is an easy quick bread, just like zucchini, pumpkin, and banana bread. But the fruit puree here is applesauce! We got the idea from brainstorming ways to use applesauce after making our family favorite applesauce cookies. Turns out: applesauce works in quick breads too! Here’s what you’ll need for this tasty bread: All purpose and whole wheat flour: A mix of flours adds a nuance to the flavor a pinch of nutrients. Granulated and brown sugar: Using two sugars […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This applesauce bread recipe is the best quick bread! It’s unbelievably tasty and cozy spiced. Step it up with an easy icing drizzle!

Applesauce bread

There’s zucchini bread for the summer and pumpkin bread for the fall…but here’s a cozy quick bread that works for anytime. This spiced and iced Applesauce Bread recipe! This one is perfectly spiced with cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and studded with oats. It’s so tasty and perfect for special occasions! Suffice it to say, it went over very well in our house. Take it over the top with an easy icing drizzle. It’s great for an occasional treat or as a way to use up applesauce. Here’s how to make this impressive loaf!

Ingredients in applesauce bread

This applesauce bread is an easy quick bread, just like zucchini, pumpkin, and banana bread. But the fruit puree here is applesauce! We got the idea from brainstorming ways to use applesauce after making our family favorite applesauce cookies. Turns out: applesauce works in quick breads too! Here’s what you’ll need for this tasty bread:

  • All purpose and whole wheat flour: A mix of flours adds a nuance to the flavor a pinch of nutrients.
  • Granulated and brown sugar: Using two sugars also adds nuance to the flavor.
  • Eggsbaking soda, baking powder, & salt: The regular players for a quick bread.
  • Cinnamon, allspice, and cloves: The perfect mix of spices.
  • Applesauce: We like unsweetened, but you can use sweetened if it’s all you have.
  • Neutral oilWe like oil in our quick breads because it doesn’t require melting like butter: one less step! It also makes it dairy free and easily vegan.
  • Vanilla: A hefty dose of vanilla gives it a smooth flavor.
Applesauce bread

What to expect with this applesauce bread

While it’s not as rich as banana, applesauce adds a nice lightness and moistness to breads and also works as a substitute for oil. Here are a few things to expect with this applesauce bread:

  • The texture is light and moist, not rich and oily. It’s not quite as dense or oily as a typical quick bread: the texture is lighter here.
  • Oats add interest to the texture. There’s just a 1/2 cup, but it adds a nice intriguing lightness as well.
  • Bake time depends on the pan size. Keep in mind: bake time varies whether you use an 8-inch or 9-inch pan. You’ll want to pull the bread when it feels solid and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging on. Don’t wait until it’s fully clean, or you risk overbaking!

Step it up with powdered sugar icing!

This applesauce bread is delicious as is and perfectly sweet: it’s a total treat bread! (It’s not really in the healthy category, like you could argue with this Healthy Pumpkin Bread.) So if you really want to take it to treat status, drizzle it with our easy powdered sugar icing! It takes literally one minute to stir together. Here are some notes:

  • Use our 1 minute powdered sugar icing recipe. It’s so fast to stir up, and works for any diet.
  • For less sugar, use a half recipe! You can use just a half of the recipe for a glaze that’s lightly sweet. Or use a full recipe for maximum wow factor.
Applesauce bread recipe

Mix-ins for applesauce bread

Of course, you can customize this bread even further with mix ins! If you like chunks in your bread, there are lots of options. Here are a few ideas of mix-ins for applesauce bread:

  • Walnuts
  • Pecans
  • Hazelnuts
  • Almonds
  • Chocolate chips
  • Dried cherries or cranberries
  • Shredded coconut

Vegan variation

Do you eat vegan, or cooking for someone who is? Because this applesauce bread is made with oil instead of butter, it’s naturally dairy free. As we noted above, we prefer using oil in our quick breads because it makes them even quicker: you don’t have to melt butter! Here’s the only thing you need to do to make this bread vegan:

  • Use flax eggs! A flax egg is simply ground flax seed mixed with water. When it sits, it forms a gel like substance that you can use in vegan baked goods like muffins, cookies, and quick breads. We’ve found it works well, like in our Vegan Banana Bread and Vegan Zucchini Bread. It changes the texture a bit, but it’s still just as delicious.
Applesauce bread

Applesauce bread storage

This applesauce bread stores very well! You’ll find on the day of baking it has a crisp crust, but as you store it it becomes softer. (It’s delicious both ways!) We like to keep it at room temperature because it’s so beautifully moist and you can eat it right away. But here are a few options for storage:

  • How long does applesauce bread last at room temperature? 4 to 5 days, covered in aluminum foil..
  • Can you refrigerate applesauce bread? You can! Keep in mind that it does dry out a bit in the fridge. It also tastes a little better at room temp, so if you refrigerate it be sure to let it come to room temperature before enjoying.
  • Can you freeze applesauce bread? Yes! Slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer safe bag or container. It stays good for about 3 months.

This applesauce bread recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Applesauce bread

Spiced Applesauce Bread


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (6 votes, average: 4.83 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 slices
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This applesauce bread recipe is the best quick bread! It’s unbelievably tasty, cozy spiced and covered in an easy icing drizzle.


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup Old Fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 large eggs (for vegan, use flax eggs)
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (organic vegetable, canola or grapeseed)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (optional; or use 1/2 recipe)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. 
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined and a smooth dough forms.
  4. Bake: Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until it feels solid and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with some clinging crumbs, or the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact timing will depend on the size of the pan.
  5. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Or if desired, allow to cool fully to room temperature (about 1 hour), then drizzle with Powdered Sugar Icing (if desired, use a half recipe for less sweetness). Storage info: The bread lasts 4 to 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Quick Bread

Keywords: Applesauce bread, Applesauce bread recipe

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Oatmeal Bars

Here’s an oatmeal bars recipe that’s beyond easy! These healthy breakfast bars are irresistibly tasty and great for busy mornings and snacks. Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for breakfast and all those in between moments, too. This ridiculously easy no bake Oatmeal Bars recipe! These were big winners in our house and quickly solidified themselves into the weekly repertoire. These breakfast bars star peanut butter, honey, and Old Fashioned oats, and they’re a healthy breakfast or snack you can feel good feeding yourself or your family. In fact, I had to remind myself I didn’t need to sneak these like a treat. Ingredients for this oatmeal bars recipe These oatmeal bars have just 4 ingredients plus salt (because salt’s a given, right?). This makes them easy to whip up on moments notice…and we do. Here’s what you’ll need to make them: Old Fashioned rolled oats: That’s the standard oatmeal you’re used to, not steel cut oats! Because it has the texture of rice, it’s not a substitute here. Peanut butter: Use creamy, no sugar added peanut butter. If all you have is sweetened, leave out a bit of the honey. Use sunflower butter as a nut allergy substitute. Honey: Honey […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Here’s an oatmeal bars recipe that’s beyond easy! These healthy breakfast bars are irresistibly tasty and great for busy mornings and snacks.

Oatmeal bars

Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for breakfast and all those in between moments, too. This ridiculously easy no bake Oatmeal Bars recipe! These were big winners in our house and quickly solidified themselves into the weekly repertoire. These breakfast bars star peanut butter, honey, and Old Fashioned oats, and they’re a healthy breakfast or snack you can feel good feeding yourself or your family. In fact, I had to remind myself I didn’t need to sneak these like a treat.

Ingredients for this oatmeal bars recipe

These oatmeal bars have just 4 ingredients plus salt (because salt’s a given, right?). This makes them easy to whip up on moments notice…and we do. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

  • Old Fashioned rolled oats: That’s the standard oatmeal you’re used to, not steel cut oats! Because it has the texture of rice, it’s not a substitute here.
  • Peanut butter: Use creamy, no sugar added peanut butter. If all you have is sweetened, leave out a bit of the honey. Use sunflower butter as a nut allergy substitute.
  • Honey: Honey adds a warm, golden flavor and a nice sticky texture. See our notes on vegan substitutes below.
  • Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds just the right hint of complexity.

Of course, you’ll need a little salt to round it out for the perfect flavor. Make sure to use kosher salt, since it flavors foods more gently than table salt.

