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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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  • This recipe is just about perfect as is!
    But, IMO, it’s a little too heavy on the cloves as is. Instead of 1 teaspoon of cloves, you could easily get by with 1/4-1/2 tsp and add 1/4 tsp ginger powder for a perfect balance. But texture, sweetness and pumpkin flavor are excellent!!

  • If I make half the recipe, can I use half of all ingredients?

    • Yup – hope you enjoy!

  • Super easy and super delicious. I cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups and added in chocolate chips. Big hit with family and friends . Love the smells of fall baking!

  • Hi, I’ve made this recipe every fall since I found it (and loved it every time) but my son recently developed a dairy allergy. It is possible to replace the butter with margarine? Or another butter substitute?

    Thank you!!

    • Hi Richa, You could try this with margarine (in stick form) or solidified coconut oil. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with either of these!

      • Hi! So, I ended up making it with oil (I realized the margarine my hubby brought home still had some lactose in it and I had already mixed some of the dry ingredients and was too far in).

        Honestly, it turned out great! It was soft, moist, and rose just as it always had in years past when I’ve made it. I’m so glad that with a small adjustment I was still able to share this recipe with my son.

        Thank you, Jenn!

        • So glad it came out well with the oil — thanks for the follow-up!

  • MISS GURL!!! THIS BREAD IS SO FRIKIN GOOD!!! The crust is perfect. The inside is the fluffiest of all the pumpkin bread. It tastes amazing.

  • Hi.

    When I tried baking this loaf it came out kind of flat so I tried doubling the recipe but had some trouble with baking times. I baked it for about an additional 15-20 min and then increased it to 340 for a few minutes since it still wasn’t cooking through. The crust came out pretty hard and the inside had some uncooked spots.
    When doubling, is there a specific temperature or time that I should bake it for?
    Thanks!

    • Hi Ella, this is more like a cake than a bread and doesn’t rise very much. The problems that you had doubling it are a result of it being in too small of a pan to be doubled. (It makes sense that the outside got overbaked while the inside was still not cooked through.) For the best results, I’d recommend sticking to the original recipe. Sorry!

      • I have made this recipe so many times and it was always a hit. I recently made a sourdough starter and was wondering if and how I could use the discard in the recipe.

        • Hi Pete, Glad you like this! Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about incorporating a sourdough starter into a quick bread so I don’t have much wisdom to share. I’m sorry!

      • 3.5 stars.

        This was good but not great in my opinion. Very very sweet even though I used only 1.5 cups sugar and no glaze or frosting.

        Also the taste was much too buttery. Next time I’ll try it with half oil half butter though I’m not sure how that will work with the creaming step. Maybe I’ll add the oil with the pumpkin at the end?

        This was the first pumpkin bread I’ve tried and it was moist and flavourful (I used 1 tbsp of an organic pumpkin pie spice I particularly like that also included cardamom). I liked how there was ample pumpkin and pumpkin flavour unlike some recipes that have a tiny bit of pumpkin and really are just spice cakes.

        Since the texture was so fantastic and moist I will try this again with less butter and sugar. Hopefully it will still work.

  • I’ve made this several times with great feedback from everyone I’ve given it to. I did change up the spices. I just add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger instead of the individual spices. It’s perfect for me, as I love ginger. I also add raisins some of the time.

  • This recipe is really good. Easy to make too.

  • Another 5 star recipe! My entire family loved it and all thought it was way better than the pumpkin bread from Starbucks. Very moist, flavorful, and easy to make!

  • Should I change anything for a higher altitude? We just moved states and I made this recipe last year. It was delicious

    • Hi Renee, Thanks for your note. I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.

  • Hello, how much freshly baked real pumpkin should I add instead of canned one?

    • Hi Maggie, you’ll need about 1-3/4 cups of fresh pureed pumpkin. (After you’ve cooked and cooled the pumpkin, use a towel to squeeze out all of the extra liquid you can so the bread isn’t too moist).

