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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Way too sweet !
Hey! I’ve made this recipe so
Many times and have loved it! However I picked up a mini loaf pan and I was wondering how long I would bake them for?
Hi Haley, I’d start checking them at about 35 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
How much do I use if I have pumpkin spice instead of ciñámon cloves and nutmeg?
1 tablespoon – enjoy!
This recipe was so quick, easy and delicious. Has a cake texture. I may bake in cake pans next time and frost with whipped cream cheese frosting. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
If I add nuts and cranberries… how would I adjust the bake time?
No time adjustment needed. Enjoy!
easy, delicious
Hi Jenn, I am going to make this healthier bread for my sister 😊Would it be possible to substitute one cup of maple syrup in lieu of sugar, thereby creating a ratio of one cup of sugar to one cup of maple syrup? First world problems I know, however I am concerned liquid syrup may ruin the texture,
Blessings, Norelle.
Hi Norelle, maple syrup, I would recommend sticking primarily with sugar; you’ll need that in order to create the correct texture when you combine the sugar and butter. If you replace any of the sugar with maple syrup, I’d keep it at a minimum. Hope that helps!
A lot of people said they cut the sugar in half and still had great success!
In a lot of “healthy” bread recipes they sub mashed ripe banana for some sugar?
Good luck 🙂
This recipe is excellent! The bread is moist and delicious and easy to make.
Hi Jenn, all the way from ‘down under’ 👋🏼 Really loving trying out your delicious recipes (your strawberry frozen yoghurt is the best we’ve ever had!)
Quick question… I impulse purchased some pumpkin spice mix from the USA Foods shop we have here, and I need reasons to use it now. How much would I add to this bread recipe? Thank you in advance, and for sharing such wonderful recipes for us to enjoy 😊
Hi Susie, I’d replace the cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg with 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin spice mix. Hope you enjoy!
I am using a standard loaf pan. I hope they come out okay.
It was hard not to keep eating slice after slice of this bread. Truly delicious and a breeze to bake!
Hello, excited to make this recipe. Is it possible to add chocolate chips? Will it change the texture?
Hi Julie, It’s fine to add chocolate chips — enjoy!
Hello so I was wondering if this could work in a muffin tin? If so what temperature should I put it at?
Hi, If you’d like to make muffins, I’d suggest this recipe (and you can omit the topping if you’d like). Hope you enjoy if you make them!
Timing was way off for me.
Thank you for sharing this DELICIOUS recipe! I have the bigger loaf pan, can I make just 1 loaf out of this recipe instead of 2 (for the height)? Would I still bake it at the same temperature and time? I devoured half right out of the oven… YUMMM!
Glad you like it! If you only have 9 x 5-inch loaf pans, I’d increase the batter by 1.5 and bake in two 9 x 5’s. Bake time may be a touch longer but oven temp should remain the same. Hope that helps!
Much better than your average pumpkin bread! This isn’t just pumpkin spice. It’s a great way to welcome fall.
I added my review but my husband’s review is even more glowing. He was not excited when I told him I was making pumpkin bread. He said he didn’t even like pumpkin. Now he can’t stop raving about it! He even asked if he needed to go to the store to make sure I had enough pumpkin to make more.
LOL – glad it was a hit!
Baked this evening! OMG absolutely delish! I didn’t have cloves so only used cinnamon and nutmeg! Definitely adding to baking rotation!
This bread is seriously way too sweet. I would cut the sugar by half and add some orange zest and cranberries to cut all that sugar. I threw away the rest of the batter. Garbage!
Please do not call a recipe trash simply because it doesn’t fit YOUR tastes. This bread is amazing!
Can I make muffins with this recipe?
Yep, I would use this recipe as a guide.
Wow!! I’m seriously the worst baker however I made this pumpkin bread without fail. It tastes legit. Can’t wait to share with my family. Thank you for sharing the goodness.
This is amazing! Instead of the written spices, I used a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon of allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground clove. I also accidentally melted most of my butter (oops! That’s what I get for trying to speed things up with the microwave) so after beating it with the sugar, I stuck in it in the freezer for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Other than that, I followed the recipe as directed. It took about 85 mins for the loaves to be done, though I suspect that may have had something to do with my melted butter mishap.