Oatmeal bars recipe

How to make no bake bars: a few tips

Over here we love a good no bake recipe: and not just because you don’t have to wait for the bake time! No bake recipes are as close to no fail as you can get. Here are a few tips to note about the process of making this oatmeal bars recipe:

  • Use a small glass to get them perfectly flat. You’ll mix the ingredients together then throw them into a square pan with parchment underneath. Pat them as flat as you can, then roll over the top with a small glass. It gets the most uniform texture.
  • Freeze first! Freeze the pan for 15 minutes, which sets the bars. They will still be a little soft at this point.
  • Cut into bars. Then cut them into bar shapes. You can eat immediately, but we prefer waiting for another 1 hour of refrigeration for them to set completely.
Oatmeal breakfast bars

Make large or small oatmeal bars (we prefer small)

One of the things we like about this recipe is cutting the bars smaller: to get more of them! Here are a few notes on the pros of smaller oatmeal breakfast bars:

  • Make 32 rectangle-shaped bars for more servings & less calories and sugar. The sugar in a small bar is only 1 teaspoon, and it’s still a super satisfying snack or treat. We prefer this size for most versatility (though the photos show the squares).
  • Make 16 square bars for breakfasts. If you’re eating them as breakfast bars, you’ll probably want a larger bar to be more filling. Of course, you could just eat 2 small bars!

Vegan oatmeal bars variation

Want to make these into vegan oatmeal bars? We typically use maple syrup as our liquid sweetener of choice, which is vegan. But in this recipe, the flavor and texture of honey is integral to the structure of the oatmeal breakfast bars. Here’s our preferred vegan sweetener:

  • For vegan oatmeal bars, try agave syrup! It’s a little thicker than maple syrup, so it will work a little more similarly to honey. You can also try using a little less (see the notes below).
  • You can also try maple if it’s your only sweetener on hand. Just note that the bars will do better right from the refrigerator. Use a little less than the honey amount as well.
Oatmeal bars

When to eat oatmeal bars…breakfast, snack or anytime!

Yes, we love these oatmeal bars because they are perfect for those times in between meals when you’re hungry and don’t want to grab and unhealthy option. Here are a few ideas we’d recommend:

  • Breakfast: Grab them as you go out the door, or crumble over Greek yogurt
  • Snack: Grab one from the fridge anytime
  • Sweet treat: This is all we need to feel like a satisfying treat without a splurge. They’re especially good for kids (our son loves them!)

Oatmeal nutrition info

What’s so great about eating oats for snacks and in oatmeal breakfast bars? Well, these whole grains have a lot of good going on. Here’s some of the benefits you get from oats (source):

  • High in plant based protein. 1 cup of raw oats has 11 grams protein, or ~20% of your daily need!
  • High in fiber. 1 cup of raw oats has 8 grams of fiber, ~30% of your daily need.
  • Very filling: Oats may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories overall.
Oatmeal breakfast bars

More oatmeal recipes

It might sound silly as a “foodie” and cookbook author, but one of my favorite foods ever is oatmeal! I eat it every day and it’s always satisfying and filling. Here are our top oatmeal recipes:

This oatmeal bars recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, see the notes in the recipe.

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Oatmeal bars

Easy Oatmeal Bars (4 Ingredients!)


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 large or 32 small
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Here’s an oatmeal bars recipe that’s beyond easy! These healthy breakfast bars are irresistibly tasty and great for busy mornings and snacks.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (no sugar added, or sunflower butter for nut free)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons honey (or 1/2 cup agave syrup* for vegan)
  • 4 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Add a sheet of parchment paper to a 9 x 9 pan. Place the ingredients in the pan and press it into an even layer. Use a small glass to roll over the top to get it smooth. 
  2. Freeze the bars for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer and use the parchment to lift it out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares or 32 rectangles. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. You can eat right away, or refrigerate for about 1 hour for a more solid texture.  

Notes

*Maple syrup is generally our sweetener of choice, but the flavor and texture of honey really make these bars. Since maple syrup is not as sticky as honey, for vegan substitute we recommend agave syrup. 

  • Category: Snack
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: Oatmeal bars, oatmeal bar recipe, oatmeal breakfast bars

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Go-To Applesauce Pancakes

This applesauce pancakes recipe comes out moist and cozy-spiced! Using fruit puree makes for the perfect fluffy flapjacks. “These are the best pancakes you’ve made.” That was Alex’s feedback on this Cozy Applesauce Pancakes recipe, to my pleasant surprise! I’m the pancakes recipe writer around here: from vegan pancakes to Greek yogurt pancakes to lemon blueberry pancakes. This time, it was a jar of applesauce that inspired me. What to do with leftover applesauce? Make pancakes, of course! This fruit puree makes the ideal soft and moist texture for flapjacks. They’re perfect for a cozy breakfast…and easy enough for anyone (especially kids!). Ingredients in applesauce pancakes These applesauce pancakes were inspired by a jar of applesauce in our fridge we bought to make these iced applesauce cookies. (Side note: they’re a total must try!) The pancake version of these cookies has a similar set of ingredients: the normal cast of characters you’d expect for applesauce pancakes. Applesauce: store-bought or homemade! All-purpose flour Cinnamon & allspice (optional) Baking powder Light brown sugar (or granulated sugar) Kosher salt Egg Neutral oil: like grapeseed oil, organic canola oil, or organic vegetable oil Milk of choice Tip: You can make homemade applesauce on the […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This applesauce pancakes recipe comes out moist and cozy-spiced! Using fruit puree makes for the perfect fluffy flapjacks.

Applesauce pancakes

“These are the best pancakes you’ve made.” That was Alex’s feedback on this Cozy Applesauce Pancakes recipe, to my pleasant surprise! I’m the pancakes recipe writer around here: from vegan pancakes to Greek yogurt pancakes to lemon blueberry pancakes. This time, it was a jar of applesauce that inspired me. What to do with leftover applesauce? Make pancakes, of course! This fruit puree makes the ideal soft and moist texture for flapjacks. They’re perfect for a cozy breakfast…and easy enough for anyone (especially kids!).

Ingredients in applesauce pancakes

These applesauce pancakes were inspired by a jar of applesauce in our fridge we bought to make these iced applesauce cookies. (Side note: they’re a total must try!) The pancake version of these cookies has a similar set of ingredients: the normal cast of characters you’d expect for applesauce pancakes.

  • Applesauce: store-bought or homemade!
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cinnamon & allspice (optional)
  • Baking powder
  • Light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • Kosher salt
  • Egg
  • Neutral oil: like grapeseed oil, organic canola oil, or organic vegetable oil
  • Milk of choice

Tip: You can make homemade applesauce on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot!

Applesauce pancakes recipe

Can I use applesauce as an oil substitute? Or an egg substitute?

Applesauce is often used as an oil substitute in quick breads, pancakes, and cookies. Why? It can replace the moisture without the fat, yielding lower calorie and super moist baked goods. It’s also often used as an egg substitute for vegan baked goods and pancakes.

This applesauce pancakes recipe we designed as a normal pancakes recipe that also includes applesauce to add moisture and flavor. But want to use it as a substitute? Here’s what to do:

  • Substitute 1 tablespoon applesauce for the 1 tablespoon oil. Keep in mind this affects the texture: the pancakes will be less smooth and a little more cakey.
  • Substitute 1/4 cup applesauce for the 1 egg, with these caveats. Again, this affects the texture: the pancake will be more delicate and fragile. Keep this in mind when flipping them! In all honesty, we prefer our Eggless Pancakes if you don’t want egg, or using a flax egg to act as a binder.
Applesauce pancakes

How to cook applesauce pancakes…perfectly!

Cooking pancakes sounds like an easy task: anyone can do that! But honestly: it’s a place where many home cooks mess up. Cook them at too high heat, and applesauce pancakes will burn on the outside and be gooey on the inside. Here are a few tips for cooking these pancakes to perfection:

  • Low and slow is key! Set the heat on low, or only as high as medium low. Cook them slowly, and they’ll come out perfectly cooked on the inside and golden brown on the outside. Don’t worry if it feels like it’s taking a long time: the extra minute or two is worth it!
  • When to flip? When bubbles form and pop. Wait until bubbles form on the surface and start to pop. Trust us: this trick works every time!

