This easy vegan gingerbread loaf recipe creates a beautifully spiced dessert loaded with classic gingerbread flavors and molasses! It’s soft, fluffy and its spices perfectly balance the sweetness making for an irresistibly delicious loaf.
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Is Gingerbread Loaf Vegan?
While you can easily make gingerbread loaf vegan, most recipes contain eggs or dairy. Luckily, these ingredients are easy to substitute when making a delicious, dense-yet-fluffy vegan gingerbread loaf!
The flavors associated with gingerbread are created from spices, all of which are vegan! Molasses is also a classic gingerbread ingredient that’s almost always vegan (check the brand you use to be sure).
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Ingredients
While the ingredients for this recipe are simple, you’ll need several gingerbread spices along with molasses for a delicious loaf! The full list of ingredients includes:
- Ground flaxseed: This nutritious ingredient creates a simple egg substitute for many baking recipes! When mixed with water, ground flaxseed forms a gel that helps to hold this loaf together.
- All-purpose flour: For a soft, fluffy texture, all-purpose flour is the perfect base ingredient for this loaf.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These ingredients work together and help the loaf rise into a fluffy texture. Since this loaf is densely flavored, it’s essential to add some softness with a fluffier texture!
- Dry ground ginger: You can’t have a gingerbread loaf without the most important flavor! Dry ground ginger is the base of a spice mix you’ll use in this recipe.
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and mace: These spices create classic gingerbread flavor. Pre-made gingerbread spices typically use them all in some combination, and you can certainly use a pre-mixed spice if you like. Adjust any of the amounts to your liking, and if you’re missing one or two of these, that’s okay too!
- Salt: A touch of salt brings all the flavors together in the loaf.
- Vegan butter: Some fat is essential to create a soft, moist loaf with rich flavor. Melt and mix this butter with molasses to make the sticky molasses easier to work with. You could also use vegan margarine.
- Molasses: Molasses is a star flavor in this recipe (and most gingerbread recipes). It brings depth, a light sweetness and beautifully dark color to the loaf.
- Brown sugar: While molasses is sweet, on its own there’s not enough sweetness for this heavily spiced loaf. So, add brown sugar to the mix! It rounds out the flavors in this dessert to help balance those strong spices.
- Plant-based milk: You’ll need liquid to create the batter and plant-based milk is the perfect addition. I recommend an unsweetened and unflavored soy milk, but any type of plant-based milk should work.
- Apple sauce: Apple sauce adds extra moisture and some natural sweetness to the loaf. A slight apple flavor creates an even more tasty dessert! Choose unsweetened apple sauce unless you want a sweeter loaf.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla helps make other flavors pop in dessert recipes!
Gingerbread Loaf Glaze (Optional)
You can also make a quick glaze to top this delicious loaf. For that, you’ll need icing sugar (powdered sugar, confectioners sugar) and some liquid.
Use any liquid you like. Plant-based milk and vanilla creates a simple vanilla glaze. You could also make a fruity glaze with orange and/or cranberry juice; both pair well with the spiced loaf!
How to Make Dairy Free Gingerbread Loaf
This is generally a simple recipe. If you’ve ever made a quick bread (for example, banana bread) before, you’re familiar with the steps. Just mix the dry ingredients, then wet ingredients, combine and bake.
The only difference is a small step that helps when using sticky molasses! Read the detailed directions below or watch my short video to learn how to make this recipe.
Step 1: Mix Flaxseed “Egg”
Start by mixing ground flaxseed with water. Stir them together then sit aside for later use.
Flaxseed creates a gel in water. This acts as a great replacement for eggs in lots of vegan baking recipes!
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients. If you don’t have a whisk, a spoon will work!
The dry ingredients in this recipe include all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, mace) and salt.
Whisk until all the spices are evenly mixed throughout your flour.
While sugar is technically “dry”, it’s typically considered a wet ingredient because it dissolves into liquid and creates more liquid volume. Things like flour, on the other hand, soak up liquid and thicken the batter!
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
Measure your dairy free butter and add it to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-30 second intervals. If you don’t have a microwave, melt in a small pot on your stove over medium-low heat.
Then, scoop molasses in the same measuring cup you used for the butter. Butter helps “grease” the measuring cup so that molasses doesn’t stick. Since it’s the same measurement for the butter and molasses, this trick works really well!
Pour the molasses into your melted butter and whisk until the mixture is smooth and evenly blended. Now that the molasses is mixed with melted butter, it won’t be as sticky!