I’ve already eaten half a loaf by myself 😆 I’m bringing the other to my mom tomorrow. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Your recipe says to bake at 325°F for 60 to 75 minutes. Every time I use this recipe I realize it takes longer than the time shown in this recipe for it to be done. Mine takes at least about 95 minutes to be done for two loaves. I think I’m gonna try it at 350° instead. I tossed in some chopped up pecans and this turns out very delicious but the time and temperature of this recipe is off
Not only is this bread delicious, but I love that you shared the story behind it. Having treasured family recipes handed down and then being willing to share is very special:)
❤️
I’ve made this pumpkin bread several times. Great texture. Very moist.
I seem to be having problems with orange spots coming to surface on the top of the loaves by the next day after baking.
What can this be the cause of? I want my bread to look beautiful!
Hi Dani, glad you like the bread! The orange spots sound very unusual! Do you happen to have a picture of the bread with the spots? If so, please email me with it: jennifer@onceuponachef.com. Thanks!
I love this recipe! I use it all the time!
Made about 30 loaves of this last year for all of my friends. They all LOVED it and still rave about it. Making them again this year! They are SO GOOD!
The best pumpkin bread recipe you will ever find. Every time I make this, it turns out perfect. Everyone loves this when I bring it to get togethers. It’s always a hit!
Can you freeze the extra bread?
Definitely — it freezes beautifully!
Soooo good!!!!! I took out half of the sugar and divided the remaining amount between regular and brown sugar. I also added 1tsp of powdered ginger, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of almond extract. Perfectly balanced flavors! Will definitely be making this long again!
Hello! Loving this recipe. I have a question, can this recipe be used to make muffins instead? Does anything need to change? Same cooking time/temp? Thanks!
Glad you like it, Holly! I actually do have a muffin recipe that’s almost the same. You can check it out here (feel free to omit the topping if you’d like).
Hi!
I tried making this recipe again, and it has always had delicious texture and flavor. My only concern is that I struggle to get the height I am looking for on the loaves. My grandmother used to tell me to always have fresh baking ingredients (flour, sugar, soda, powder, ect.) prior to making something. Could this be what’s causing the lower height? It seems like the leavening agents are not leavening like I would expect them to work.
Hi Kristyn, Happy to help troubleshoot. It’s possible your loaf pans are too large…are they 8×4?
Hi Jenn!
Sorry it took me so long to reply. Ah! I checked my loaf pan sizes and you’re right. They are 9.5″ x 5.5″ so that’s the reason why the height was off. I will order some additional pans that are 8″ x 4″. Thank you very much!
Glad you got to the bottom of it! 🙂
I never write reviews but I had to for this pumpkin bread. This one is AMAZING! The best pumpkin bread you’ll ever have!!! It’s so fluffy and so yummy. You have to make this!
Will salted butter work? That’s all I have.
Sure — While it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can use the salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. Hope that helps!
I found that if I don’t use fresher baking powder, my baked goods don’t rise very well.
Thank you for that advice Eleanor! I will definitely start with a fresh batch of leavening agents when I’m baking again. Thanks!
Like a taste of heaven! Thank you for the recipe.
This is a great recipe. I reduced the sugar by a quarter-cup so it’s a bit less sweet. Comes together very quickly. Def going to make this again
Made this today first time. One loaf I added nuts. Both were good. Nice flavor and moist. Mine were done at 55 minutes but maybe it was my oven…
I’ve made this recipe and I love it. Make it every year. I was wondering if this would adapt into cupcakes well?
Sure, Melissa – you might reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup if you plan to frost them. I would start checking for doneness around 20 min.
This is bread is delicious!! I don’t think I can express into words how much I love this recipe and bread. It was a huge hit with my family the two times I baked and one even asked me to make this for her birthday. I do think the cloves slightly overpowered the other flavors so the second time I added a little less, but that’s just personal preference. I never expected this recipe and bread to be as good as it was!!
I reserve some of the butter and cinnamon/sugar, then brush it on top when out of oven. Big hit with kids. I also add crushed walnut on request.
My mom asked me for pumpkin bread once. I found your recipe. I have since become the go-to person for pumpkin bread! I make multiple batches during holidays, for out-of-state family visits, and on request from friends.
I have a sweet aversion, and have never actually tried it, but from the number of repeat requests, this is a true hit! Thank you!
