This is the Best Eggless Pumpkin Bread you’ll make — moist, tender, and full of warm fall spice, with no eggs and no egg replacer in the batter. It’s egg-free by design: applesauce keeps it soft, plain yogurt adds a tender crumb, and a little extra leavening gives the lift. One bowl of dry, one bowl of wet, and about an hour later, a loaf so soft nobody ever guesses it’s egg-free.
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
Pumpkin bread is the recipe that kicks off fall in our house — the first thing I bake the week the air finally turns. Getting it right without eggs took real trial and error, because eggs usually give a loaf its structure and moisture. The combination I keep coming back to after 13+ years of egg-free baking is applesauce and yogurt: the applesauce keeps it soft, the yogurt adds richness and a tender crumb, and nobody who eats a slice ever guesses there’s no egg in it. It’s the loaf my family expects on the counter all season.
Why You’ll Want to Try My Recipe
- Genuinely moist and tender — never dry, never dense
- Egg-free by design, using applesauce + yogurt (no egg replacer)
- One bowl of dry, one bowl of wet — mixed in minutes
- Warm pumpkin-spice flavor in every slice
- Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months
- Tested by a real allergy mom in a real family kitchen
My Secret To Perfectly Moist & Fluffy Pumpkin Bread Without Eggs
After all my tests, I found that a combination of applesauce, plain yogurt, and leaveners is the perfect way to produce a moist and fluffy eggless pumpkin bread. Keep reading down below to see how these ingredients are used!
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour.
- Baking powder & Baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, make sure your baking powder is labeled aluminum-free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice and is easily found in most American grocery stores. If this blend is not available in your country, you can use 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, and ¼ tsp allspice.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called for in the recipe.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil – Or any light-tasting oil of your preference.
- Sugar: For this recipe, you will need regular white granulated sugar, caster sugar, and brown sugar.
- Yogurt: You can substitute plain regular yogurt for sour cream. I recommend using the full-fat versions.
- Applesauce: Make sure to use the unsweetened version. Read the recipe notes to see how to make quick and easy applesauce at home.
- Pumpkin puree: It must be pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I use and recommend Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
Food Allergy Swaps
This recipe is naturally egg, nut, peanut, and sesame-free, making it suitable for most dietary needs. However, always check labels for hidden allergens.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives.
- Butter: Substitute butter with dairy-free butter substitutes. Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter, Trader Joe’s brand vegan butter, and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are my favorite butter substitutes for baking. For the best flavor, use a vegan butter that tastes good. Use sticks or blocks, not tub (spreadable) butter.
- Yogurt: Use your favorite brand of plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend.
Do I need to drain canned pumpkin purée?
No — canned purée has a consistent moisture level and works straight from the can. Only fresh, homemade purée sometimes needs draining or blotting, since extra water can make the loaf dense.
How To Make Pumpkin Bread Without Eggs
Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).
- Mix the Ingredients (dry and wet)
- Combine
- Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan
- Bake
Why did my pumpkin bread turn out gummy or dense?
Gummy pumpkin bread almost always comes from too much moisture or overmixing. Measure the pumpkin and flour accurately (spoon-and-level or weigh), stir just until no dry streaks remain, and don’t pull the loaf early — a gummy center usually means it needed a few more minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing; the crumb finishes setting as it cools.
Recipe Tips
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own by combining 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, and ¼ tsp allspice.
Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing the bread batter may result in a pumpkin loaf that does not rise well and may become dense in the center.
If you do not want to use parchment paper, be sure to grease and flour the pan generously.
Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Know your oven! Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Here’s how to store leftover eggless pumpkin bread:
Leftovers
Eggless Pumpkin Bread leftovers can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. Be sure to keep it covered. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Freeze
Let the eggless pumpkin bread cool completely. Wrap it up in aluminum foil, then with plastic wrap. Place it inside a large freezer Ziploc bag and freeze the whole loaf for up to 3 months. Ready to eat it? Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have also made mini muffins for my daughter’s school with the same batter. If you want to try, spray a mini-muffin pan really generously with baking spray and fill the cups 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. You can also try my Eggless Pumpkin Muffins recipe.
You can definitely add toppings to this eggless pumpkin bread. Add chopped pepitas, walnuts, sliced almonds, or oats to the top of the egg-free bread for added texture.
Brown sugar helps the pumpkin bread stay soft. White sugar also lacks the same rich flavor that brown sugar adds, so I would not recommend substituting brown sugar for granulated sugar.
Place peeled apple pieces in a medium microwaveable bowl. Cover the bowl and microwave until softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon and puree until the desired consistency.
