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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I found this recipe a few years ago and I’ve used every year since around the holidays. Everyone always loves it and it’s without a doubt my favorite pumpkin bread. Definitely plan on keeping this recipe on hand for years to come. Recommend it for sure!
Best pumpkin bread ever!
I tried other recipes but none of them were as amazing as this one! It’s chewy but soft, simply gorgeous.
Also I made this in one loaf and it was perfect!
This is the best pumpkin bread I have ever had! Is this recipe easily doubled?
Yep 🙂
I made this twice in two days. Neither time did it full my pans. It may be because I am using fresh pumpkin puree I made myself earlier this year. It was great, moist and tasty.
This is the best pumpkin bread! It’s flavorful and moist and perfect. Since I have three larger loaf pans (9×5), I doubled the recipe and got three amazing loaves. I only added a little bit more cinnamon because I like it and a pinch of allspice. My family loved this bread and I’ll be making more before Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing! It’s a winner!
I made this for myself last week and am making it again for family and friends for Thanksgiving… It is fantastic!! I did use half the amount of sugar (I always reduce sugar in any recipe) and I added walnuts… So moist and delicious… Thank You
I want to make this but I have loaf pans that are 9×5 and then mini loaf pans 3×5, there are four each on one unit. How would you recommend i change the process?
You could go either way, but I’d probably use two 9 x 5-inch pans and multiply the recipe by 1.5 so you have enough batter. Hope you enjoy!
I had a large can of pumpkin for pumpkin pies but knew my family would not need two pies. I used half the can for this bread and am so pleased with the result! This pumpkin bread is delicious! Even my VERY picky children loved it. Thank you!
I used one 9×5 and one 8×4 (that’s what I had in hand) and it worked very well.
Hi there! Super excited to try your recipe today! (I’ve tried many, reading your reviews gives me hope this is the best one <3 )
Quick 2 questions:
If I wanted to add chocolate chips how much would you recommend? I wasn't sure if 1/2 cup would be too much.
Also, would it be possible to either add/substitute brown sugar? Or would the brown sugar make it too moist?
Appreciate your help!
Hi Lindsey, I think 1/2 of chocolate chips is fine but if you’re concerned about it being too much, feel free to use 1/3 cup. I’d recommend sticking with the granulated sugar for the most predictable result. That said, some readers have commented that they’ve replaced some of the granulated sugar with brown sugar. Please let me know how it turns out when you make it!
Thank you Jenn!!!
I have tried your recipe twice now and both batches came out amazing.
Your recipes are now my to-go-to!
So glad to hear it — thanks for the follow up!
This is honestly the BEST pumpkin bread recipe ever! I am making it for the millionth time this weekend for a family get together and was wondering if there is an icing/frosting recipe you would recommend topping it with. I don’t want to change the bread recipe, I just want to add a little extra on top.
Hi Amy, So glad you like it! You could try the frosting from this recipe. Please LMK how it turns out!
It turned out heavenly!!!! That bread never lasts a day in my house and with the icing it barely lasted hours! Thanks again!
👍
My mom found this recipe a month or so ago. It is our new favorite thing! Instead of 2 loaves, we make 8-10 mini loaves so we can share. And share we have!!!!! Our favorite “add ins” are:
my son’s fav- espresso chips
my mom’s fav-peanut butter chips
my 2 favs-raisin & walnut and espresso chips & walnut (walnuts make it over the top amazing!)
Another “add in” we have used and liked very much was white chocolate chips.
Everyone we have shared mini loaves with have raved about how incredible they are. You did your grandma proud sharing this! 10 stars if I could.
Hi Tammy,
I’m looking to make mini loaves as well! How long are you baking them for in the mini pans?
Thank you!