Holiday variation: snowman pancakes!

Here’s a cute holiday variation you can make with these applesauce pancakes: turn them into snowman pancakes! We made these with our son Larson and he loved decorating them. Here’s how to make them:

  • Make 3 small pancakes for the snowman’s body.
  • Place powdered sugar in a fine mesh strainer and gently tap it to make snow.
  • Use raisins or blueberries for eyes and buttons, a carrot for the nose, and apple slices or pretzels for arms.
Snowman pancakes

Toppings for applesauce pancakes

Once you’ve cooked those beautifully golden pancakes: it’s time to top them! For us, we love simple toppings best. A drizzle of maple is all they need! But we’ve got lots of fancy ideas. Here are a few of our best toppings for these applesauce pancakes:

More recipes with applesauce

Want to make more with this popular fruit puree? There are so many great recipes to use up a jar! Here are our favorite recipes with applesauce:

Applesauce pancakes

This applesauce pancakes recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use the substitutes listed in the recipe below. For gluten free, go to Apple Cinnamon Pancakes.

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Applesauce pancakes

Go-To Applesauce Pancakes


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 medium pancakes
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This applesauce pancakes recipe comes out moist and cozy-spiced! Using fruit puree makes for the perfect fluffy flapjacks.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg (or flax egg for vegan)
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 2/3 cup milk of choice (2% or non-dairy milk)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, allspice (if using), baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, applesauce, and milk. Add it to the batter, then immediately add the milk. 
  3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth, thick batter forms. 
  4. Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet over low heat. Pour the batter into small circles (a little less than 1/4 cup each). Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden: low and slow is the key! Then flip them and cook until golden on the other side. 
  5. If necessary, add a tiny splash of milk to the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as necessary (the skillet can get very hot on the second batch). Place the cooked pancakes under an inverted bowl to keep them warm. Serve immediately with maple syrup.
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Pancakes

Keywords: Applesauce pancakes

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Vegan Scones

This vegan scones recipe makes beautifully golden and sweet scones with no dairy! Add fruit like blueberries an easy icing drizzle. What’s better than a fresh scone on a lazy morning? For a stellar plant-based version of this popular baked good, try these Vegan Scones! They come out golden and lightly sweet, an ideal morning treat for weekends or entertaining. Like a good scone, they’re scented with vanilla and orange zest (non-negotiable, we think). And even better? They’re endlessly customizable. Add fruit like blueberries or cranberries, or drizzle with an easy powdered sugar icing. Ready to get baking? Ingredients for vegan scones The ingredient list for vegan scones looks just like a normal scones recipe, with the exception of 3 ingredients. There’s no egg, there’s a vegan butter substitute and a vegan milk substitute. Here’s what to have on hand: All purpose flour and whole wheat flour: Adding whole wheat adds a robust flavor and a bit more golden color, which is helpful in a vegan scones recipe Granulated sugar: Substitute coconut sugar if desired Baking powder and baking soda Salt Vegan butter or coconut oil Oat milk (or almond milk) Vanilla extract Orange zest: This makes the flavor really […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This vegan scones recipe makes beautifully golden and sweet scones with no dairy! Add fruit like blueberries an easy icing drizzle.

Vegan scones

What’s better than a fresh scone on a lazy morning? For a stellar plant-based version of this popular baked good, try these Vegan Scones! They come out golden and lightly sweet, an ideal morning treat for weekends or entertaining. Like a good scone, they’re scented with vanilla and orange zest (non-negotiable, we think). And even better? They’re endlessly customizable. Add fruit like blueberries or cranberries, or drizzle with an easy powdered sugar icing. Ready to get baking?

Ingredients for vegan scones

The ingredient list for vegan scones looks just like a normal scones recipe, with the exception of 3 ingredients. There’s no egg, there’s a vegan butter substitute and a vegan milk substitute. Here’s what to have on hand:

  • All purpose flour and whole wheat flour: Adding whole wheat adds a robust flavor and a bit more golden color, which is helpful in a vegan scones recipe
  • Granulated sugar: Substitute coconut sugar if desired
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Salt
  • Vegan butter or coconut oil
  • Oat milk (or almond milk)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Orange zest: This makes the flavor really pop! Don’t even consider omitting it
Vegan scones

Vegan butter vs coconut oil: use either one!

You can use either vegan butter or coconut oil in this vegan scones recipe! It’s nice to have the ability to use either here, which is true with our vegan pie crust. (But with vegan biscuits, you absolutely must use vegan butter.) Here are a few notes on the two choices:

  • Coconut oil scones: Coconut oil is very easy to work with! Make sure it’s solid, which it should be at room temperature unless you live in a hot climate. Use refined coconut oil, which has a neutral flavor.
  • Vegan butter scones: We slightly preferred the texture with vegan butter for these vegan scones, but both were delicious! The exact texture and flavor that will result depends on the brand of vegan butter and what it’s made of. Check the ingredient lists and find one that is minimally processed with real food ingredients. We like Miyoko’s Vegan Butter, which is made with mostly cashews and coconut: it happens to be organic, too.

One note about texture of vegan scones

One note about the texture of this scones recipe. Vegan scones are slightly more caky than crumbly. If you want a perfectly crumbly scone, real butter is key. But our family absolutely loved these scones, so they’re still absolutely delicious. Just keep in mind, the texture is slightly less crumbly than a standard scone like our Blueberry Scones.

Vegan scones recipe

Tip: Chill time is essential!

When you’re making vegan scones, or any sort of scones for that matter, chill time is key. Why? If your dough is room temperature or warm, the scones will spread in the oven. Take it from us: we’ve tested many versions of them! There’s nothing worse than opening the oven to a melty, spread-out scone. Follow the chilling instructions in the recipe below closely to get the best shaped scones. You’ll thank us later!

Add 1-minute powdered sugar icing

These vegan scones are delicious on their own. But if you’d like, you can add an easy powdered sugar icing to take them over the top! We used our favorite quick icing that comes together in 1 minute. You can keep it white, or go pink with cranberry juice like we did (we styled it as a holiday recipe). Here’s what to know:

  • Make 1 minute icing. This Powdered Sugar Icing is so easy to mix up: it really takes 1 minute! Use oat milk instead of milk for vegan.
  • If you’d like, use cranberry juice to make a pink cranberry icing. We wanted a cranberry flavor to go with the orange zest. So we simply used 100% cranberry juice in place of the milk in the icing. It makes a beautiful vegan pink icing!
  • Top with crushed nuts or sprinkles. To make them like the photo, top with crushed pistachios. Or use whatever sort of sprinkle topping you’d like!
Vegan scones recipe

Variations: how to customize vegan scones!

This vegan scones recipe is a template recipe. The orange and vanilla scented base is perfect for customizing to whatever you’d like. Here are some great ways to customize it:

  • Vegan vlueberry scones: Add 1 cup fresh blueberries to the dough, mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar if desired. (We prefer fresh blueberries in scones: frozen melt and turn the dough purple.)
  • Lemon blueberry scones: Substitute lemon zest for the orange, and add fresh blueberries. Top with plain powdered sugar icing and lemon zest.
  • Cranberry scones: Add 1 cup dried cranberries; keep the cranberry glaze.
  • Cherry pecan scones: Add 1 cup dried cherries and 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans.
  • Chocolate chip scones: Add 1 cup dark chocolate chips.

What do you like in your scones? Let us know in the comments below.

How to store vegan scones

Last notes on this vegan scones recipe: storage! These scones are best the day of baking: let them cool to room temperature so they firm up before enjoying them. If you have some left over (which we always do), here’s how to store them:

  • Store at room temperature for 2 days: Cover them with a dry towel or place in a container with the cover ajar.
  • Refrigerated for 5 days (bring to room temperature or reheat before serving): You could refrigerate for up to 5 days, but they do become rather tough in the refrigerator. If you’d like to store them for longer, your best bet is freezing them.
  • Frozen for 3 months: Let them cool them to room temperature (un-iced), then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. When you’re ready to eat, leave them on the counter for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

This vegan scones recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.

