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 haven’t read the reviews … I’m wondering whether this recipe could be used for cupcakes as a base? For how many would it be, what do you think? More than 12 I think. Thank you for your answer.
Hi Mojca, if you want to make cupcakes, I’d recommend using this recipe (and you can omit the streusel and replace it with frosting). Hope you enjoy if you try them!
Dear Jenn, these muffins were really great. Tender with an awesome taste. I omited the streusel as you recommended and replaced it with frosting of mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. But I got 24 muffins (cup cakes) instead of 12 – ok, those were a little bit smaller, maybe. Luckilly I’ve got two muffin pans, completely normal size, not smaller ones, and everything ended happily (for my children definitely). 🙂
I have one more question – could I replace baking soda with baking powder? I mean to use baking powder only? Normally we combine baking soda with some acid ingredient (lemon juice, joghurt …) to get bubbles, but here isn’t any of them. Is it possible pumpkin has some acidity? Thank you for your answer. Mojca
Hi Mojca, Glad you enjoyed! I haven’t tried this with only baking powder, but the recipe works so well as is I’d be hesitant to change it.
Good point! Greetings from Slovenia. 🙂 Mojca
I’ve made this bread over and over, and it never disappoints. Such great flavor and so easy! I’ve never made any additions but am wondering if I can toss in some mini chocolate chips? If so, how much would you recommend? Chocolate and pumpkin are not my preference, but one of my kids will truly enjoy. Thanks!
Hi Anna, So glad you like this! Sure, adding chocolate chips is fine. I’d recommend anywhere between ½ and 1 cup.
Doesn’t say the oven temperature and how many minutes
Hi Verna, the oven temperature is 325°F/165°C and the bread gets baked for 65 – 75 minutes. Hope that helps!
This was my first attempt at Pumpkin bread. I used fresh pumpkin and it turned out perfect! My husband, family and friends were impressed and everyone loved it (thanks).
I do have a question, how can I make this gluten free. I have a dear friend who I would love to make it for.
Thanks in advance.
Glad you liked it! I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but many readers have commented that they have with success. A number of people have commented that they have good luck with King Arthur’s gluten-free flour.
so good!
Jenn – I’ve made this bread before and the top gets really sticky the next day. Any idea why?
It does get a little sticky naturally, but make sure to store it very loosely covered; that will cut down on the stickiness.
Add a dollop of whip cream perfection
Oh yes!! This is definitely worth making. We loved it at our house and will make again. Will be my “go to” recipe from now on. Instead of using 2 large loaf pans which I did not have, experimented with a 4-cavity mini loaf pan and baked about 45 minutes. Loaves are great size for holiday gift giving. Recipe turned out just right. Thank you Jenn.
Great recipe but I would use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin (I had one left from Halloween that was not carved – I cooked it and pureed it. I also reduced the sugar by taking 1/2 cup out and it was sweet enough for me and my family. Since I took the sugar, I added a bit more pumpkin puree (1/4 cup) to make it even more moist and for an extra crush, 1/2 cup of pecans. Ok I changed a lot of stuff but still an excellent recipe.
How long would I cook mini loaves? Visiting family out of town and my daughter in law only has 1 loaf pan and a few mini pans. BTW, my 14 mo. grandson LOVES this pumpkin bread!
Hi Tina, Glad your family likes this! I’d start checking mini loaves at 35 minutes. 🙂