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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Another great recipe from once upon a chef! I am a fan now! Loved it, so light and delicious… i used homemade pumpkin puree
So yummy. I didn’t have to right size pans so I put in 1. I baked a little longer but kept an eye on it. The bread is so yummy. Glad I tried this recipe and will make it again!
Love this recipe. I made it the first time with fresh pumpkin puree opened from a can and it worked phenomenal. But I froze the rest of the pumpkin puree and measured the exact amounts before placing it in the freezer. I thawed one of the measured pumpkin puree to make pumpkin bread again and it deflated once it came out of the oven. Not sure if freezing pumpkin puree and then using it will create problems for making pumpkin bread though. Any suggestions?
Hi CL, glad you like the pumpkin bread! I think it’s fine to freeze pumpkin purée so I don’t that would make the bread deflate. Did you fully thaw the purée before incorporating it into the recipe? And was there any additional moisture when you thawed it? Deflating often has to do with something being under-baked so perhaps it just needed a few more minutes in the oven. Hope that helps!
THANK YOU GRANDMA! I have made this recipe 3x in 2 months and my neighbors want to buy loaves from me,. My son loves this recipe. It freezes well…half a loaf was frozen for 2 whole days 😊Best pumpkin bread recipe EVER! And I use vegan butter due to allergies. It is the yummiest!
I used fresh pumpkin purée that I had cooked in my Instant Pot. The only thing I would change is the amount of sugar. It was a little sweet for my taste. Otherwise it delicious.
This pumpkin bread is delish, my boys love it! Since its fall I wanted to use up my pumpkin spice so I just did 3tsp of pumpkin spice in place of the other spices listed – worked perfectly! Had no problem with sticking, I just used regular spray canola oil and lightly dusted it with flour instead of using butter & flour – easier in my opinion! Thanks Jenn!
Absolutely delicious recipe!! Made it into muffins rather than a loaf and they turned out amazingly moist. They were gone within a few days of making them!! Will definitely make this recipe again!
I’m a Montessori teacher and I have been using this recipe to bake with my students for the past five years- it’s delicious! I bake this at home for my family and my husband brings it to work as well. It’s light, fluffy, full of wonderful pumpkin flavor, and just the right amount of spice. The house/classroom smells amazing and festive when its baking. This is the only pumpkin bread recipe you need :).
Another great recipe! Thank you! First time making Pumpkin Bread and I couldn’t of chosen a better recipe. Thank you Jenn!
I have been in search of a pumpkin bread recipe, and I am proud to say this is the one! I also enjoy the two-pan suggestion so I can share it with family! Thanks a million.
I loved this recipe and I made this for Thanksgiving. It was moist and it was so good I made it twice! It wasn’t too sweet either. I added a dash of Vanilla Extract to add a bit more flavor. But with out, it is still perfect!
I made this recipe for the first time and shared the bread with my daughter and her family, it was an immediate hit. Her first comment – this is delicious, I need this recipe. Thank you, I think this bread will become a regular treat.
Thank you so much for recipe – I had a former friend share her family recipe with me (it might even be the same one you have) and I lost the recipe…and she and I are no longer friends sadly. My son absolutely loved her pumpkin bread but the smile he had after tasting this one, I think we found a new favorite. Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing this AMAZING recipe. My first time baking bread, and it was delicious. This will be a new Thanksgiving tradition in my family.
This recipe is a keeper! Everyone loved its taste and moistness! I did not have 2 loaf pans so I put it in my bundt pan! It worked perfectly! I didn’t have to change the time or temp.
It was perfect and I didn’t change a thing. Family loved it! It is a keeper in my special recipe book. Thanks for sharing.
This is a great recipe! I turned it into pumpkin muffins instead of the loaf pan and they were perfect. Used the other half for bunt cake and it was perfect with cream cheese drizzle!! Will make again for sure.
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever baked. Spices, moisture and sweetness are perfect. However, my loaf is pretty flat. I’m considering beating the egg white separately and folding it into the batter next time, but I don’t want to ruin an otherwise perfect loaf. What do you think?
Hi Diane, These don’t rise very much (they’re more like a cake than a bread). For the most predictable results, I’d stick with the recipe (and glad you liked it)!
Really love this recipe! And if you prefer using butter over vegetable oil like I do then this pumpkin bread recipe is perfect. I did reduce the sugar by half since my family prefers baked goods that are less sweet. Quick to make and the bread was great!
Hi, can you make the batter the night before and refrigerate and make it in the morning?
I don’t recommend it, Jim. I’m sorry!
This makes the BEST pumpkin bread. Question…has anyone made this recipe as muffins?
Hi Janie, You might like this recipe, which is very similar.