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Vegan scones

Easy Vegan Scones


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This vegan scones recipe makes beautifully golden and sweet scones with no dairy! Add fruit like blueberries an easy icing drizzle.


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 10 tablespoons cold vegan butter (not margarine!) or solid refined coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup oat milk (or almond milk)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Mix-ins: 1 cup fresh blueberries, dried cranberries or cherries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc.
  • 1 recipe 1 Minute Powdered Sugar Icing

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Cut the vegan butter into small chunks and add to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until crumbly. 
  2. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the oat milk, vanilla and orange zest. 
  3. Pour the oat milk mixture into the center of the flour (and any mix ins, if using) and gently stir with a spatula until a crumbly dough just comes together.
  4. Turn the crumbly dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently pat it into a large rectangle. Fold over the rectangle, placing any floury crumbles in the middle of the fold, and continue patting. If the dough is still floury, fold one more time in the same manner. Then pat into a 7” circle about 1 inch thick. The dough should be more incorporated and fairly firm at this point, try not to overwork the dough. Carefully transfer the dough round to a cutting board and chill in freezer for 6 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. After chilling, use a large knife to slice the dough into 8 pie shaped pieces. Carefully transfer the scones slices to the tray and space evenly in two rows. Lightly brush the top of the scones with a bit of oat milk, then place the tray into the freezer and freeze additional 12 minutes.
  7. After chilling, add the baking tray directly to the hot oven and bake for about 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Cool on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. If desired, once cooled make the 1 Minute Powdered Sugar Icing and spread it on top of each scone. (Here we used cranberry juice in place of the milk to make a pink icing, then topped it with crushed pistachios.)
  9. Storage info: Serve immediately; scones are best the day of baking. They keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days. You also can freeze them: cool them to room temperature, then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw them, leave them on the counter for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight. They’re best room temperature, but if you’d like them warmed, place in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through.
  • Category: Baking
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Scones

Keywords: Vegan scones, Vegan scone recipe

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Overnight Oats

This overnight oats recipe is the epitome of a healthy, easy breakfast! Here’s how to make it, with lots of tips and topping ideas. Looking for the epitome of an easy breakfast idea? Try this overnight oats recipe! There’s no cooking involved here: in fact, you can mix up a jar in just 2 minutes! Lave rolled oats in the fridge overnight with milk, and it magically makes them into a sort of porridge. Eat them cold topped with berries or nut butter and they’re absolutely fantastic! This easy breakfast has been trendy for years now. But it wasn’t until recently that Alex and I found a recipe that we actually like (more on that below). Here are lots of tips and topping ideas for how to make the best overnight oats ever! How to make overnight oats This overnight oats recipe has just 4 ingredients, plus salt. That’s less than most recipes you’ll find! Here’s the breakdown of what you’ll need (or jump to the recipe below): Rolled Old Fashioned oats* Milk of choice (2%, oat milk, or almond milk or other) Maple syrup Vanilla That’s it! Throw them into a jar and leave the in the refrigerator overnight. […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This overnight oats recipe is the epitome of a healthy, easy breakfast! Here’s how to make it, with lots of tips and topping ideas.

Overnight oats

Looking for the epitome of an easy breakfast idea? Try this overnight oats recipe! There’s no cooking involved here: in fact, you can mix up a jar in just 2 minutes! Lave rolled oats in the fridge overnight with milk, and it magically makes them into a sort of porridge. Eat them cold topped with berries or nut butter and they’re absolutely fantastic! This easy breakfast has been trendy for years now. But it wasn’t until recently that Alex and I found a recipe that we actually like (more on that below). Here are lots of tips and topping ideas for how to make the best overnight oats ever!

How to make overnight oats

This overnight oats recipe has just 4 ingredients, plus salt. That’s less than most recipes you’ll find! Here’s the breakdown of what you’ll need (or jump to the recipe below):

  • Rolled Old Fashioned oats*
  • Milk of choice (2%, oat milk, or almond milk or other)
  • Maple syrup
  • Vanilla

That’s it! Throw them into a jar and leave the in the refrigerator overnight. Instant breakfast! Here’s the thing though: there are a few tips to keep in mind about this process. Let’s run through them quickly!

Overnight oats recipe

Use Old Fashioned rolled oats, not steel cut

This overnight oats recipe is for Old Fashioned rolled oats, the kind that you use to make your standard oatmeal that look like flat discs. Do not use steel cut oats here! Why? Well, steel cut oats are whole grain oats that are cut into nubs instead of rolled out: the grains look like brown rice or barley. They take much longer to cook than rolled oats. We tested the overnight process with steel cut oats, but it turned out terribly. The texture of the oats tasted soaked grains of rice (yuck!), even after several days in the refrigerator.

Some people think that steel cut oats are healthier than rolled oats. That’s actually not true! Both varieties have very similar nutritional profiles: lots of protein and fiber to start your day. So opt for rolled oats here and you’re losing nothing. (Read more at Steel Cut vs Rolled Oats.)

Chia seeds aren’t required!

Many overnight oats recipes out there have chia seeds in them. Confession: we tried an overnight oats with chia seeds recipe a few years ago, and it turned us off on the concept for years. Chia seeds form a gel when they’re wetted, so they give overnight oats a jelly-like quality. To us, this wasn’t appetizing!

If this has happened to you before: never fear! Chia seeds aren’t essential for overnight oats. Overnight oats are simply oats soaked with milk and seasonings. So the texture here is just softened oats: not jelly-like at all!

How to make overnight oats

Best eaten the next day, but you can store

Speaking of texture…let’s chat about that briefly. Make sure to note this, if you’ve never had them before: The texture of overnight oats is not like normal oatmeal. It’s softer and a little more…gooey. But it’s very delicious, once you get used to it.

This overnight oats recipe is best eaten the day after you make it. Why? We found that the texture of oats can get very soggy and gooey after a few days in the refrigerator. If you don’t mind that, you can store it 2 to 3 days. We like it best eaten the next day.

Overnight oats recipe is eaten cold (but you can warm them)

Another thing: overnight oats are typically eaten cold right from the refrigerator. This again makes it a little different from normal oats, so you have to get used to it. Think of it more like a combination between breakfast cereal and oatmeal.

Want to heat it up instead? You can do that too! Microwave it for about 40 to 60 seconds, stopping about halfway through to stir. Make sure you have enough room in your jar for overflow. You also can heat it on the stovetop, though that’s kind of defeating the purpose of these oats! In that case, you might as well just make oatmeal (it takes only a few minutes).

Overnight oats

Healthy overnight oats topping ideas!

Once you’ve got your tasty overnight oats, you can decide on your toppings! Here’s the thing: many overnight oats recipes have loads of sugar in the toppings. For us, we prefer not to overload on sugar for the first meal of the day! So here are some ideas for healthy overnight oats topping ideas:

  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Sliced bananas
  • Cubed apples
  • Peanut butter
  • Almond butter
  • Cashew butter
  • Honey
  • Maple syrup
  • Pepitas
  • Dried cranberries or cherries
  • Raisins

What’s our favorite? Personally, I love my oatmeal with a pinch of salt and a swirl of cashew or almond butter. Alex likes to load it with fruit and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

More oatmeal recipes

Confession: we love this overnight oats recipe, but we’re partial to regular oatmeal and our extremely delicious baked oatmeal. This overnight oats is a close second. Here are a few more of our favorite oatmeal recipes:

Best overnight oats

This overnight oats recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Overnight oats

Overnight Oats (The Best Easy Recipe!)


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (6 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This overnight oats recipe is the epitome of a healthy, easy breakfast! Here’s how to make it, with lots of tips and topping ideas.


Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup rolled Old Fashioned oats*
  • 3/4 cup milk of choice (2%, oat milk, or almond milk)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Topping ideas: berries, banana slices, diced apple, peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter,  toasted nuts, dried fruit, maple syrup, etc. 