Whisk the remaining liquid ingredients into your melted butter-molasses mix. This includes brown sugar, plant-based milk, apple sauce, vanilla extract and the flaxseed “egg” prepared earlier.
Mix until evenly combined. There’ll be some flaxseed and apple sauce flecks/ chunks remaining.
Step 4: Create Batter
Pour your liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Use a large spoon to stir until just combined. This means to stir until there are no clumps of dry ingredients visible, then stop so you don’t overmix.
Extra stirring creates a tougher, chewier texture which you don’t want in this loaf!
Step 5: Bake
Preheat your oven to 350 °F and grease a loaf pan with vegan butter or a non-stick cooking spray.
Pour or scoop your batter into the loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Baking may take longer depending on your oven.
Once the loaf is out of your oven, let it rest for a couple minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack or serving platter.
You can serve right away if you won’t use glaze. If you will glaze the loaf, cool it fully before glazing.
Step 6: Glaze (Optional)
If you want to prepare glaze, mix icing sugar with the liquid of your choice. Stir until the glaze is smooth.
Drizzle or spread the glaze over your gingerbread loaf once it’s fully cooled. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Refrigerate and Freeze Ginger Loaf
Let the loaf cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. You can store the gingerbread loaf on a countertop for up to 2 days. After that, refrigerate for up to an additional 3-4 days.
You can also freeze this loaf quite well. Simply let the loaf cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost the loaf in your fridge overnight.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf
Equipment
- Medium microwavable bowl
Ingredients
Gingerbread Loaf
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed , ground (20 g)
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons dry ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan margarine (100 g)
- ½ cup molasses (160 g)
- ½ cup brown sugar , lightly packed (90 g)
- ½ cup plant-based milk (I use soy)
- ½ cup apple sauce (130 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (Optional)
- ½ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tablespoon liquid of choice (water, plant-based milk, cranberry juice, orange juice)
Instructions
Step 1: Mix Flaxseed “Egg”
- In a small bowl, mix ground flaxseed with water. Set aside.2 tablespoons flaxseed, 6 tablespoons water
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients until well-combined (no clumps of spices remaining).2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons dry ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground mace, ¼ teaspoon salt
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, melt vegan butter (20-30 second intervals). Once melted, whisk in molasses until well combined.½ cup vegan margarine, ½ cup molasses
- Next, whisk the remaining wet ingredients into the butter-molasses mix.½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup plant-based milk, ½ cup apple sauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk until as smooth as possible.
Step 4: Create Batter
- Pour your liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Use a large spoon to stir the batter until it’s just combined. Stop stirring as soon as there are no clumps of dry ingredients visible; don’t overmix.
Step 5: Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Grease a loaf pan with vegan butter or oil spray.
- Pour the batter into your loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your loaf comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool for a few minutes once out of your oven, then carefully transfer onto a cooling rack or serving board.
Step 6: (Optional) Glaze
- Make sure your loaf is cooled completely before glazing.
- To prepare the glaze, mix icing sugar with liquid of your choice. Stir until the glaze is smooth.½ cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon liquid of choice
- Drizzle or spread over the cooled gingerbread loaf.
- Slice and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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About Nicole Stevens
Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.
She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.
Brigitte
WoW ! This is the best bread I have ever had . First I didn’t have apple sauce I wanted to bake this so bad so I oven baked cubed butternut squash maybe 2 cups In a pan with the lid on I wanted to have a moist puree not dry . I purred in my blender with 1 banana . So I used 1/2 cup of this to replace the apple sauce and I added 1/4 cup of the same puree to replace some butter . I am trying to keep it less fattening. I love molasses so 1/2 cup didn’t worry me . I didn’t add the sugar I added raisins soaked in the molasses, butter , flax and milk mixture . The texture is beyond perfect moist sponge I mean I never had something that perfect texture wise !! So the only thing I did is reduce the butter and didn’t add the dry sugar . For me it was plenty sweet but if you like sweeter 1/4 cup of the sugar would be perfect . Next time I will slightly reduce the clove if you use all the sugar then no need to reduce the clove it will be balance by the sweetness. Thank you great recipe that can be altered with banana and maple syrup to make a delish banana bread .
Nicole Stevens
Happy you found some substitutions that worked for you. I hardly ever have applesauce on hand but it's quick to make by peeling and cutting apples then cooking them with a touch of water either in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove, over medium-low heat - once cooked, mash or puree and it's ready to use in baking!
Jeannette
BEST GINGERBREAD LOAF EVER!!!
Nicole Stevens
So happy you liked it! It always gets eaten so quickly around here I hardly get to eat any!