  • Loved it! I cut the sugar (1 & 1/2 cups) and I think it changed the texture a bit. Regardless turned out wonderful.

  • The bread smells and tastes delicious! I will be making it again.

  • I’ve made your pumpkin muffins with pecan streusel many times. They are a big favorite and they freeze so well. Getting ready to make the pumpkin bread and wondering if you think the pecan streusel would work on top of the bread as well?

    • Hi Carol, Definitely — just reduce the sugar in the bread by 1/4 cup.

    • Can I use this recipe for muffins too? What temp and how long ? Thanks !

      • Hi Carolyn, I’d go with this recipe for muffins. It’s very similar and you can omit the topping if you choose to. Hope that helps!

  • This bread is perfection! Moist and flavorful every time! Thank you for this treat that all who’ve tried go back for more!

  • Best recipe for pumpkin bread ever! Made it twice so far. Second time I added 1/3 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts and 1/3 cup dried cranberries. Each time it was perfect!

  • This was so easy to make and my husband and I loved it! Made the whole house smell so good while it was baking. It was so good I probably could have eaten more than one slice, but I made myself have some self control until tomorrow!

  • Hi, my name is Howard L and I live in New Jersey. I was in the mood for Pumpkin Bread and this recipe was the first one that showed up and with a 5.0 Rating with thousands of reviews. Night before I made Pumpkin Scones. Tis the season! What got me was that this recipe is 50 years old that your Grandmother clipped. I’m really sentimental about this kind of thing. Anyway made this recipe last night, and cooked for about 72 minutes. Only thing I changed was the sugar. I did 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of Brown sugar. It was so delicious. WOW! Next time I’ll stick with the 2 cups of granulated sugar. This is a definite keeper. I’ve tried so many Pumpkin recipes in the past. But this is fantastic! Thank you.

    • — Howard Lieboff
    • Reply

  • I made this for the first time today according to the recipe. This recipe is amazingly DELICIOUS and my entire family agreed. The bread cooked perfectly. Some reviews noted that the bread was too sweet, spicy or burned. I used glass bread pans and they were done in about an hour. There are variances with ovens and baking pans. When making a new recipe, I believe it’s important to keep an eye on things baked for the first time. Thank you again for a winning recipe, Jennifer. I have enjoyed many of your recipes and am looking forward to many more from your two cookbooks and website! You are one of my favorites!

    • — Cynthia Tamimi
    • Reply

  • Great recipe! Just wish I had reduced the clove to 1/4 tsp or even 1/2 tsp just bc the clove was a little overwhelming. I also added some roasted pumpkin/sunflower seeds and honey to the top before placing it in the oven and it came out amazing! My husband ain’t a fan of pumpkin bread but he ate 2 big slices quick.This recipe will be a staple in my family from now. It’s crazy how simple it was to make with just the items in your pantry. Thank you for sharing

    • — Stephanie Stone
    • Reply

  • Tastes great but this would be better labeled as a cake!!!
    I didn’t question the recipe nor ingredients and just followed…. It’s very sweet!
    I added a bit of ginger for the kick

  • Not sure why this recipe calls for 65 minutes?? The loaves were burnt within 30 minutes.

    • Hi Megan, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Did you use two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans?

    • Do u Recommend using brown sugar or white sugar?

      • Hi Marisol, I’d stick with the white sugar. Enjoy!

  • This is the best PB recipe ever. I’ve made it many times. Sometimes it comes out kind of squat. What am I doing wrong? Over mixing the sugar and butter perhaps?

    • Hi Cindy, so glad you like it! It’s interesting that you’ve had some variation with the height. Mine are always low in profile as this is more of a cake than a bread (so it may be that you’re not doing anything wrong). Please let me know if I can help in any other way!