Instructions

  1. Place the oats, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and salt in a small jar with a cover and stir or shake to combine.
  2. Leave in the refrigerator or overnight. The oats are best the next day, but you can store 2 to 3 days (the texture becomes more sticky). This oatmeal is meant to be enjoyed cold straight from the refrigerator. Add toppings and enjoy! If you’d like, you also can microwave the jar for about 40 to 60 seconds.

Notes

*Do not use steel cut oats. 

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stirred
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, how to make overnight oats

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

We dare you to resist these pumpkin cream cheese muffins! They’re moist, cozy spiced and the creamy topping is to die for. Um, WOW, is what I mumbled at first bite of these pumpkin cheese cake muffins. Because wow, will that beautiful bite will have you meditating on it for hours. The moist cake is cozy-scented and just sweet enough, since after all it really is a muffin. Top that with a generous gooey mound of maple cream cheese, and each bite is like eating cheesecake and a muffin all at once. It’s really a bit of heaven in a muffin wrapper. (Insert contented sigh here.) Ingredients in pumpkin cream cheese muffins What I love most about these pumpkin cream cheese muffins is they really are a muffin, even though they sound decadent. The flavor is gorgeous and just sweet enough, but not so sweet you feel like you’re eating a cupcake. There’s even some healthy ingredients like oatmeal and applesauce! We modeled these treats after our Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, but swapped a streusel topping for a lump of maple cream cheese. Here’s what you’ll need: All purpose flour Rolled oats: Rolled oats help to make them more filling and […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

We dare you to resist these pumpkin cream cheese muffins! They’re moist, cozy spiced and the creamy topping is to die for.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Um, WOW, is what I mumbled at first bite of these pumpkin cheese cake muffins. Because wow, will that beautiful bite will have you meditating on it for hours. The moist cake is cozy-scented and just sweet enough, since after all it really is a muffin. Top that with a generous gooey mound of maple cream cheese, and each bite is like eating cheesecake and a muffin all at once. It’s really a bit of heaven in a muffin wrapper. (Insert contented sigh here.)

Ingredients in pumpkin cream cheese muffins

What I love most about these pumpkin cream cheese muffins is they really are a muffin, even though they sound decadent. The flavor is gorgeous and just sweet enough, but not so sweet you feel like you’re eating a cupcake. There’s even some healthy ingredients like oatmeal and applesauce! We modeled these treats after our Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, but swapped a streusel topping for a lump of maple cream cheese. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • All purpose flour
  • Rolled oats: Rolled oats help to make them more filling and add fiber
  • Light brown sugar
  • Pumpkin pie spice: Use purchased or make your own
  • Baking powder, baking soda and salt
  • Pumpkin puree: steer away from pumpkin pie filling
  • Applesauce: using applesauce makes them moist and lets you use less oil
  • Oil: any neutral oil works, like grapeseed, organic canola, vegetable or sunflower
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cream cheese
  • Maple syrup
Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

How to add the cream cheese topping / filling

These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are pretty simple to put together. It’s a typical muffin where you mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, and then put them together. The only part with a little technique involved is the cream cheese topping! Read this before you attempt the muffins:

  • The cream cheese functions as both a topping and a filling. You’ll see most of it on top, but a bit of gooey cream cheese will remain inside the muffin too.
  • Place dollops of maple cream cheese on top of the batter. Use a heaping 1 tablespoon.
  • Use a spoon to push the cheese into the batter. Push it down until it sinks and batter slightly rises over edges of the cheese. You’ll still have an exposed circle of cheese at the top of the muffin.

When the muffins bake, the cream cheese portion will get larger. But you’ll still have a bit of creamy cheese on the inside. It’s delicious! These muffins are a lovely fall recipe idea, and they’re ideal for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins
Here’s what the muffins should look like before baking

Storage info for pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Because there’s cream cheese on top, the storage info for pumpkin cream cheese muffins is a little different than most. Here are a few pointers:

  • The muffins are the best the day of making. Wait after baking until they’re about room temperature, then devour. They taste incredible the day of.
  • Refrigerate for 5 days. Because of the cream cheese topping, avoid storing these muffins at room temperature. Pop them into the fridge and let them warm back to room temp for a minute or two before you enjoy them.
  • Do not freeze. The cream cheese topping doesn’t hold up well in the freezer, so we don’t’ recommend freezing them.

Variations: more cream cheese muffins to try!

If you’re anything like me, after you take one bite of these pumpkin cream cheese muffins you’ll think: What other cream cheese muffins can I try? The sky is really the limit: you can put the maple cream cheese topping from this recipe on just about any muffin. Here are a few we’d recommend:

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

This pumpkin cream cheese muffins recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

We dare you to resist these pumpkin cream cheese muffins! They’re moist, cozy spiced and the creamy topping is to die for.


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (purchased or homemade)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 12 muffin cups to a standard muffin tin.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice with the baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
  3. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, applesauce, neutral oil, and vanilla.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a smooth batter forms.
  5. Use a mixer or electric hand mixer to combine cream cheese and maple syrup: beat it on high until fluffy. 
  6. Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Dollop a mounded tablespoon of maple cream cheese onto the center of each muffin. Using a clean spoon, press down the cream cheese until it sinks and batter slightly rises over edges of the cream cheese, but there’s still an exposed circle of cheese at the top. 
  7. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the muffin portion. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins and place them on a cooling rack. Cool 1 hour until room temperature. Enjoy or refrigerate up to 1 week (these muffins do not freeze well).
  • Category: Muffin
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

More pumpkin recipes

There are so many great ways to enjoy the squash of the season! Here are some favorite pumpkin recipes to try:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Banana Nut Bread

This easy classic banana nut bread is everything a banana bread should be: moist, warm spiced, and studded with crunchy toasted walnuts. Do you like your banana bread…nutty? A few dark brown bananas are an ordinary sight on our counter (yours too?). Usually our go-to banana recipes are healthy muffins or banana oatmeal pancakes, but this time we wanted something new. Meet this ultra Classic Banana Nut Bread! This one is just like Grandma’s: moist and cinnamon-scented, with bursts of crunchy walnuts throughout. To take it over the top, toast the nuts in a skillet to bring out their nutty undertones before gently folding them into the batter. Ingredients in this banana nut bread This banana nut bread is a straightforward take on the classic! We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve, so here are a few notes on what you’ll need: Bananas: Make sure they are ultra ripe! Spotty and brown is good and black works too! Walnuts: You can use any type of nut in banana nut bread. Walnuts and pecans are the most classic: but you can get creative (see below). Neutral oil: We prefer oil in our quick breads because it doesn’t require melting like […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This easy classic banana nut bread is everything a banana bread should be: moist, warm spiced, and studded with crunchy toasted walnuts.

Banana nut bread

Do you like your banana bread…nutty? A few dark brown bananas are an ordinary sight on our counter (yours too?). Usually our go-to banana recipes are healthy muffins or banana oatmeal pancakes, but this time we wanted something new. Meet this ultra Classic Banana Nut Bread! This one is just like Grandma’s: moist and cinnamon-scented, with bursts of crunchy walnuts throughout. To take it over the top, toast the nuts in a skillet to bring out their nutty undertones before gently folding them into the batter.

Ingredients in this banana nut bread

This banana nut bread is a straightforward take on the classic! We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve, so here are a few notes on what you’ll need:

  • Bananas: Make sure they are ultra ripe! Spotty and brown is good and black works too!
  • Walnuts: You can use any type of nut in banana nut bread. Walnuts and pecans are the most classic: but you can get creative (see below).
  • Neutral oil: We prefer oil in our quick breads because it doesn’t require melting like butter: one less step!
  • Light brown sugar: Color matters here! Dark brown makes the bread a very dark color
  • Eggs, baking soda & salt: The regular players for a quick bread.
  • Cinnamon and allspice: Allspice gives it just the right unique intrigue in flavor!
  • Vanilla: A hefty dose of vanilla gives it a smooth flavor.
  • All purpose and whole wheat flour: A mix of flours adds a nuance to the flavor a pinch of nutrients.
How to make banana nut bread

How to make banana nut bread

Banana nut bread is like any quick bread recipe. If you’ve made pumpkin bread or zucchini bread, you know the drill! There’s one extra step you’ll need in the beginning:

  • Toast the nuts in a dry skillet. This brings out their nutty flavor (see below).
  • Mix the wet ingredients. Mash that banana with a fork or potato masher first.
  • Mix the dries in a separate bowl.
  • Stir to combine, then gently fold in the nuts.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, then add foil and bake 15 more. Add the foil to make sure the nut topping doesn’t get too brown.