First and foremost, the texture of this bread is fabulous! So moist yet light and airy – not oily or dense. I only took off a star because the spices are too strong for my liking. I’m not sure if it’s the clove or the nutmeg, but I’ll try reducing these next time. I’ll definitely make it again and play with the spices!
Hi—I really enjoyed this recipe. It was easy to follow, and the ingredients were easily available. I used a pumpkin from my garden. I just boiled it, cut the skin off, and mashed it. I used 500 grams for your recipe. Two wonderful loaves! It smelt great cooking.
This was such a great recipe ! I made one big loaf and reduced the sugar by 1/2 a cup, which was a perfect amount of sweetness for me. The cloves seemed to slightly overpower the pumpkin flavour so next time I would add a little less, but that’s just personal preference 🙂
Can I use pumpkin pie spice mix, in place of the individual spices? if so, how much? thanks!
Sure – you’ll need 1 tablespoon. Hope you enjoy!
Great thinking!
Excellent recipe that I have already made 4 times in 2021! Made exactly as outlined with the following exceptions: I used salted butter so I cut back the salt to 1/4 tsp, I used 3 heaping tsps of pumpkin pie spice in lieu of 1 tsp each of cloves, cinnamon and ginger, I cut back on the sugar to 1 1/2 cups as 2 cups of sugar was a tad too sweet for us, added 1 cup of softened Sultana raisins to the batter for more moistness and topped with chopped walnuts prior to baking. The recipe comes out simply perfect every single time!! Thank you so much for sharing this super good and treasured old time recipe.
Pumpkin bread isn’t really part of our baking culture in South Africa. I tried making it once before and it was disastrous, but i had loads of pumpkin that needed to be used up so i decided to give your recipe a try. WELL we made it 3 times in 2 weeks! Sooo good. I also liked that this didn’t call for pumpkin spice which is also not readily available here. Thank you
I love this recipe however it needs more baking powder. I put in 2.5 half teaspoons so it rises fully. Otherwise, it was great.
I apologise if I am posting this twice. My data conked on me mid “Enter”.
This recipe is my go to for a nice baked present for friends. I have a question though. I have 3 ripe bananas. Is there a way to incorporate them into this recipe
Hi Leila, I’ve never tried this with bananas so it’s hard to say how it would come out. You may want to give this recipe a try instead.
Beautiful texture and taste. A bit too sweet for us so next time would either reduce the sugar or try a different sweetener. Have you ever tried the bread with coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey?
Hi M, I haven’t tried it with any of those alternatives. I don’t have any experience with coconut sugar and regarding honey and maple syrup, I would recommend sticking primarily with sugar; you’ll need that in order to create the correct texture when you combine the sugar and butter. If you replace any of the sugar with honey or maple syrup, I’d keep it at a minimum. You could also just stick with sugar and cut it back by 1/2 cup. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe as muffins, and everyone I shared them with asked for the recipe. Deliciously spiced, perfectly moist.
Great recipe on it’s own.
Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of Cardamom for that extra spice punch!
Our neighbor enjoyed the second loaf in ‘repayment” for some Baking Powder!
I used a 19 oz jar of pumpkin butter (pumpkin, sugar, apple juice) and 1 cup sugar to make one 9 x 5 loaf (same timing) plus a few muffins (21 minutes). Everyone loved it.
My girlfriend introduced this recipe to me and I have made it three times since! Like the heading says – everyone loves it! We make muffins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cream cheese icing and it becomes a healthy cupcake! So light – absolute keeper!
I have made this bread many, many times. It is fantastic – amazing flavor and texture. A few years ago I made it into mini-loaves and gave it to people for Christmas. I also have made the cake version of it which is in the first cookbook. I brought that to a small gathering and it a hit. When I asked if anyone wanted a piece to take home before I wrapped it up – everyone said yes,
My guests rave about this recipe…my son in law says it’s his favorite way to eat a pumpkin!
Made this with gluten-free flour and mini chocolate chips. Everyone loved it! My mom even said that this recipe was a keeper because it was packed with spices you could actually taste. She said it reminded her of an old-fashioned spice cake mixed with pumpkin. 10/10 would recommend.
This is my go-to recipe when I crave pumpkin bread. Absolutely delicious every time!!