by Caitlin Shoemaker
updated on
GFGluten FreeNFNut FreeSFRefined Sugar FreeVVegan
4.88 from 8 votes
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This Vegan Gingerbread Loaf is baked until light and fluffy then drizzled with a sweet icing sugar. Cozy up with a slice of this holiday treat and a mug of your favorite beverage. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Option.
This Vegan Gingerbread Loaf is packed with the perfect blend of holiday spices, made from affordable pantry staples, and the best way to ring in the holiday season. It’s also allergen friendly, meaning everyone can indulge in this holiday dessert.
A Starbucks Copycat Gone Vegan
If you’ve been seeing Starbucks Copycat Gingerbread Loaves pop up this time of year and wondered how to make them with a plant-based twist, look no further! This fuss-free recipe is the best homemade gingerbread loaf. It’s tender, delicious, fragrant, and bursting with a blend of the coziest gingerbread spices. Fall in love with a slice of this gluten-free and nut-free, vegan treat!
Ingredients for a Vegan Gingerbread Loaf
To make this vegan gingerbread loaf, you’ll need 12 key ingredients (not including oil and salt!). My guess is you have most, if not all, sitting in your kitchen pantry right now.
Before we get baking, let’s go over a few key ingredients and their purpose:
- Oat Flour: If you’ve made a number of my gluten-free recipes, you’ll know it’s one of my favorite gluten-free flours.It’s cost-effective, easy to make at home, and has a subtle nutty flavor that compliments many recipes, including this loaf!
- Coconut Sugar: Adds a deep caramel-flavor and yummy sweetness!
- Molasses: Essential to creating that classic gingerbread flavor, while also lending some additional sweetness.
- Gingerbread Spices: A blend of warming ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are what make this bread so dang cozy
- Applesauce & Oil: Adds moisture to the bread and give it a tender crumb
- Flax Egg: Acts as the egg replacer and helps bind the batter together. As a bonus, it also adds some fiber and healthy fats!
How to Make Vegan Gingerbread Loaf
- Mix the ground flax and water together in a small bowl to make the flax egg.
- Whisk together the oat flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flax egg, sugar, applesauce, molasses, oil and vinegar.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined and no clumps of dry ingredients remain.
- Pour into a loaf pan and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until cooked through in the center.
- Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle with icing sugar, then serve while moist and fluffy.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Invest in a baking scale. They can be purchased for as little as $10 and you won’t regret it. Baking by weighted grams is so much simpler, requires less dishes and is extremely consistent.
- Check your baking powder’s expiration date. Baking powder’s leavening powers greatly diminish after the container has been open for a few months. If you’ve had the same tin of baking powder for over 4-6 months, it is best to discard and purchase a new one.
- Use organic molasses. Just like granulated sugars, molasses can be a part of non-vegan processes. To ensure your molasses is vegan-friendly, look for an organic brand.
Serving Suggestions
A slice of vegan gingerbread loaf can be served for a holiday breakfast, afternoon snack or post-dinner treat! Wash it down with a glass of Nut Milk or a mug of Vegan Hot Chocolate.
If you’re looking for more vegan gingerbread recipes, you’ll also love these Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies, these Vegan Gingerbread Pancakes, or these Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies! Or check out this Cranberry Orange Bread for another festive flavor variation.
How to Store Leftover Gingerbread Loaf
This vegan gingerbread loaf will keep for up to 5 days when stored at room temperature in a container with a loose-fitting lid. Slices of gingerbread loaf will also freeze well for up to 2 months.
For best results, I’d recommend freezing without the icing sugar and wrapping the individual slices of gingerbread in loaf in plastic wrap. This will not only prevent the slices from sticking to one another, but will also prevent any freezer burn, which helps retain the bread’s flavor and texture.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil substitutions: Use another neutral oil such as vegetable oil, melted refined coconut oil, or light olive oil. You can also make this gingerbread loaf completely oil-free by replacing the oil with ⅓ cup of drippy nut or seed butter of your choosing. I’d recommend something neutral such as almond butter or sun butter.
- Coconut sugar substitution: Use brown sugar. Note that this will make your loaf slightly sweeter.
- Spice substitutions: If you have a pre-made gingerbread spice mix, substitute 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (5 teaspoons total) for the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Applesauce substitute: Substitute pumpkin puree, plus 2 additional tablespoons of coconut sugar and 2 tablespoons water to the wet ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
What can I use instead of molasses?
Unfortunately molasses is a key ingredient in any gingerbread flavored recipe. There is no good substitute to mimic the same flavor profile.
Did Starbucks discontinue its gingerbread loaf?
Yes, the Starbucks loaf is discontinued in US stores. It was not a vegan offering though, so you’ll want to make this homemade version regardless!
Does gingerbread loaf need to be refrigerated?
I do not recommend refrigerating this quick loaf. Doing so will make the loaf dense and no longer soft and fluffy. For best results, store at room temperature.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it onFacebook orInstagram, don’t forget to tag me@FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf
4.88 from 8 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Total Time 50 minutes minutes
Servings 10 people
This Vegan Gingerbread Loaf is baked until light and fluffy then drizzled with a sweet icing sugar. Cozy up with a slice of this holiday treat and a mug of your favorite beverage. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Option.
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Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups oats blended into a fine flour*
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 flax “eggs” 2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup avocado oil*
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Toppings: (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons turbinado or raw cane sugar
- Melted coconut butter or icing sugar to drizzle on top
Instructions
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 8×3″ baking pan with parchment paper. Mix the ground flax and water together in a small bowl and let sit for at least 5 minutes, to thicken.
Dry Ingredients: in a large bowl, whisk the oat flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until evenly distributed.
Wet Ingredients: in a separate bowl, mix the thickened flax, sugar, applesauce, molasses, oil, and vinegar together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well, until no dry clumps of oat flour remain.
Bake: pour the batter into the loaf pan, then top with turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 37 minutes, or until the top is risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out only with crumbs. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to let cool completely.
Glaze (optional): Combine the powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl; mix until a smooth and thick glaze forms.
Serve: Drizzle with icing sugar, then slice and serve. Store leftovers at room temperature, in a container with a loose-fitting lid, for up to 5 days. Pre-sliced pieces of the loaf can also be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated as necessary.
Recipe Notes
- Oat Flour: to make oat flour, add quick-cooking or rolled oats to a high-speed blender and process for 30 to 60 seconds, until a fine and fluffy flour forms.
- Substitutions: Avocado oil can be replaced with another neutral liquid oil, or melted coconut oil. All of the spices can be replaced with 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of a gingerbread spice mix, if you have one on hand. There is no substitute for molasses. If you’d like to use pumpkin puree instead of apple puree, add an additional 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to the wet ingredients.
- Oil-Free: to make this recipe oil free, replace the oil with 1/3 cup of a drippy nut or seed butter of your choosing.
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 327mgPotassium: 217mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 2mg
Keyword: gluten free gingerbread cake, gluten free gingerbread loaf, vegan gingerbread cake, vegan gingerbread muffins
Course: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
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