This easy vegan pumpkin cake is extra fluffy and topped with vegan cream cheese icing. It’s baked in a large sheet pan, then cut into bars for a sweet and nicely spiced fall treat you can feed to a crowd.
When you need a crowd-pleasing dessert for the holidays, turn to these Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars! They’re fluffy, soft, moist, and packed with delicious pumpkin spice.
As a finishing touch, the vegan pumpkin cake is decorated with the same “cream cheese” frosting used on my Vegan Pumpkin Cookies. It’s just as easy to make as vegan buttercream but contains one secret ingredient to help it taste exactly like the real thing.
This is the best vegan pumpkin spice cake because it’s:
- Incredibly fluffy and moist: The pumpkin cake bars have a light crumb, are full of warm pumpkin spice flavors, and taste deliciously moist and fluffy. This to-die-for texture is all thanks to the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and other simple baking staples in the batter!
- Decorated with vegan cream cheese frosting: This magically sweet and tangy frosting tastes like a real cream cheese icing, but isn’t made with any vegan cream cheese. The secret? Apple cider vinegar. It’s incredible!
- A tasty fall and winter dessert: This recipe makes 20 cake bars. That’s a lot! Thankfully, this means you’ll have enough treats to bring to the Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday party.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Ground flaxseeds – You’ll need these to make the flax eggs, which will help bind the batter together. Chia seeds can be used as an alternative.
- Water
- Canned pumpkin puree – Make sure you buy canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The latter is better suited in a pumpkin pie.
- Coconut oil – Make sure to use refined coconut oil to avoid a coconut flavor in the pumpkin cake. If you don’t have coconut oil, use canola oil, avocado oil, or melted vegan butter instead.
- Granulated sugar – White sugar, cane sugar, and coconut sugar are all great options.
- All purpose flour – I always end up with a light and fluffy cake when I use all purpose flour. I haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten free flour, but a quality Gluten Free Flour Mix should work just fine.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Vegan butter – This is the base of the vegan cream cheese frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Don’t leave this out. Without the powdered sugar, the cream cheese icing won’t taste sweet enough or be sturdy enough for frosting.
- Apple cider vinegar – Adding vinegar to the frosting produces that tangy flavor you’d find in a traditional cream cheese icing. Apple cider vinegar is the best option because it’s mild and pairs well with the warm spices, but lemon juice would also make a suitable substitution.
- Vanilla extract
- Non-dairy milk – Any unsweetened non-dairy milk can be used to thin out the frosting.
How to make vegan pumpkin cake
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Make the flax eggs by whisking the ground flaxseed and water together in a small bowl. Set it aside to thicken.
Next, whisk the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, sugar, and flax eggs together in a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour on top. Then add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until just combined.
Pour the cake batter onto a greased jelly roll pan. Spread it out to touch the edges of the pan and smooth into an even layer.
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool while you make the icing.
Use a handheld or standing mixer to beat the softened vegan butter until it’s creamy and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla and beat until the icing is smooth and creamy. You can add one tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Once the cake is fully cool, spread the frosting on top. Cut the cake into bars, then enjoy!
Pumpkin cupcakes
I haven’t tested it but the batter should be able to be used to make pumpkin cupcakes too! Make the batter as normal and pour it into a lined regular-sized cupcake tin. Bake at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- What size cake pan do I need? This sheet cake is baked in a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan, which holds a lot of batter. If you don’t want to make as many cake bars, cut the recipe in half and bake the batter in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
- Can I make a layered cake instead? Yes. This recipe makes enough batter for two round 9-inch cake pans.
- How do you store the cake bars? The frosted pumpkin cake bars can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Can you freeze the cake? Yes, the cake freezes well with or without the frosting.
Want more vegan pumpkin desserts?
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Roll
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Starbucks Copycat Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup melted coconut oil*
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) vegan butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a jelly roll pan (15 x 10 inches). Set aside.
- Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside to make your flax eggs.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, sugar and flax eggs until smooth.
