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Pumpkin Bread

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By Jenn Segal
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Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!

Slices of Pumpkin Bread on a plate.

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.

Picture of a pumpkin bread recipe.

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

Bread ingredients including baking soda, eggs, and butter.

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.

Dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Whisk well and set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Butter and sugar in a bowl.

Beat until just combined. It will look a little crumbly.

Bowl of beaten butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Egg added to a butter and sugar mixture.

Continue beating for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

Beaten egg, sugar, and butter in a bowl.

Add the pumpkin.

Pumpkin in a bowl with a butter mixture.

Beat until combined. It will look a little grainy — that’s okay.

Electric mixer with a light orange-colored mixture.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.

Dry ingredients in a bowl with an orange-colored mixture.

And beat on low speed until just combined.

Bowl of pumpkin bread dough.

Transfer the batter to loaf pans.

Two bread pans of pumpkin bread dough.

Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Two loaves of pumpkin bread in pan.s

Let the loaves cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Two loaves of pumpkin bread on a wire rack.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!

Slices of Pumpkin Bread on a plate.

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Pumpkin Bread

Metric Cup Measures

Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!

Servings: Makes 2 loaves
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 65 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

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

  1. 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).
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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Comments

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  • My kids LOVE this bread! They are picky, so I omitted the cloves and it worked fabulously!

  • Could pecans be added? I like my pumpkin bread with nuts.

    • Hi Craig, Yes, but I would chop the nuts pretty small. This is a very moist and cake-like bread; the nuts might make it hard to slice.

  • Light, fluffy, moist, and flavorful. If you are concerned about all that butter, you can substitute 1/2 cup oil and they are still delicious.

    Next time I will add a little ginger, since I missed it.

  • My kids have been really sick and won’t eat hardly anything. I made these early this morning and oh boy they went to town on this bread! I’m glad they finally ate something and that they really liked it.

  • This is the recipe that got me hooked on your blog! I have made at least a dozen loaves. It is without a doubt the quintessential pumpkin bread. Moist, perfectly seasoned, turns out beautifully every time. I’ve made it for teachers and family with rave reviews from all and requests for the recipe. I have tried many pumpkin bread recipes over the years, but this is hands-down the best!!!

  • So yummy!This is rich and cake like and a definite keeper. I had a lot of pumpkin purée and increased the recipe by 1.5. Made 2 9×5 loaves and 6 muffins and I did cut back on some of the sugar too, and it was still sweet enough. Love the butter flavor with the pumpkin.

  • I just finished baking these loaves and they came out perfect! Not to mention the sweet smell filling my home. This is a gem of a recipe. Thanks for sharing

  • loved this bread. I added chocolate chips and it was fantastic!
    thanks so much.

    • — Rosemary Heller
    • Reply

  • This pumkin bread fits every criteria for me, I love butter based quick breads, this one is the best. Moist flavorful, just right. I add chopped pecans to the top of the batter once in the pan, and it looks spectacular. There is never a crumb left when I make this recipe.

    • — Stormie Sucharski
    • Reply

  • What if I made mini pumpkin loafs, would the bake time be the same? Also do you make a cream cheese frosting or glaze?

    • Hi Kristina, It depends on the size of the loaf pans, but I’d start checking after 30-35 minutes. I don’t use a frosting for these — they are plenty sweet as is. Hope you enjoy!

  • I made this recipe several times this fall. I did not change a thing! Followed the recipe as shown. I shared this bread and I have a loaf frozen for my son when he is home for Christmas.

  • I substituted quinoa flour, reduced the sugar to just < 1/4 c, blended dates and molasses with the cooked pumpkin leftover from Halloween and sprinkled pumpkin seeds on the top before baking. I really like the spice profile. Delicious. And easy to freeze if wrapped well. I've made ahead for over the holidays. Thanks Jenn. Don't remember how I initially found your site, but its a go-to for recipe ideas now.

  • Spent my 20s, 30s and 40s searching for the perfect pumpkin bread recipe and my search is finally over. Texture and taste is the best I’ve ever had and this recipe is so quick and easy! The bonus is it makes two loaves. Who can just have one loaf for a house full of boys?! Only two changes: I ran out of white sugar so I had to use 1 cup of brown sugar for the white sugar. Also, I don’t like cloves so I left those out. Thank you, Jennifer!