      • Hi .. I didn’t have the 8×4 pans I had a 9×5 and a small one but I didn’t think it would amount to much after I put some in the 9×5. Do I put the entire batter into the 9×5 at 325°. Now I’m waiting to see if it comes out ok. What do you think? Lol Now that it will probably be done and over with by the time you see this. Lol

        • Hi Cyndie, Yes, I’m weighing in too late to help! How did the bread come out? I suspect the texture was a lot more dense. If you want to use this recipe again and don’t have the correct sized pans, I’d recommend these muffins. (You can omit the topping if you want; just add 1/4 cup more sugar to the batter if you do).

  • As some have suggested, I cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups and it was still sweet enough. This is more like a cake than a bread, but very tasty.
    When I ate it warm fresh out of the oven, I thought the clove was too overpowering and that I should have added less. But after it cools down, the spices settle and the taste becomes much better! I did one loaf with chocolate chips, and it was very good too!
    Overall, I do recommend this recipe for those looking for a pumpkin CAKE with a strong spice flavor 🎃

  • I also followed this recipe to a “T” and it was amazing in both flavor and texture. The texture was to die for!! You have to look at other variables if your attempt failed. For those who love sweets it should get 10 stars!

  • Really great! I used 9×5 glass bread pans and baked for 58 minutes and it was perfect.
    So glad you made the note about it looking grainy after you add the pumpkin! I was worried for a second that I did something wrong 🙂
    I’m going to make again in mini loaf pans and gift them. I will watch closely for time but should I change the temp?

    • Glad you enjoyed them! For the minis, I’d keep the oven temp the same. 🙂

  • How much pumpkin puree would this be in cups?

    • Hi Jennie, you’ll need about 2 cups of fresh pureed pumpkin. (After you’ve cooked and cooled the pumpkin, use a towel to squeeze out all of the extra liquid you can so the bread isn’t too moist).

  • I love the recipe. My step kids always ask for during thanksgiving and Christmas.

  • A friend of mine “wowed” me with this bread at a pot luck and I’m super excited to try it! I am wondering if the same temp but longer time would work for a bundt pan instead of two loaf pans?

    I’m not much of a baker, so I don’t have loaf pans handy.

    • Hi Marie, Glad you liked it! If you’d like to make a bundt version of this, I’d recommend this version (from my first cookbook). Hope you enjoy!

  • It was absolutely delicious. Ty for sharing the recipe.

  • Tried this recipe and it was nice and moist. Adjusted time and temperature because I made mini loafs and muffins. The family ate them faster than I expected.

    • — Darlene Morgan
    • Reply

  • Not a question but rather a review. 2 Oct 2021, I made this recipe today and absolutely amazed, on my part, as how it turned out. I have a new gas stove which is doing quite well for cooking/baking tasks. This recipe turned out two loaves of very light and moist pumpkin bread. It is definitely one to use over and over again.

  • I make this pumpkin bread every year. It is so delicious. My family loves it. We give our chocolate lab a very small piece & she loves it too.😊

  • I make this pumpkin bread because my granddaughter’s eyes and smile light up when she sees I’ve made it. That, and it’s flat-out delicious.

  • Best pumpkin bread to date. Shared with friends and they raved about. Ribbon worthy.

  • I made this..it burnt a bit but the taste was delicious! More like cake I’d say. Great for travel food too. So substantial.. rather than crisps or other junk snacks. Def a repeat with not so hot oven. ❤️❤️❤️❤️😸

  • Absolutely delish. Made this for coworkers and each one came back for seconds!

  • First time making pumpkin bread and the instructions were super easy to follow. Turned out great!

  • Thank you so much for this tasty recipe. I have been looking for a good pumpkin bread recipe for like three years and I finally found it! Yay! Maybe it’s because it’s made with butter and not oil but it was definitely not dense . Whoever said that it was dense was out of their minds and obviously doesn’t know how to bake or follow directions lol. I’m a great cake baker but I’ve always had trouble with breads but this was the perfect muffin bread recipe. I added Chocolate chips to one loaf and kept one plain, they were both delicious!