- Now add the flour to the wet ingredients. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt on top of the flour and mix with a large spoon until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter for about 2 minutes until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, apple cider vinegar and vanilla and beat everything together until smooth and creamy, adding a tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time as needed. If you add too much milk and it gets runny, you will need to add more powdered sugar.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, frost the cake, cut into bars and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use refined coconut oil if you don’t want a coconut taste. May also substitute canola oil, avocado oil or melted vegan butter. You could probably use 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil to cut down on the fat but it will affect the overall flavor and taste of the cake.
- I haven’t made these gluten free, but like most of my cake recipes a quality Gluten Free Flour Mix would likely work just fine.
- This recipe makes a lot of bars (20) so if you want less feel free to cut the ingredients in half and make it in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before frosting so it doesn’t melt. You can speed up the process by placing the cake in the refrigerator.
- Store leftover cake bars on the counter for 2-3 days, covered, or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen with or without the frosting.
DELICIOUS!!! Oh My Gosh these were incredible. Thank you so much Nora! I also substituted the coconut oil for oat milk yogurt and it was perfect. It is yummy and soft and the frosting is so good! HIGHLY recommend !
Yum, yum, yum! Very delicious, moist, full of pumpkin flavor cake. Everyone in my house loved it. I replaced the oil with silk almond milk yogurt (non-dairy) and it came out awesome. Made 2 8in cakes and the frosting was just enough to frost the two layers. Frosting was yummy as well. Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂 God bless!
You’re welcome!
Hi, if I want to use real eggs for this, how many eggs would I need 2 or 3?
Thanks!
2 eggs. Hopefully it works, I don’t use eggs for baking so I’ve never tested it.
These are incredible!!! Thanks so much fir this recipe! I almost didn’t make them because I was intimidated by not having the right pan, but I used a 10×16 cake pan and it was perfect! Thank you for this recipe my whole family loved.
You’re welcome!
I’m going to make these soon, but I’ve never used flax seeds. I see whole brown flax seeds, and I see a Golden meal. Is meal just ground golden seeds? Which do you use?
Golden meal or ground flaxseeds are what I use. You could also buy whole flaxseeds and grind them yourself, like in a blender or coffee grinder. But I always buy the pre-ground seeds. Golden meal is the same thing.
Thank you!
Do you have any advice on how to make the frosting without coconut or alternative butter?
Let me just say hands down BEST pumpkin”carrot” cake I’ve had! I have a very restricted diet as I have Crohn’s disease which keeps me from enjoying anything half way pleasurable, but this cake I can actually have!!!! So many vegan/gluten/egg/or dairy free dishes simply just don’t taste right, however you can’t tell with this recipe. I made this for just myself over the holidays so I could enjoy a special treat, but all the rest of the family ate it up before I could!!! My little thinks it’s carrot cake as it has a similar flavor so if you don’t do pumpkin, you could alternate w carrot puree. The icing is So good! I’ve made it with both Lactaid milk & almond, both delicious! Thank you so much….keep them coming!!!
Thanks so much for the comment! Glad you liked it!
I made half a batch yesterday. Absolutely delicious! I used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer and added cinnamon and nutmeg to the frosting for a deeper complimentary flavor. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed them.
I’m not a vegan either but I thought I’d try it.
This recipe was great!!
I added more ground flax with the flour, as well as some ground clove and vanilla. Turned out super great. Such a beautiful colour too.!
Our daughter came for Thanksgiving and she is a vegan. I wanted to make her a complete vegan meal from scratch and being that my daughter doesn’t eat butter or dairy of any sort, I thought I would try these pumpkin bars. I was so glad I did. They were absolutely delicious! Needless to say they were a big hit and I will be making them again for Christmas.
I’m so glad they were delicious!
Hi, Nora! I only have 8×8 square cake pans, should cutting the ingredients by half work? How long should I bake them?
You could, yes. I’ve never tested what you are doing so I’m not exactly sure how long they will take to bake. Perhaps around 20-30 minutes, but I would just check them often after 20. Enjoy!
I joined a book club and the host is vegan, so I’m looking for things I can make to bring when we meet. These look yummy and I want to make them. What is non-dairy milk? Do you mean almond or soy or what do you normally use?
