Pumpkin Bread
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Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!
My grandmother clipped this pumpkin bread recipe from a magazine over 50 years ago, and it is my most-cherished family recipe. One of my clearest childhood memories is baking the loaves with my mom and carting them off to every neighborhood potluck and holiday party. Now I bake pumpkin bread with my own kids, and it’s just as wonderful today as it was back then. It’s easy to make — just a bit of mixing and stirring, pop it in the oven, and, in about an hour, you’ll have a house smelling of sweet autumn spices and two scrumptious, pumpkiny loaves.
This is the original recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box; as you can see, it has seen its share of spills! After a bit of research, I discovered that the original recipe was published in the McCalls Cook Book (Random House, 1963). It is a typical sweet quick bread, similar to banana bread or cranberry nut bread, in that it is leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda instead of yeast. Quick bread batter can usually be made into muffins; my pumpkin muffins are almost identical to this bread but with a crunchy pecan streusel topping.
What you’ll need to make pumpkin bread
How to make pumpkin bread
Begin by combining the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. I like to add everything in neat little piles in case I lose track of what I’ve added.
Whisk well and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat until just combined. It will look a little crumbly.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Continue beating for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the pumpkin.
Beat until combined. It will look a little grainy — that’s okay.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.
And beat on low speed until just combined.
Transfer the batter to loaf pans.
Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let the loaves cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
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Video Tutorial
Pumpkin Bread
Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-oz) can 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (alternatively, use a baking spray with flour in it, such as Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy).
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point -- that's okay.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Fresh out of the oven, the loaves have a deliciously crisp crust. If they last beyond a day, you can toast individual slices to get the same fresh-baked effect.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (24 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 166
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 117 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Why not put the seeds in as well, for a crunchy wholemeal texture?
Can you use butternut squash in place of pumpkin, and stevia extract
Very sweet and delicious! Not too difficult to make and the whole family enjoyed it. We took the loaves out a little bit early (10 minutes or so), because we tested them when they started to look ready, so I recommend keeping an eye on them toward the end. I used fresh pumpkin in about the same amount and it turned out great! The texture was perfect. I will definitely try more recipes from here.
This was the best pumpkin bread ever. I gave some to friends they are loved itand and want the recipe.
It was a huge success and it the so moist and tasty. Thank you again,
Jenn,
Just watched the instructional clip and it’s beautiful! I always try to include my Betsy in our baking endeavors and this is one of our favorites. However, especially with this reciepe, it always ends with Betsy sticking her hand in the batter and me chasing her out of the kitchen. You are an inspiration!
Much love, Molly
lol. smart girl…the batter is the best part 🙂 xo
This sounds wonderful and I going to make. Do you think I can make them in the aluminum throw away bread pans?
Thank you, and thank you for such delicious recipes and the effort you put into them.
Hi Diana, I’ve never tried it but don’t see why not. Hope you enjoy it and please come back and tell me how it turns out!
I just watched your video. Your kids are adorable and it was so nice to see them helping you with this recipe. I have all my ingredients out on the counter as I type this so I can make your pumpkin bread recipe for gifting at Thanksgiving. Thank you for a great recipe and I hate to admit that I think it is replacing my old stand by! I made the same recipe in muffin format, so know how good it is going to be.
Thank you, Karen! Hope you enjoy it as muffins as the muffins 🙂
The pumpkin bread recipe: can I sub applesauce for the butter? Can I sub Splenda for the sugar? Can I sub SOME whole wheat flour for the white flour? thank you very much.
Hi Lynne, Unfortunately I’ve never tried this recipe with those substitutions. You could try but the texture might be strange and it would taste like an entirely different bread. Sorry!!
I used half whole wheat and half white flours. The taste and texture were marvelous. I also substituted raw agave for some of the honey. Only problem was the bottoms stuck to my pans even though I used Pam. Next time will try parchment paper. I’ve made a lot of pumpkin bread but this was the tastiest!
Making this for a gift this year. Made the muffin version, and they are to die for…so know the bread will be just as welcome as a gift! Thanks and happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Jenn.
Made this a couple weeks ago. Delicious. The loaves didn’t puff up as much as I thought they would. Seemed like I might get away with putting it all in one pan. But still great pumpkin bread. My go to recipe now.
Delicious!!!! Made one loaf and the rest mini- muffins for my kids and they gobbled them up. I also made a frosting with cream cheese, vanilla, pumpkin spice a little confectioners sugar then added whip cream to it.
Love your recipes
Love this recipe! It also works great as cupcakes. Put batter in lined cupcake tins and bake at 325 degrees fro 35-45 minutes.
If you want a delicious frosting combo, whip up a quick maple butter cream (it’s to die for!).
Maple Buttercream:
1/4 c. butter (softened)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp. maple extract
Combine butter and cream cheese. Add maple extract and slowly add powdered sugar until you reach a desirable consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add a small splash of milk to thin it out.
That sounds delicious, Jen. Thanks for sharing the buttercream recipe.
This is perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing!
i just made this one.but why mine is very soft?
and the color not orange like your pic? but the taste is amazing.
we dont have can pumpkin so i use fresh pumpkin. i bake them and then mash them.the rest is completely the same like the recipes.
thanks for sharing…
Hi Mala, Yours is probably soft because you used fresh pumpkin, which has more water content.
can i use coconut oil instead of the butter in this recipe to make it lactose free?