    • Great idea to add chips to one! My kiddos would love that

  • Delicious! Cut suger by 25% still super sweet. Could probably cut by 50%. Also reduced salt by half and added a little ginger.

    • I cut the sugar down to 50% to 1 cup and it was perfect. Sweet, but not too sweet.

  • I don’t eat a lot of sweets, so this one was shockingly sweet for me (however, my husband with a sweet tooth is a huge fan).

    It’s a great base so I’ll make it again, but I’d love just a hint of sweetness. Has anyone cracked that? I was thinking maybe 1.25 cups.

    I was also wondering if brown sugar would work here for more of a caramel flavor.

    • Hi Carmen, You can cut the sugar back by 1/2 cup, but if you reduce it more, it may begin to impact the texture of the bread. And 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 so you could try that. Please LMK how it turns out with any tweaks!

    • I used brown sugar..I takes it to another level…yes and I used coconut block.

  • This pumpkin bread recipe is delicious! However, I made two changes to my liking. I personally think you can easily cut back on the sugar. Two cups is alot of sugar. I put in 1 3/4 and still found I could’ve used less. Also I cut back on the spices. Clove and nutmeg are so powerful. I used 1/2 of a teaspoon and they delivered plenty of flavor. Other than that, this recipe is a keeper! I’ll try it again with 1 1/4 cup of sugar., with hopes of only using 1 cup.

  • I followed the instructions to a “T” and it ended up gummy and super dense.
    Will never follow this recipe ever again. NEXT!

    • Then you definitely did something wrong because it came out perfectly for me!

    • Hi can you please share if baking in a convection oven what temperature you would use or would you stick to the recipe in a Normal bake mode?
      Thanks!! Can’t wait to make

      • — Heather Taylor
      • Reply

      • Hi Heather, When using the convection setting, the rule of thumb is to reduce the temp by 25°F. Hope you enjoy the pumpkin bread!

        • Oh😢 that’s why mine was burnt..

      • The convection option shouldn’t be used with cakes according to the booklet that came with my stove. Everything else it’s fine to use with convection but it’s ESSENTIAL to cook at 25 degrees lower than the regular temperature posted and for the least amount time suggested!

        Hope this helps all bakers 🙂

        • — Susan P. West Kelowna, BC Canada
        • Reply

    • You may have used to much pumpkin, I say that cause that’s exactly what happened to me and it came out exactly how you’re describing it but once I used the right amount of pumpkin it came out perfect

    • I agree with the other reply that you obviously did something wrong. This was a delicious pumpkin bread recipe that had the perfect texture. I bake all the time and I have looked for a good recipe because all the other ones really are too dense. This one turned out great.

  • This recipe is a keeper.👍

  • Overall, I was pleased with the pumpkin bread. I reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup and cloves by 1/4 tsp. I noticed a couple of reviewers reduced the sugar too but I would add more sugar next time. I used 9×5 pans because that was all I had but even though they were a bit flatter, they are still good. Very moist and lots of flavour.

  • This pumpkin bread recipe is so moist and delicious! Now my “go to” recipe.

  • This recipe is a family favorite! From my toddler to my grandma, everyone loves it! I cut the sugar in half without it affecting the taste and also reduce the cloves, as it proved too spicy for the kids.
    I look forward to baking this bread every fall and come back to it year after year.
    Thank you for this and other amazing recipes.

  • The best pumpkin bread recipe ever! I’ve been making this pumpkin bread for 8 years (since my daughter was a baby). I am baking another batch now because both of my kids eat it like crazy. Make it. You won’t be disappointed.

  • Had a great flavor. Texture was a little off. Fell apart easily. Still delicious.

    • Hi Lori, Did you wait until it was completely cool before slicing it? That can help.

    • My children love this recipe. When they talk about fall….they always mention the pumpkin bread. It’s something they look forward to year after year! They like it when I add chocolate chips to the recipe.

  • The best pumpkin bread recipe I have ever tried

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