Why toasting the nuts makes a difference

The first step to this banana nut bread is toasting the nuts. Why do you toast nuts? Toasting nuts brings out at beautiful nutty essence that’s otherwise undetectable. You have to taste it to believe it, but there’s a huge difference between a raw nut and a toasted nut.

Over here, we always toast our nuts (yep!) before adding them to salads and desserts. So why not do it before folding into a quick bread? You can toast nuts on the stovetop or in the oven. Here’s How to Toast Nuts (2 Best Ways!).

Easy banana nut bread

Alternate nuts & mix-ins for banana nut bread!

Walnuts and bananas are a classic combination. But you can get creative with other types of nuts or add-ins! Here are a few ideas of mix-ins for banana nut bread:

  • Pecans
  • Hazelnuts
  • Cashews
  • Almonds
  • Chocolate chips
  • Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
  • Dried cherries or cranberries
  • Shredded coconut

The most fun part is combining them to make interesting flavors! Try chocolate hazelnut banana bread, cashew cherry, or coconut butterscotch.

Banana nut bread storage

Here’s the great thing about this banana nut bread: it’s seriously moist and keeps very well! You’ll find it’s even softer and moister the second day. We like to keep it at room temperature because it’s so beautifully moist and you can eat it right away. But here are a few options for storage:

  • How long does banana bread last at room temperature? 4 to 5 days, covered in aluminum foil.
  • Can you refrigerate banana bread? You can! Keep in mind that it does dry out a bit in the fridge. It also tastes a little better at room temp, so you may want to leave it on the counter for a few minutes before eating.
  • Can you freeze banana bread? Yes! Slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer safe bag or container. It stays good for about 3 months.
Best banana nut bread

Vegan variation

Do you eat plant-based? It’s easy to make this banana nut bread vegan: just substitute flax eggs for the eggs. Flax eggs are simply ground flax seed mixed with water: it combines to make a gel-like substance that’s great as a binder in vegan baked goods.

Want another option? This Vegan Banana Bread is extremely delicious.

More banana recipes (bread, muffins, oh my!)

What else can you make with ripe bananas? So many things. Our favorite are our healthy muffins (many variations below), but there are lots of options. Here are our favorite banana recipes:

This banana nut bread recipe is…

Vegetarian and dairy-free. For plant-based and vegan, substitute flax eggs for the eggs.

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Banana nut bread

Easy Banana Nut Bread


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 to 12 slices
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This classic banana nut bread is everything a banana bread should be: moist, warm spiced, and studded with crunchy toasted walnuts.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup walnut halves and pieces 
  • 1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas  (4 or 5 very ripe bananas)
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (organic vegetable, canola or grapeseed)
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs (or flax eggs for vegan)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan.
  2. Toast the walnuts: Place the nuts in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan and stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the nuts are fragrant and slightly darker brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stay at the stove because the nuts can easily burn! Remove immediately from the heat and transfer to a plate to stop the cooking. Then chop the walnuts: it should be enough for about 3/4 cup.
  3. Make the batter: Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl, enough for 1 1/3 cup. Whisk in the oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the baking soda, kosher salt, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour to the bowl and stir together with a spoon. Gently fold in the 1/2 cup walnuts.
  5. Bake: Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Bake 45 minutes, then add foil loosely on the top. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (or the internal temperature is 200 degrees): the exact timing will depend on the size of the pan.
  6. Cool: Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Storage info: The bread lasts 4 to 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).

  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Banana nut bread

More quick bread recipes

Quick breads are breads that don’t use yeast, like banana bread and pumpkin bread! They bake right after mixing up the batter. Here are a few more quick breads to try:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin waffles are perfect for fall! They’re lightly spiced and made with real pumpkin puree for a cozy special breakfast. It’s fall and that means: cue the pumpkin recipes! It’s our goal to turn just about everything imaginable into a pumpkin flavored version of itself. Of course, that extends to hummus, pasta, coffee, pancakes, soup, oatmeal…and waffles! These Pumpkin Waffles are the ideal fall breakfast, featuring cozy spices and pumpkin puree. They’re just sweet enough and topped with a little pure maple syrup…let’s just say they went over like a charm over here. Ingredients for pumpkin waffles (just enough pumpkin!) Here’s the thing. Pumpkin is very dense, so adding the stuff to waffles can make them thick and weighty. This pumpkin waffles recipe uses just enough pumpkin to bring in a light orange hue, but not so much that each bite is weighed down with vegetable puree. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for these pumpkin waffles: All purpose flour: If you prefer GF pumpkin treats, go to our healthy bread or oatmeal. Brown sugar: While we typically sweeten waffle batter with maple syrup, the consistency is better with sugar here. Trust us! Pumpkin puree: Make sure it’s puree, not […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Pumpkin waffles are perfect for fall! They’re lightly spiced and made with real pumpkin puree for a cozy special breakfast.

Pumpkin waffles

It’s fall and that means: cue the pumpkin recipes! It’s our goal to turn just about everything imaginable into a pumpkin flavored version of itself. Of course, that extends to hummus, pasta, coffee, pancakes, soup, oatmeal…and waffles! These Pumpkin Waffles are the ideal fall breakfast, featuring cozy spices and pumpkin puree. They’re just sweet enough and topped with a little pure maple syrup…let’s just say they went over like a charm over here.

Ingredients for pumpkin waffles (just enough pumpkin!)

Here’s the thing. Pumpkin is very dense, so adding the stuff to waffles can make them thick and weighty. This pumpkin waffles recipe uses just enough pumpkin to bring in a light orange hue, but not so much that each bite is weighed down with vegetable puree. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for these pumpkin waffles:

  • All purpose flour: If you prefer GF pumpkin treats, go to our healthy bread or oatmeal.
  • Brown sugar: While we typically sweeten waffle batter with maple syrup, the consistency is better with sugar here. Trust us!
  • Pumpkin puree: Make sure it’s puree, not pie filling.
  • Pumpkin pie spice: Use purchased or homemade!
  • Eggs: These help hold the batter together and give it a little lift.
  • Milk: Use your milk of choice. Non-dairy milk makes these dairy-free waffles.
  • Baking powder, salt and oil: The usual suspects to round it out.
Pumpkin waffles

Use Pumpkin Pie Spice or individual spices

As you probably know, most of what people love about pumpkin are the spices: not the actual pumpkin itself! Pumpkin is pretty bland and bitter right out of the can. Our favorite way to flavor it is with our homemaker spice blend, which makes a large batch. But you can also mix up the individual spices just for this recipe. Here’s what to do:

  • Make a batch: Mix up this Pumpkin Pie Spice: it makes 1/4 cup, which is enough for 4 pumpkin waffles recipes
  • Substitute these spices: For the 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg.

Standard waffles vs Belgian waffles

You can make these pumpkin waffles two ways: using a standard waffle maker or make them into Belgian waffles. Our top choice? Belgian. They’re taller and fluffier than standard waffles, and just plain more fun to eat. Here are the differences between the two:

  • Belgian waffles are twice as large as regular waffles: they’re thicker with a deeper grid pattern. They look more impressive and have a fluffier texture. Remember a serving size is 1/2 of the waffle, because it’s double a standard waffle.
  • Standard waffles are thinner: about 1/2-inch thick. If you’re making a standard waffle, the serving size is 1 waffle.

Looking for a waffle iron? Here’s a Belgian waffle iron we use and love!

Pumpkin waffles

Make ahead instructions for pumpkin waffles

Don’t want to do all the work every time? Make a double batch of these pumpkin waffles and save more for later!Here’s what to do:

  • To store: Make the waffles, then let them cool completely on a wire rack. Once they’ve cooled, stack the waffles in a freezer-safe baggie. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat: Pop them into the toaster and cook them on a low setting for just a few seconds, repeating it two or three times. Or, warm them on an oiled baking sheet in a 300 degree oven (make sure to oil the sheet or the waffles will stick!).