Gummy pumpkin bread almost always comes from too much moisture or overmixing. Measure the pumpkin and flour accurately (spoon-and-level or weigh), stir just until no dry streaks remain, and don’t pull the loaf early — a gummy center usually means it needed a few more minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing; the crumb finishes setting as it cools.
Yes, but drain or blot it well — fresh purée is wetter than canned and can make the loaf dense. Canned is the most reliable.
A toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs, around 50–55 minutes. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
Yes — see the Food Allergy Swaps section above for tested plant-based butter/yogurt and 1:1 gluten-free flour options.
For a bundt pumpkin cake, use my The BEST Eggless Pumpkin Cake recipe.
Try These Egg-Free Quick Bread Recipes Next!
Recipe Card
Eggless Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Important
• For best results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons ( 12 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral-tasting oil (such as vegetable or canola)
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 g) plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup (80 g) unsweetened applesauce (see notes)
- 1 cup (240 g) canned pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, yogurt, applesauce, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking loaf pan.
- Bake for about 50 -55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the loaf out of the pan and put it onto a cooling wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
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- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives.
-
- Butter: Substitute butter with dairy-free butter substitutes. Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter, Trader Joe’s brand vegan butter, and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are my favorite butter substitutes for baking. For the best flavor, use a vegan butter that tastes good. Use sticks or blocks, not tub (spreadable) butter.
-
- Yogurt: Use your favorite brand of plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt.
-
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives.
-
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own by combining 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, and ¼ tsp allspice.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing the bread batter may result in a pumpkin loaf that does not rise well and may become dense in the center.
- If you do not want to use parchment paper, be sure to grease and flour the pan generously.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Recipe Changelog:
- Originally posted in November 2015.
- Update: The post was edited in September 2022 to add more helpful information, with no changes to the recipe.
- Update: The post was updated again in August 2026 to add more helpful information, with no changes to the recipe.
Excellent! Definitely hard to wait until it cools down. I made the pumpkin spice mix linked in this recipe and it was great.
I hate to be the person to review a recipe when I made an edit… but I did double the recipe so I could use a whole can of pumpkin since I never know what to do with half a can on pumpkin. Since a can of pumpkin is just shy of 2x the recipe, I added a little extra apple sauce to compensate.
Texture is great, pumpkin flavor comes through great. Not gummy at all but I definitely took the instruction to not over mix seriously.
Hello Julia! Please never hesitate to share your tweaks — this is exactly the kind of note other readers find helpful! Thrilled the pumpkin flavor came through — thanks for baking along!
Delicious! Note that it’s not on the sweet side. I generally cut the sugar a bit in cookie and cake recipes because I prefer them less sweet, but I didn’t do that and it was perfect for me. The texture was nice and moist.
Hello Cynthia! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You’re right — it’s not overly sweet, and I love hearing that it hit that perfect balance for you without needing to cut back on the sugar. And that moist texture makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience!
I am curious if this recipe will turn out right without the sugar.
Hello Nancy! I don’t think it would turn out quite right without the sugar — it does more than sweeten here, it helps with moisture and structure. You could reduce it a bit, but leaving it out completely will change the texture a lot.
Nice and light with wonderful spice balance!
Hello Kim! So happy you enjoyed it! 😊 I’m glad the texture and spice balance hit the spot. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi! Do you use light brown sugar or dark brown?
Hello Nikki! You can use either! 😊 Light brown sugar gives a milder caramel flavor and a lighter color. Dark brown sugar has more molasses, so it adds a deeper, richer flavor and a slightly darker color. Use whichever you prefer — both work great!
Came out great! I used sour cream. Thank you! Wrote it for my recipe box. I used to make with egg before my youngest son’s allergy so I was looking forward to this as the replacement and it was as good.
Hello Grace! So happy to hear that! 😊 Using sour cream is a great swap, and I’m really glad this recipe worked as the perfect replacement for your son’s allergy. It means a lot that it made it into your recipe box — thank you for sharing!
Mommy’s Home Cooking has never failed me yet. Delicious as always. Thank you!!!!
Hello K! Aww this means the world to me—thank you!! 🥹 I’m so happy my recipes have been reliable for you and always delicious. Your support truly means so much 💛
SO GOOD! A hit for the whole family! Making this again this week. I added a brown sugar, butter & milk glaze on top 😍
Hello Courtney! Yay!! I’m so happy it was a hit with your whole family 😍 That brown sugar, butter & milk glaze on top sounds absolutely divine—what a perfect touch! Thanks so much for sharing 💕