  • My family LOVED this!! Made it twice in two weeks. I didn’t have two cake loaf pans, so I used a 9×13 pan instead and baked 5 minutes less. Turned out great!!! Everyone loved how moist it was. Even my Dad, who does not like desserts, had two servings. Thanks again for another great recipe, Jenn!!!

  • After reading a previous review, I halved the nutmeg and cloves, and I am very happy with the results – the warmth of the spice was there but was not overwhelming. My family loved the bread and agreed that the full teaspoon of nutmeg and cloves would have been too much.

    Next time I think I will put a little shy of the 2 cups sugar in the bread, it was just a little over sweet for my taste.

    • — Kathryn Barrie
    • Reply

  • This bread was made for thanksgiving this year and was by far the best recipe I have came across. My mom and I plan on making it every year now!

  • No one else in family likes pumpkin pi so I’ve been looking for an easy pumpkin ‘something’ to add to the Thanksgiving table. This bread is so good I’ll be lucky if I have any left for the big day tomorrow.

    Just a few comments for others trying this recipe for the first time (I made no modifications to the recipe as posted):
    — My loaves rose very sluggishly at first, so much so that I was sure I had a dud in my oven. Eventually the loaves rose to the occasion!
    — My loaves baked to perfection about 10 minutes faster than called for in the recipe. I was afraid they might be undercooked even tho the tester came out clean. If I had let them go the full time they would have been ruined.
    — The only change I made was to increase the spices– using my own pumpkin pie spice mix with ginger. The result is I won’t be missing the taste of pumpkin pie tomorrow 😉 .

    –

  • Made this bread the other night for the first time. It’s the best I have ever tasted. I added a pecan crumble topping to one of the loaves and it was a big hit. . making more tonight to freeze.

    Thank you Jen for a great recipe.

  • Love the texture etc., however for my taste, the recipe has too much cloves and nutmeg. When I make this again, and I will, I will use 1/2 the amount of those 2 spices. Too overbearing. I personally enjoy the pumpkin taste more.. Also, watch the baking time, mine was done in 60 minutes.

  • Hi,
    Delicious flavor!! I added a 1/4 C Choc Chips, too. Only issue, was that it began to crumble after cooled. It is quite possible I mixed it to fast&long with my kitchen aid mixer. would that cause it to be more of a cake than a bread?

    • Hi Patty, This bread is definitely more cake-like and delicate, which is probably why it fell apart with the added chocolate chips. You didn’t do anything wrong with mixing it; that’s just the nature of it.

  • Try adding in a package of reese’s peanut butter chips and some pecans. Sends it over the top.

  • I add 1/2 cup bourbon soaked raisins (soak raisins in bourbon for 24 hours) to this recipe. Everyone loves it!

  • Have you ever added nuts and/or raisins to this recipe?

    • Hi Pam. I haven’t but I’m sure it’d be good 🙂

  • Hi Jenn, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Can light brown sugar be substituted for granulated? Thanks very much!

    • Hi Paula, Unfortunately, I don’t think brown sugar will work in this recipe. Sorry!

      • I put 1/2 C white and 1/2 cup brown sugar & it was amazing! My kids loved everything about this recipe! The spices are perfect! I made 2 recipes in one day & put mini chocolate chips in the 2nd recipe!

  • Making pumkin bread but have two different size loaf pans. Does it matter

    • Hi Janice, It depends; what size are the pans?

  • EXCELLENT! TASTY, MOIST AND DELICIOUS!

    • — Lenetta McCollum
    • Reply

  • I have been baking 40 years and this is the best pumpkin bread recipe I have ever made. Thank you.

  • I made the recipe a second time but halved the sugar. It is still very good, so I recommend doing so if you are looking to cut back on the sweetness a bit.

  • What a great, forgiving recipe! I accidentally added the sugar to the dry ingredients instead of creaming it with the butter. Still light and delicious!

  • I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times and it has always turned out beautifully. The family favorite was when I baked them in a muffin pan. Thanks for sharing!

    • Did you modify the baking time when you did this?

      • For the mini muffins about 15 minutes, the full sized about 25.

  • Absolutely wonderful – light, tender and delicious. My favorite pumpkin bread ever, and the only one I’m making from now on.

    • — Vicki Frederick
    • Reply

  • What are the nutritional facts please?

    • Hi Keri, They have been posted underneath the recipe. Hope that helps!

  • Excellent recipe! I traded out the butter for organic coconut oil. I used applesauce instead of eggs–local raw honey in place of sugar.
    This seriously is the best bread I’ve ever made and it’s so easy to make! Thank you for publishing this recipe for us!!