Toppings for pumpkin waffles

Once you’ve whipped up a batch of pumpkin waffles, the fun begins! Top them up to make them into a healthy or no so healthy breakfast. Here’s what we used, and a few more ideas:

  • Almond butter: This is our top pick for pumpkin waffles because it offsets the sweet with richness, and adds a hit of plant-based protein.
  • Chopped pecans or walnuts: These nuts both go well with pumpkin! Make toasted pecans or toasted walnuts to bring out their flavor even more.
  • Greek yogurt with maple syrup: Mix 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and use it for dolloping.
  • Make it dessert: ice cream! Turn this pumpkin waffle into dessert by topping it with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Wow!
Pumpkin waffles

More pumpkin breakfast recipes

There are so many ways to eat pumpkin as a fall breakfast idea! After you make these pumpkin waffles, you absolutely must try:

This pumpkin waffles recipe is…

Vegetarian and dairy-free.

Print
Pumpkin waffles

Easy Pumpkin Waffles


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 (4 standard or 2 large Belgian waffles)
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Pumpkin waffles are perfect for fall! They’re lightly spiced and made with real pumpkin puree for a cozy special breakfast.


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice*
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy)
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil (like organic vegetable oil, organic canola, or grapeseed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the waffle iron to the high heat setting.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the all purpose flour, baking powder, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and kosher salt until thoroughly combined.
  3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and neutral oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk vigorously until the batter is mostly smooth.
  4. Lightly brush oil onto the waffle maker. Immediately, add the batter (1 1/4 cups for a Belgian waffle maker and a little over 1/2 cup for a standard waffle maker) into the center of the waffle iron, then cook according to the waffle iron’s instructions. Remove the cooked waffles and place them on a baking sheet without stacking. Make the waffles to order, or place cooked waffles in a 250°F oven to keep warm.
  5. Cooked waffles can be frozen; place them in a plastic bag and remove the remaining air with a straw before sealing. To reheat, remove from the freezer and lightly toast in a toaster.

Notes

*Or substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. 

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Waffles
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Pumpkin waffles, fall breakfast idea, pumpkin waffle recipe

More waffles recipes

Waffles we reserve for special occasions…they’re the best breakfast treat! Here are a few more waffles recipes to try:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

This pumpkin baked oatmeal is the ideal fall breakfast: cozy spiced and full of healthy oats! Bake up a pan…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This pumpkin baked oatmeal is the ideal fall breakfast: cozy spiced and full of healthy oats! Bake up a pan and eat off of it all week.

Pumpkin baked oatmeal

Oatmeal is our go-to for healthy, whole grain breakfasts. So why not dress it up in fall glory? This Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is like a cinnamon and ginger-spiced hug. It’s full of autumnal flavor, yet at the same time a healthy way to start the day! Whole grain oats provide protein and fiber, the perfect backdrop for pumpkin puree and cozy spices. Make up a big pan and eat off of it all week, or make it for guests! Either way, it’s the ideal way to make fall mornings more delicious (we couldn’t stop eating it).

Ingredients for pumpkin baked oatmeal

This pumpkin baked oatmeal is pretty simple to whip up. It requires a pretty standard cast of characters when it comes to pumpkin recipes. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need:

  • Old Fashioned rolled oats: Do not substitute steel cut oats or instant oats! They cook much differently than Old Fashioned. For steel cut, go to Pumpkin Baked Steel Cut Oats: it tastes just like pumpkin pie!
  • Pecans: Optional, but they add great texture to this oatmeal
  • Spices: You can use either cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg: or pumpkin pie spice! Grab some at the store or make it at home.
  • Pumpkin puree: Make sure it’s pumpkin puree: not pie filling!
  • Milk of choice: Whatever you’d like! Non-dairy milk makes it a vegan pumpkin baked oatmeal recipe.
  • Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup adds just the right sweetness, and it’s a natural sweetener. You could use any other liquid sweetener of choice (honey or agave syrup).
  • Vanilla: Vanilla adds depth of flavor.
Pumpkin baked oatmeal

It takes 1 hour, but leftovers save well

This pumpkin baked oatmeal takes 1 hour start to finish, but most of the time is hands off while the oatmeal bakes. Because it takes longer than the standard breakfast, we like to make a pan and eat off oft it all week. It saves well in the refrigerator, and you can eat it cold or room temp: no reheating necessary! If you’d like, you can heat it in the oven or microwave.

Variations: steel cut & stovetop pumpkin oatmeal

Want to make pumpkin baked oatmeal with steel cut oats? Or want a really fast version of pumpkin oatmeal? Here are some variations:

  • Pumpkin baked steel cut oats: This Pumpkin Baked Steel Cut Oats really tastes like pumpkin pie, according to feedback we’ve been getting for years. Using Old Fashioned oats in this recipe makes it taste more like pumpkin bars, but the steel cut version is very moist and tastes like pie filling. Go to Pumpkin Baked Steel Cut Oats.
  • Pumpkin oatmeal (on the stove): Want to have the same flavors in just 10 minutes? Make our Pumpkin Oatmeal on the stovetop. It’s got a similar vibe but is more like a creamy bowl of oatmeal.
Pumpkin baked oatmeal

Toppings for pumpkin baked oatmeal

Make up a batch of this pumpkin baked oatmeal and it’s a fantastic vegan and healthy breakfast. The toppings are where this recipe really shines! Here’s what to know about topping the oatmeal:

  • Maple syrup: A bit of maple syrup is all you need for a little sparkle. Or heat it with a little melted coconut oil for a dreamy drizzle.
  • Maple yogurt: It’s also tasty with maple yogurt. We mixed Greek yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla for a swirled topping (quantities are listed below). If you make this, still add a tiny drizzle of maple over the top: it adds the final flavoring.
  • Glazed pecans or walnuts. Get fancy and use maple glazed pecans or glazed walnuts.
  • Pepitas. Pumpkin seeds work too! Roasted salted have the best flavor.
  • Nut butter. Almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter or pecan butter are the best nut butters to go with pumpkin! Peanut butter can overwhelm the flavor.
Pumpkin baked oatmeal

Make ahead instructions!

Can you make this pumpkin baked oatmeal ahead? Kind of! Note that this is not overnight oats: you cannot mix it up the night before and place in the refrigerator! The oats would soak up all the liquid and come out much too dry. If you do want to prep in advance, here’s what to do:

  • Minimal prep: Mix up the wets and dries separately and store in separate containers (with the wets refrigerated). Pour them together in the morning and bake. OR:
  • Bake in advance: Make up a pan on a Sunday night, then refrigerate it for eating off of throughout the week. You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week, and re-warm them in a 300 degree oven or the microwave.
Pumpkin baked oatmeal

More pumpkin recipes

Pumpkin is in the air! Here are a few more pumpkin recipes to use a can of pumpkin puree:

This pumpkin baked oatmeal recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Print
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Cozy Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 to 8

Description

This pumpkin baked oatmeal is the ideal fall breakfast: cozy spiced and full of healthy oats! Bake up a pan and eat off of it all week.


Ingredients

  • 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (don’t substitute steel cut or instant oats)
  • ½ cup pecan pieces (or chopped pecans)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 ¾ cups milk of choice (dairy, almond or oat)
  • 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temp
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • For serving: 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted with 1 tablespoon maple syrup or maple Greek yogurt*

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.*
  2. Butter an 8 x 8″ or 9 x 9″ pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the rolled oats, pecan pieces, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and kosher salt.
  3. Dump the dries into the prepared pan. 
  4. In the same bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, melted cooled coconut oil, and vanilla. Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Stir lightly with a fork to make everything gets evenly incorporated.
  5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
  6. Before serving, drizzle with maple syrup OR add maple Greek yogurt* plus a drizzle of maple. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 1 week: reheat in a 300 degree oven or microwave until warm.

Notes

*For the maple Greek yogurt, mix ½ cup Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Make sure to still add a small drizzle of maple over the top when serving.