Made this into 11 jumbo muffins using paper liners and level 1/2 cup batter for each muffin. Cooked for approximately 40 to 42 minutes and let cool for about 30 minutes. Really, really great muffins! Thanks again for the recipe!
Love this bread. But the last 2 times I have made it, the dough is really thick and sticky. Is it supposed to be like that? Any suggestions to fix it?
Hi Maddie, It is a thick batter. If the end result is good, I wouldn’t worry about it.
This recipe is PERFECT! My family is going to love this pumpkin bread, of course, I had to have the first piece and it was delicious!
This recipe is a keeper! I made it exactly according to the instructions and it came out perfectly! I did not need more than 55 minutes baking time, though. One loaf is already gone and the other is in the freezer! Great recipe!
A really delicious version of a classic recipe. Moist and flavorful. I added chopped pecans and golden raisins because, well, I like them! I made several loaves and gave them to friends for a Thanksgiving morning treat.
This pumpkin bread recipe is PHENOMENAL, thank you so much for sharing!
Just made this earlier today and it turned out fantastic! Great taste and super moist, this will be my go to pumpkin bread.
Juan
Absolutely the best pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever baked!
Thank you.
I don’t have butter can I use oil and how much
The one oil that will work here is coconut oil – hope you enjoy if you make it!
Can I substitute almond flour to make it GF? Any advice on adjusting the recipe for almond flour?
Hi Cynthia, I wouldn’t recommend almond flour for this, but many people have made it successfully with an all-purpose gluten-free flour. Hope you enjoy if you try it!
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. 🙂
Great recipe! I reduced the sugar and added dark chocolate chips, walnuts and roasted pepitas. Was amazing with my morning coffee. Thanks for creating this recipe and thanks for your helpful responses to reviews 🙂
Good recipe for making multiple loaves. I tend to use less sugar and bake for slightly less time so that the bread is quite moist. Adding walnuts and raisins is great. I think this recipe is clearly superior to others that use vegetable oil in lieu of butter. I”m making 10 loaves as I type this for my neighborhood cheer up- It’s Thanksgiving in our driveways!”
Dear Peggy:
What a meaningful and delightful way to celebrate Thanksgiving….. in your driveways! I love it. Hope everyone was blessed by this great idea.
First time I made this and my kids said it was too sweet, other than that, very delicious. So, next time I used half the amount of sugar and it is absolutely perfect.
can I substitute coconut oil for butter?
Yes, while I haven’t tried it, a number of readers have commented that they’ve successfully used coconut oil for this. Hope you enjoy!
This bread is excellent!! Just wondering if you have ever baked this as 350 instead of 325? Thanks
No, I can’t say that I have. Glad you like it!
If you don’t have ground cloves and are trying to avoid going to the grocery store in the next 36 hours… what would you recommend as a substitute, if any?
Hi Kailyn, I’d use half as much ground allspice.
This recipe is awesome! So easy, and it comes out absolutely perfect. Crisp on the outside, so soft and light on the inside. I too added a quarter tsp. of vanilla. It makes it taste just a bit richer.
A really lovely recipe from start to finish! Clearly and succinctly written and laid out on the page. Step-by-step pictures give you a realistic, bird’s-eye view, you can’t go wrong. I elected to put 1/2 cup less sugar and it worked out very nicely. Delicious! I enjoy Jenn’s writing style and I particularly enjoyed her auto-biography. I know I’m getting education and experience in every recipe. Looking forward to many more recipes😁
Followed this to a T. However, when I went to turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack, the bottom of both loaves stayed in the pan. They came out easily with a spatula but came out crumbly. The bread seemed to be done, so not sure what happened. Any ideas? It tastes fine, however.
Sorry these stuck a bit for you! Did you generously grease the pans with butter and dust with flour (or use a baking spray with flour in it, such as Pam with Flour or Baker’s Joy)? Also, did you let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before turning them out?
When I went to put in 2 pans it was only about a 1/4 way up so I put in 1 pan. I was afraid it would be to thin. Hopefully it turns out.
Made today…delicious!!!
Great recipe..I didn’t add, take away or change a thing
I just made this pumpkin loaf recipe and followed it exactly. The loaves did not bake properly – I wonder if your oven temperature should be increased to 350-375 degrees. Also, I had mine in the oven at the recommended temp for 1 1/2 hours. Sadly, an expensive failure so I would pass on trying this recipe again.
What is your elevation? Personally I’m in Denver so I have to increase the oven temp.
How can I turn this into a cupcake recipe? Thanks in advance!
Hi Alex, I’d use this recipe, omit the topping and add the frosting you’d like. Hope that helps!