    • My daughter (who just had my first grandchild – a girl!) eats very healthy – so when you substitute how much coconut oil? How much raw honey? How much applesauce? Thank you for your reply.

      • Hi Sandie!
        I used 3/4 c coconut oil and 1.5 c raw honey. I used 2/3 c. Applesauce. Good luck!
        Cheers to healthy eating
        😉

    • How could you possibly know that its an excellent recipe when you’ve made so many substitutions?! Coconut oil and honey DO NOT taste the same as butter and sugar! Argh!

      • Hi Leah! Thank you for your input! I won’t dare review another recipe ever again unless I use every single ingredient that is listed. I’m a blasphemous person for even considering the notion that there may be people in my household that cannot eat certain foods. Mea culpa.

        • Hi Vanessa,

          I want to thank you for your healthy modifications. This recipe is very good.

          • Thank you for the healthy subst. measurements!! Will try.

            • — Sherri

        • I also would like to thank you for your blasphemous review! Very helpful as I am looking for a recipe for my 3 year old who is severely allergic to eggs.

  • Excellent recipe! I added a crumble topping of butter, flour and brown sugar as well.

    • That crumble topping sounds delicious. Would you put it on after it bakes or before it goes into the oven?

  • Can I bake both loaves of the Pumpkin Bread at the same time?

    • — Carolyn Gaynor
    • Reply

    • Yes, definitely.

  • Love this recipe using butter instead of oil. This is now my “go to” recipe for pumpkin bread.

  • I came across this recipe earlier today because I had the urge to bake something. It is remarkable! I don’t usually like pumpkin bread too much, but this is divine :). It has such a great flavor–I made it exactly as the recipe is written (I divided it up between one 8×4 pan and 2 mini loaves). My mini loaves took about 40 minutes to bake.

  • I have 5×3 mini loaf pans. How do I adjust the cooking time?

    • Hi Laura, It’s hard to say exactly, but I’d start checking after 35-40 minutes.

  • I made the pumpkin bread using this recipe, and although I didn’t have cloves or nutmeg it was absolutely amazing.

  • INSTEAD OF BUTTER, CAN YOU USE MARGIN???

    • Hi Amber, I haven’t tried it myself but it should work; just be sure the margarine is unsalted.

  • This pumpkin bread lives up to all the great reviews. Someone commented on how it seemed like you could put the whole batch in one pan. That is because the pan size is NOT a standard 9×5. What’s recommended is a SMALLER loaf pan. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

  • I doubled this recipe to make extra for family and my husbands work. It has been a huge it! I’ve already gotten requests for more!

  • Just made this last night. As always simple recipe but so delicious. Sent some to work with my husband. His co-workers loved it.
    Thanks Jenn!

  • My boss made her version (could it be the same?) this past week and it was outstanding…she had some streusel on top and it just made it all the more wonderful.

  • Do you ever use gluten free flours? Wondering if I can use a Bob’s Mill flour I’ve got in this recipe.

    Thanks!

  • I substituted coconut oil for the canola oil and doubled the cinnamon. I omitted the sugar completely. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out without the sugar, but it tasted good with a little bit of butter and honey spread on the top. My loaf cooked in 55 mins in a 175 degree Celsius fan-forced oven. (I live in Australia). Couldn’t really taste the pumpkin (used fresh cooked pumpkin). I added the raisins and substituted pecan nuts for the walnuts. I’m going to try the recipe with double the pumpkin and omitting the oil, as another reviewer has done.

    Great website Jen. Very well illustrated.

  • This bread is so delicious. Each fall I buy a pumpkin and bake it and keep the pumpkin puree in the freezer. This recipe is a great way to use the pumpkin. I drizzle icing on top of a loaf for a dessert. Freezes well.

  • Perfect! My kids gobbled it up!

  • I was wondering if you can use pumpking pie spice and if so at what measurement?

  • I added less sugar 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 stevia, I also used butternut squash as no store actually stocked pumpkin, I also used 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 cup of plain flour. When using fresh pumpkin best to steam it 12 minutes in microwave, blend with a stick blender, then give it 3 more minutes to concentrate the puree. Although the colour wasn’t as intense as the one depicted yet it still looked and tasted great. Perhaps the addition of pumpkins seeds, nuts and raisens, would enhance the texture. The family loved the recipe – thank you

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