Non-dairy milk includes soy, coconut, oat, almond, cashew as well as many other kinds. There are so many options available, you can use whichever you prefer for this recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!
Barb, I made these for Thanksgiving. I used Almond milk and the bars were delicious.
Hands down the best pumpkin cake i’ve ever had/made. I’m a huge pumpkin lover and was so looking forward to serving this on Thanksgiving. I made a test run the week before and ate about half myself. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
You’re welcome! It’s my delight to share my recipes. I’m glad you love this recipe!
I never leave comments under recipes but I just HAD TO!!! I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner and it was so delicious. Everyone loved it! I halved the recipe and used an 8×8 baking dish. I also subbed coconut oil for avocado oil. I am so happy with this recipe! I am actually about to go making a second batch before there’s nothing left over from yesterday and I still have 1/2 can of pumpkin puree. Thank you so much and hope you had a wonderful holiday!
You’re so welcome! Glad they were a hit and I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Has anyone tried this with oatmeal flour?? Trying to make it for thanksgiving for people with food allergies so a good GF flour mix will not work but really wanting to try this!
I tried a package of kite hill nondairy cream cheese and no one in my house likes it enough plain to eat it on a bagel or toast, unfortunately. But, since it was $6, I don’t want to throw it away. My thought was to use it in a frosting (maybe adding a ton of sugar will make it edible! lol!) but I am not sure how to make cream cheese frosting with vegan cream cheese – is the same as regular cream cheese? do you have a recipe or any tips? these pumpkin bars look like the perfect thing to put the cream cheese frosting on!
That’s funny, I actually really like that cream cheese lol! It would make a great cream cheese frosting, and I have a recipe for it here: Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. But yes, it really is basically the same as using regular cream cheese, it’s just that some vegan cream cheeses are made with coconut oil and melt easily. That’s not really the case with Kite Hill I believe, so it should be quite easy. Hope that helps, thank you!
I love that brand I make cheese cake can’t tell the difference I just add corn starch and sugar tab of lemon but walmart sometime have them on sale for .75 cent they regular 6 bucks
I’m guessing the ground flaxseed and water is your egg substitute? If I don’t have that, but I have egg replacer – how many “eggs” is it?
I can’t wait to try this!
Yes that’s right, substitute for two eggs. I’m sure it will work with another egg replacer. Enjoy!
This cake is absolutely the best! Highly recommend and a great one to make throughout the holidays! Me and my fiancé ate half of it by ourselves in one sitting, it is that amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the cake!
If you make in 9×13 do you use the full recipe?
I would cut the ingredients in half to make in a 9 x 13 pan. Thanks!
Wow! This recipe is perfect for autumn! I made this cake today and it is AMAZING. I will definitely be making this cake during the holidays. Thanks for the great recipe!
I just made this recipe and it was deliciously amazing! I used a 9×13 glass pan and it came out great. Thank you, Nora!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cake bars! Thank you for sharing.
Is it possible to use a real pumpkin and just bake it?
I don’t think it would turn out quite the same unfortunately, but it might work okay. Sorry I haven’t tried it! I just know that working with fresh pumpkin, even cooked, is a little bit different.
I used baked pumpkin and it worked just fine!
I had to make this immediately, and I’m so glad I did!! This is so delicious and perfect for fall. Thank you!!
Granulated sugar and powdered sugar,that most stores carry, are not vegan. Could you please clarify what you are using. Thank you.
If you want to make absolutely sure the sugar is vegan, buy organic. I have a Trader Joe’s nearby where I almost always buy granulated, brown and powdered sugar, all vegan. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your fast response and the Trader Joe’s tip.
Why does she have to clarify. Does it matter? Why don’t you take it upon yourself to use a vegan version? You know organic will be vegan. I swear people just like to passive aggressively complain – to complain.
I want some of this right now!
This looks delicious. What are the dimensions of your sheet cake pan please?
10 x 15 inches. You could make it in a 9 x 13 inch pan for a taller cake.
What would the bake time be for a 9×13 pan?
If you don’t cut the ingredients in half I would guess closer to 40 or 50 minutes, if you cut the recipe in half the time would be the same.