This Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread is another recipe I found in amongst my mother- in-law's collection after she passed away. It's a simple recipe that's made without butter, is dairy-free and is quick and easy to make.

It's fall and if that signals one thing, it's that it's time to eat and drink pumpkin everything! And you'll want to put this Pumpkin Walnut Bread at the top of your baking list!
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So, you're probably wondering why the internet needs yet another pumpkin loaf recipe. Well, the reason is... I had tried several other pumpkin breads before this, but they never quite made the cut. This one is super satisfying, easy, moist, not too spicy, delicious and the walnuts give it the perfect texture. And now that my daughter is lactose intolerant, I try to make as many lactose free/dairy free treats as possible for her!
🥘 Ingredients
This quick and easy Pumpkin Walnut bread is a quick bread made with walnuts, canned pumpkin puree and uses vegetable shortening instead of butter. It makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert and is perfect for packing in the lunch bag.
For this pumpkin walnut bread, you'll need:
- white granulated sugar
- vegetable shortening * I use Crisco
- eggs
- pumpkin puree * you can use canned if you don't have fresh pumpkin
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- ground cloves
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- salt
- water
- chopped walnuts * you could substitute pecans
*see recipe card for quantities
I don't have a ton of dairy free recipes on the blog, but that will likely change now that my daughter has developed a lactose intolerance. I also have a Dairy-free and Gluten free Meatloaf, Dairy-Free Orange Creamsicle Pie, Corn Chowder Soup (Weight Watchers friendly), Egg Roll in a Bowl and of course my Vegan recipes. But she is 14 now so she is able to make a lot of her own substitutions and she also just takes the hit sometimes (if she feels it's worth it) and uses her Lactaid. Apparently, you can develop a lactose intolerance at any age, as it's not a true allergy. You can read more about developing a lactose intolerance HERE.
🔪 INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C then spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat sugar and shortening until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in pumpkin.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cloves, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with the water to the batter.
- Repeat.
- Stir in nuts.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool loaf for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on cooling rack. Sprinkle on nuts as garnish, if desired.
🍽 EQUIPMENT
For this dairy-free pumpkin bread recipe, you'll need a 9x5 loaf pan (affiliate link). I like the ones that come with lids because you can simply put the lid on and pop them right into the fridge or freezer, once they are completely cooled!
🌡️STORAGE
- Fridge: The dairy free pumpkin loaf can be stored in a sealed container or freezer Ziplock bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. You can leave it in the loaf pan to freeze, if you prefer (I do this sometimes). Simply cover the loaf with Glad Press n' Seal (affiliate link) and slide the entire loaf into an extra large Ziplock freezer bag. Or you can use a loaf pan that comes with a lid (see equipment above). I would still put that into a Ziplock bag, just to ensure it stays as fresh as possible.
💭 TOP TIP
Don't slice the loaf until you are ready the eat the pieces. Cut the pumpkin loaf you need it, as slicing it dries it out more quickly.
👪 SERVING SIZE
This recipe serves 10. However, you can double or triple this recipe by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size (it's highlighted in blue) and select the number of servings you’d like. You'll need extra loaf pans. *You can freeze the extra loaves (see storage, above).
Like I said, there is just something about fall that screams, "it's time to eat pumpkin!" If you also love pumpkin, then you'll also want to check out my Healthy Pumpkin Soup (no cream) It's also dairy-free if you leave off the feta cheese topping.
🎃Leftover Pumpkin
Whenever I make my Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving, I always have exactly a cup of leftover pumpkin puree from the 796 ml/28 oz can, which is perfect for making this recipe! If you want to make this pie dairy-free or lactose free, just replace the milk with a non-dairy milk. Coconut whipped cream (spray bottle) is a delicious alternative to regular whipped cream!
And for even more pumpkin recipes, check out Recipe Lion's 39 Easy Pumpkin Recipes!
I am also a little crazy about quick breads in general. They are fast, delicious and don't take a lot of effort. And you can make them so many flavors. Check out my other quick bread recipes below the recipe card! But first, you're going to want to make this delicious Dairy-free Pumpkin Bread, whether or not you care whether it's dairy-free!
⭐ Reviews
Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below
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📋 Dairy free Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup shortening * I use Crisco
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ⅔ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C then spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat sugar and shortening until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in pumpkin.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cloves, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with the water to the batter.
- Repeat.
- Stir in nuts.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool loaf for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on cooling rack. Sprinkle on nuts as garnish, if desired.
Notes
- Fridge: This pumpkin bread can be stored in a sealed container or freezer Ziplock bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. You can leave it in the loaf pan to freeze, if you prefer (I do this sometimes). Simply cover the loaf with Glad Press n' Seal (affiliate link) and slide the entire loaf into an extra large Ziplock freezer bag. Or you can use a loaf pan that comes with a lid (see equipment above). I would still put that into a Ziplock bag, just to ensure it stays as fresh as possible.
Nutrition
🍞More quick bread recipes!
Saskatoon Berry Loaf with Brown Butter Glaze
Easy Healthy Tropical Banana Bread (with Lime Glaze)
Bernice
Such a nice, easy bread to make. Which is good because I already spent a lot of time roasting and mashing my pumpkin! On the flipside, having pumpkin puree in the freezer is super handy for this recipe.
Terri Gilson
So true, Bernice! I do that every year too and it's A LOT of work! This recipe is so easy it's a welcome break after all that pumpkin mashing! Enjoy 🙂
Laura
Can’t go wrong with pumpkin bread! I’m lactose intolerant so this is right up my alley. Looks so moist and fluffy!
Terri Gilson
I agree, Laura - can't go wrong with it!
Sabrina
I love this recipe. Nice and simple and moist. Thanks, I’ll make it again!
Terri Gilson
Glad you liked it, Colleen!
Colleen
This pumpkin bread is so simple to make but so yummy. It didn't last long! Thanks for sharing you mother-in-law's recipe.
nancy
thanks for sharing this nice and easy recipe! Now i know what to do with my pumpkins!
Terri Gilson
Enjoy!
Shelby
Pumpkin loaf is the best dessert for the season! I love pumpkin spice and pumpkin but not pumpkin pie lol this is the perfect "in-between".
Terri Gilson
I agree, Shelby - the perfect 'in between' 🙂
Vanessa
Thanks for the great recipe! A good way to put my frozen pumpkin puree to use!
Terri Gilson
You're welcome, Vanessa!
Sadia Malik
These are just perfect for us very delicious
Terri Gilson
Glad you liked it, Sadia!