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Pumpkin baked oatmeal

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Healthy Pumpkin Bread

Here’s the BEST healthy pumpkin bread, perfectly moist and cozy spiced. You’ll never believe it’s and made without flour…just 100% rolled oats! Naturally gluten free and dairy free. “Try this pumpkin bread,” I offered to Alex’s family. They took a moist, pumpkin-spiced bite and started to murmur their approval as I threw in, “It’s made of all oats, too! No flour.” They looked at me in astonishment. “What? This is amazing.” Yes, this actually happened with this Healthy Pumpkin Bread (paraphrased, of course!). It’s so moist, so cozy spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, you’ll hardly notice that’s made purely of oats…no flour at all. We don’t exclusively eat gluten-free, but we do love eating a treat that’s made of heart-healthy oats and tastes incredible. Here are all the tricks to making this tasty quick bread at home! Ingredients in healthy pumpkin bread Pumpkin bread is the best fall treat, but many of the recipes are just like eating glorified cake! That’s where this healthy pumpkin bread comes in. Let’s be honest though: you can’t ever really state that pumpkin bread is a health food, because it’s full of sugar. However, this one is healthier than the rest! It’s made of […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Here’s the BEST healthy pumpkin bread, perfectly moist and cozy spiced. You’ll never believe it’s and made without flour…just 100% rolled oats! Naturally gluten free and dairy free.

Healthy pumpkin bread


Try this pumpkin bread,” I offered to Alex’s family. They took a moist, pumpkin-spiced bite and started to murmur their approval as I threw in, “It’s made of all oats, too! No flour.” They looked at me in astonishment. “What? This is amazing.” Yes, this actually happened with this Healthy Pumpkin Bread (paraphrased, of course!). It’s so moist, so cozy spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, you’ll hardly notice that’s made purely of oats…no flour at all. We don’t exclusively eat gluten-free, but we do love eating a treat that’s made of heart-healthy oats and tastes incredible. Here are all the tricks to making this tasty quick bread at home!

Ingredients in healthy pumpkin bread

Pumpkin bread is the best fall treat, but many of the recipes are just like eating glorified cake! That’s where this healthy pumpkin bread comes in. Let’s be honest though: you can’t ever really state that pumpkin bread is a health food, because it’s full of sugar. However, this one is healthier than the rest! It’s made of just whole grain rolled oats, meaning you get the health benefits of oats in every piece. (More on that below.) Here’s what you’ll need for this gluten free dairy free pumpkin bread:

  • Old Fashioned rolled oats: Do not substitute steel cut oats or instant oats! You need good ol’ rolled oats here. But you’ll be blending it into flour, so you can also substitute store-bought oat flour.
  • Sugar or coconut sugar: Use your dry sugar of choice.
  • Baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt: the usual suspects for baking
  • Pumpkin pie spice: Grab a bottle of store-bought or use our homemade blend.
  • Eggs: These are important because they bind the oats together. See more about vegan substitutes below.
  • Pumpkin puree: Use plain old pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling! (That’s different.)\
  • Neutral oil: Use organic vegetable oil, organic canola oil or grapeseed oil.
Healthy pumpkin bread

Make it all up in a blender!

Here’s the secret to this recipe: you make it all up in a blender! Many of our recipe testers mentioned how easy it is to just throw all the ingredients in a blender for this recipe. Here’s what to know:

  • It’s easiest with a high speed blender or quality blender. It also works with a not so good blender…you just need to work harder! Having some blender power behind you helps, but it’s not required. Know it might take a little longer to blend if your blender is not up to snuff.
  • First blend the oats into oat flour. You’ll throw in Old Fashioned rolled oats to the blender and turn it on. Watch as it turns into powdery oat flour! If your blender is not so great, you can also use store-bought oat flour.
  • Then add everything else and blend! The blender is the key to the fluffy and moist texture. It comes out so light and fluffy, you’ll be amazed it’s all oats.

A note about texture, cooling and cutting slices

After baking this healthy pumpkin bread, you’re going to want to eat it right away. Don’t do it! It’s important to let it cool down so the texture sets. If you cut it right away, the pieces will fall apart! Promise.

Another tip: cut the bread into fairly thick slices. This bread is beautifully moist and fluffy, but it is made with no gluten to hold it together. The texture is a little different from the normal pumpkin bread, so the best way to keep it together is to use thick slices (as you’ll see in the photos).

Healthy pumpkin bread dairy free gluten free

What people are saying about this healthy pumpkin bread

This healthy pumpkin bread comes out so beautifully moist and fluffy, you won’t really know it’s healthy! The only thing to note is that it’s slightly less sweet and oily than the normal pumpkin bread. That’s intended: because it’s designed to be healthier! We ran this recipe by lots of recipe testers, and here’s what a few had to say:

  • “WOW! I would have never guessed this was gluten free! The last pumpkin bread recipe I made with oats was SO dense and lacked pumpkin flavor! Honestly just tasted like oats! This one though – the pumpkin flavor is superb and it’s so light! LOVE!”
  • “Made the bread for a party and everyone loved it. Loved how it is healthy with all natural ingredients.”

Vegan variation!

As it is, this healthy pumpkin bread is gluten free and dairy free. Want to make it vegan? You can do that too! Here are a few options:

  • Substitute flax eggs. Use the recipe below and substitute flax eggs for the eggs: this is just ground flax seed mixed with water. It changes the texture of the bread slightly, but it works well as a binder in vegan baked goods.
  • Use our Vegan Pumpkin Bread recipe. Try our Vegan Pumpkin Bread: it’s incredibly moist and delicious. It’s made using refined flour so it’s not gluten-free, but it is vegan.

Are oats healthy?

One of the main ingredients that makes this healthy pumpkin bread is that it’s build on oats, not flour. That means you get all the benefits of oats that flour lacks. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of oats (source):

  • Oats are high in protein and fiber. 1 cup of raw oats has 11 grams protein (about 20% your daily need) and 8 grams of fiber (about 30% your daily need).
  • Oats have beta glucans, a type of soluble fiber that has potential benefits like lower cholesterol, better heart health, and reduced blood sugar and insulin responses.
  • Oats are very filling: they may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories.

For more benefits, go to Oats 101: Nutrition Facts.

Gluten free pumpkin bread recipe

More healthy pumpkin recipes

When it’s pumpkin season…the craving strikes! Here are all our favorite pumpkin recipes:

  • Pumpkin Smoothie Tastes like pie…but it’s loads healthier! This tasty drink features yogurt, fruit and pumpkin pie spices.
  • Cozy Pumpkin Oatmeal The perfect fall breakfast idea! It’s got just the right spice and sweetness to make mornings cozy.
  • Healthy Pumpkin Muffins The streusel topping takes these easy pumpkin muffins over the top! The pumpkin spiced inside plus sweet crunch is downright heavenly.
  • Pumpkin Dip This healthy dip is perfect for apples!

This healthy pumpkin bread recipe is…

Vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free. For vegan and plant-based, see the notes above.

Print
Healthy pumpkin bread

Best Healthy Pumpkin Bread


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 10 to 12 pieces
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Here’s the BEST healthy pumpkin bread, perfectly moist and cozy spiced. You’ll never believe it’s made without flour…just 100% rolled oats!


Ingredients

  • 3 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (or 3 cups purchased oat flour; do not substitute steel cut or instant oats)
  • 1/2 cup sugar or coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice*
  • 3 eggs (or flax eggs for vegan)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8 or 9-inch bread pan with coconut oil or oil.
  2. Add the oats to a blender and blend until the oats are finely ground and resemble a flour. Add all the remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend until they all come together into a fully smooth batter, stopping and scraping the bowl of the blender as necessary.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (the exact timing depends on the size of pan and your oven).
  4. Allow to cool in the pan until room temperature (this is important for the texture). Run a knife around the edges and invert. Slice into thick pieces and serve (because it’s 100% oats, thicker slices are better). Storage info: Stores for about 3 days at room temperature: keep it on a cutting board and cover with a towel. Or store refrigerated for 1 week, or freeze it in slices for up to 3 months.

Notes

*Or use 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each ground ginger and allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg. 

  • Category: Quick Bread
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Healthy

Keywords: Healthy pumpkin bread

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes