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.
Above, you can see the original recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box—it’s definitely seen its share of spills! After a bit of research, I discovered that the recipe was first published in the McCalls Cook Book (Random House, 1963). It is a typical sweet quick bread, similar to banana bread or cranberry nut bread, leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda instead of yeast. Quick bread batter can often be used to make muffins, and my pumpkin muffins are nearly identical to this bread, but with the addition of a 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 curdled or 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 to 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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Thanks, this recipe inspired me to try a vegan version, and it went really well. I replaced the egg with 1 tbsp flax and 2 tbsp water and replaced the butter with coconut oil. Heavenly x
I loved it, the family loved it, the neighbor loved it. I need to make more. I did add some brown sugar too.
Hi Jenn!
I only have one loaf pan. Would half the batter be ok hanging out in the fridge while the first loaf bakes? Is that too long for all the ingredients to mingle? I made this a few weeks ago halving the recipe and we need more! It was perfect. 🙂
I’ve made so many of your recipes now (my first was the doughnut muffins years ago) and I have never felt more confident in the kitchen! Your recipes are so thoughtful with beautiful flavor. It is abundantly clear that your professional training elevates every recipe. My whole family LOVES once upon a chef meals and treats. My kiddos gobble up their plates while my husband and I marvel at what just came from our kitchen. Thanks, Jenn!
Hi Kate, glad to hear your family likes the recipes! I think you could probably get away with refrigerating the batter for the second loaf while the first one bakes but the second one may not rise as much. If you have muffin tins, you could put the remaining batter in muffin tins and bake them at the same time as the loaf. Hope that helps!
Love this moist pumpkin bread. Perfect at 65 minutes. I added mini semi-sweet morsels. Perfect and kids loved it. Tastes of fall.
Pumpkin Bread Perfection!!! No exaggeration – Time for us to throw all other pumpkin recipes away!
Found the recipe online this morning and tried it – awesome! I just added some cloves, allspice and a half a cup of brown sugar. Was moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. This recipe is a keeper!
This was a fantastic recipe! I used speculaas spice that I ordered from the Netherlands. Try it sometime.
Erika from Maryland
Changed this recipe a bit, I used
– 1 cup of pastry flour and 1 cup whole wheat all-purpose instead of 2 cups all-purpose
– 5/8 cup olive oil instead of the butter
– more spices
– fresh grated ginger (1 tsp)
– 1 cup dark brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar (I cut 1/4 cup)
and it turned out perfectly! I definitely recommend adding fresh ginger, it gives the bread more flavor!
Excellent- flaky outside and moist inside. I did play around with the spices and made mine more ginger heavy but it was fantastic.
I am no baker but I’ve made this a few times and it turns out delicious every time! It’s so moist it melts in your mouth. Really an easy to follow and spectacular recipe. Thank you for sharing!!