Hi Tara, I wish I could be more helpful but I can’t say for sure how this would turn out. I have no experience baking with coconut oil.
Coconut oil works fine- I used about 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/4 canola, and I will experiment with using less oil.
Absolutely perfect pumpkin bread. Thank you so much! I’ve also tried a few of your other recipes, just wonderful!
This pumpkin bread was absolutely the best! It was done to perfection after exactly 65 minutes and so simple to make. It didn’t last long at our house … am already thinking about making it again! Thanks for all the great recipes … I love how they are presented with the stories, pictures, and helpful instructions.
This is the best pumpkin bread I’ve found too! I also love to add in 2 cups of chocolate chips for an amazing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread!!
I love pumpkin bread but dislike pumpkin pie. I’ve tried using apple sauce for half of the butter/oil part and it was pretty successful.
Still my favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe. I love how moist it is.
I couldn’t resist adding chocolate chips, yummy!
I added the grated rind of one large orange because it was there. Good choice.
I made this and I added white chocolate chips – it was perfect!!
Pumpkin bread is amazing! I usually use w/f flour and it tastes SOO GOOD! I love to add choc. chips for an extra surprise!
My husband loves this bread!
My family LOVES this recipe. My 6 yr old, picky eater especially. Because he could eat this bread, or the muffin version everyday if I let him, I wanted to bump up the nutrition (the entire can of nutrient rich pureed pumpkin is a fantastic start!) so I replaced 1/2 cup sugar & 1/2 stick of butter with unsweetened applesauce without compromising texture or flavor. Also, 4 Tbsp. of ground flax added some fiber and healthy Omega 3’s. This recipe will be one we pass down and enjoy for generations!
I love all things pumpkin! This looks good and will try this out!
The BEST pumpkin bread! Never look for another pumpkin bread recipe again!
My quest for the perfect pumpkin bread has officially ended—this is it! This bread is so moist and tender and perfectly spiced. I’ve made the loaf recipe and the muffin variation elsewhere on the site, and both were gobbled up by my family members. Further proof that those tattered, splattered old recipes from Mom’s recipe box are the best!
I adore all things pumpkin, especially pumpkin bread. This is my new favorite pumpkin bread recipe!
My favorite pumpkin bread recipe. I like to throw in some chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to get a little something extra in it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, love the original recipe – my family has several in a similar condition!
I cut the sugar in 1/2 and thought it turned out perfect!
This was absolutely the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had!!
I am a bread person and this is one for the books
Thie recipe is AWESOME! It was easy and fun to make with my kids! And my house smelled SO good for days after we baked!! Delicious!
Sounds really good! The older, well-used recipes are always the best, so I’m definitely giving this one a try 🙂
This was delicious, very moist.
My favorite pumpkin bread recipe. Won’t use another.
This sounds delicious, can’t wait to try it. It has a lot of sugar in it. I wonder if it would turn out OK with less sugar?
Hi Libby, You’re right, it does have a lot of sugar. Unfortunately, that’s what makes it so good 🙂 You could cut it a bit (maybe by 1/4 cup), but changing the recipe too much will alter the taste and texture. Hope that helps!
I am a gourmet cook and I also bake. I MUST SAY this pumpkin bread was AMAZING. I did notice that I had to cook it an additional 35 minutes but everyone’s oven is different. I used the bitterknife test(and a little more pumkin). I MUST TELL YOU that I substituted 1 cup of King Arthur’s whole wheat flour,with the additional 1 cup of white flour. This stuff was amazing and it freezes well also!
I love this recipe (and this blog!) but I found that this cake did not bake all the way through. I used the exact ingredients down to the pumpkin and it was still doughy in the center even after I baked it a bit longer. Maybe the pumpkin was a bit too watery? Or maybe I should have used a higher temperature?
The taste was fantastic though (I could eat the batter by itself… but I won’t.)
S, It might be your oven temperature that’s off. Have you tried calibrating it?
I made the pumpkin bread as muffins tonight. 350 degree oven for 20 minutes and they were perfect. I made 18 (fairly large) muffins out of this recipe.
I have been wanting to make this bread for some time. Today, my daughter said she wanted to make muffins, so I wanted to see if this recipe could be used for muffins rather than bread. If so, are there easy modifications to make in terms of temperature and cooking time?
Thanks!
I love old family recipes that show their use over the years! Pumpkin bread is my weakness, but I may throw in some Trader Joes glazed pecans I have lying in my kitchen cabinet 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Incredible recipe! Disappeared at work in less than 30 minutes.
Okay- found your blog today and from now on, I will be a daily reader. Love your recipes, love your photos, love what you do! Keep these recipes coming please 🙂
This pumpkin bread was incredible. Thanks!
This bread was delicious, almost like pumpkin cake. It had the perfect balance of spices that were flavorful but not overwhelming. Make sure you let it cool completely before cutting it – I was impatient and cut it while it was still warm and it was very crumbly. After I let the rest cool completely, I was able to cut it in thick slices without it crumbling.
i baked your pumpkin bread recipe. they’re so moist and delicious..and simple. mine didn’t rise as high but i think one of my baking dishes was slightly larger (pampered chef dish). thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I made the pumpkin bread and gave it to Robinson Barracks ES/MS and Patch HS front office (I have one child in each school). The ladies loved it and I told them where to get the recipe. It was very tasty and the smell was wonderful.
My family absolutely loved this! Thanks for a great recipe.