The Pumpkin Bread That Makes Thirty Degrees Feel Like Christmas

December in Ho Chi Minh City always pulls one of its theatrical mood swings; the rainy season packs its bags, the sky clears just enough to remind you what blue once looked like, and (night) temperatures plummet to a bone chilling twenty-something degrees. People up north would roll their eyes, but down here, twenty feels practically arctic. You step outside at night, feel that crisp hint of coolness brushing your skin, and suddenly your mind drifts toward winter rituals that never truly belonged to the tropics but somehow still insist on living rent free in your chest.

And in our case, that ritual manifested as a craving. Something sweet yet not sugary-chaotic. Something refreshing, moist, and gentle enough to survive December’s parade of cookies, holiday drinks, and whatever sugar-laced nostalgia decides to ambush you in the supermarket aisles. That craving eventually crystallized into this pumpkin bread, which arrived in our kitchen like a quiet little revelation.

We tried it with Japanese pie pumpkin, sugar pumpkin, buttercup squash (I used to call them all “pumpkin”, but turns out they have specific names); each variant held its own personality, some sweeter, some earthier, all unmistakably pumpkinish. The bread stays fresh for a week in the fridge, and there is nothing quite like slicing off a cold slab after a long workday, sinking into the couch, and watching the blinking Saigon skyline while nibbling on something that refuses to be either heavy or guilt inducing.

No flour. Hardly any oil. Very little sugar. Gluten free. Vegetarian (yeah, no meat involved!). A whisper of spice. A soft, steady sweetness rising naturally from the pumpkin itself. If you choose a good pumpkin, the bread rewards you like a patient friend.

The frosting is optional, though calling it optional feels unfair because the coconut walnut cream adds another dimension entirely; a cool layer of richness that slides into the bread’s warm spiced notes like it always meant to live there. You can swap it out for anything else, from a classic powdered sugar glaze to a citrus drizzle, or even go rogue and make this whole thing with sweet potato. Risk is a seasonally appropriate ingredient.

Yet we prefer the less sweet pumpkin version during December, since the city is already bursting at the seams with holiday sugar. But enough prelude. Here is the recipe that carried us through these strangely cool Saigon evenings:

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 230 g fine rolled oats, ground into flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground star anise
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

• 370 to 400 g pumpkin puree
• 90 g melted coconut oil
• 110 g coconut sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 60 ml almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut walnut frosting (optional)

• 1 handful unsalted walnuts, cashews, or almonds, finely ground
• 100 g coconut cream
• 2 tbsp molasses or similar syrup
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine the dry ingredients:
   Whisk the oat flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Mix the wet base:
   In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, coconut oil, coconut sugar, eggs, almond milk, and vanilla.
3. Bring the batter together:
   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.
4. Fill and bake:
   Pour into a greased loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake at 180 °C for 60 to 70 minutes. Do the toothpick test.
5. Let the loaf cool:
   Let the bread cool while preparing the frosting.
6. Blend the topping:
   Blend all frosting ingredients until perfectly smooth.
7. Chill the cream:
   Transfer the frosting to a bowl and chill until the bread is fully cooled.
8. Finish the loaf:
   Once the bread is only slightly warm, remove from the pan and spread with the frosting. You likely will not need all of it; the rest keeps well in the fridge or freezer.
9. Optional garnish:
   Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and cinnamon if you feel fancy. Enjoy.