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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Very tasty but the texture was loose like cake…did not look dense like picture.
Measurements for baking powder and baking soda are backwards. Baking powder to baking soda should be 2:1 especially in a loaf with pumpkin purée.
I made it! It’s so simple and tasty. I added a bit of molasses, ginger and a sprinkle of cardamom because I need those flavors in my fall baking. But it was SO EASY. I love a simple recipe and I’ll keep this one forever.
Excellent!!
Thanks for sharing!
Best pumpkin bread recipe! I also made this recipe with a sprinkling of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate chips—added calories but worth it!
I love this recipe! So delicious. Thank you Grandmother.
I just made this with my granddaughter. It is the best homemade pumpkin bread I’ve ever made. So very moist. And the spices are perfect. I will be making more next week!
Where has this recipe been all my life??? I’ve been searching for this for years and had almost given up having tried multiple recipes from many others. They were always too heavy or wet, and just didn’t look or taste like this. This is a perfect recipe just as is or if you want to add in chocolate chips, it’s amazing that way too. All my family is in love with this bread and I have made it several times in the last month for friends and family… it’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing
Super delicious! Don’t change a thing.
I have made this several times including making it for others and we all love it. Ir would be helpful to have the printed recipe as your grandmother’s original is lovely but hard to read. I don’t have the patience to watch a video.
Hi Linda, Glad you like it! You don’t have to rely on that version of the recipe though If you scroll down a bit to under all the step-by-step pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
I changed this recipe a lot but only so I could eat it with my restrictions. It turned out great so I thought I’d pass my changes on:
I used equal amount of applesauce instead of butter
2/3 cup monk fruit in place of 2 cups of sugar
4 Tblsp flour and the rest almond flour to equal 2 cups
Separated the eggs and whipped the whites plus one addition egg white
Then folded that into the batter at the very end.
Added a few dark chocolate chips
Used 4 mini pans and cooked for 45 minutes.
I don’t like changing recipes and I wouldn’t if I didn’t have restrictions. It’s nice to be able to enjoy a good recipe with modifications.
Thank you Jen. You ROCK!
Wow!!! First of all, I’m sure everyone’s made pumpkin bread before. It’s a standard classic right? And I feel like even for the most inexperienced baker a quick bread is something you can’t quite mess up. And everyone has the best recipe right be right? Wrong… This hands down has to be the best pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever made!!! I cannot believe how light and fluffy the batter was! it was so fluffy that it was almost like mousse ! I did make a few changes however, I added vanilla and chocolate chips. Also because cinnamon is my favorite spice I added a good tablespoon and a 1/2. I also made them into d muffins instead of a loaf. The taste was unbelievable the bread was so light :v fluffy but still really filling at the same time which I don’t understand ( in a good way!) I don’tdefinitely gets 2 thumbs up and if I had a 3rd I’d put up the 3rd one too!
This recipe is fool proof! I am NOT a baker and this pumpkin bread came out amazing! Super moist, the family loved it!
so this is excellent! everyone loved it.. no edits. thank you
Best Pumpkin Bread I have ever made. Your grandmother found a gem when she cut it out of the magazine. Love the fact that it makes 2 loaves….one to eat now and one in the freezer for another time.
Best pumpkin bread EVER. I added a maple glaze and it’s fabulous!!!
Hi Sarah, I’ll let Annie weigh in on the maple glaze but wanted to respond to your question about rating the recipe. You can just skip that portion in the comment section and go directly to where you add your question or comment. (I removed your rating.) Hope that clarifies!
I made mini muffins (bake 20 minutes) and they turned out perfect!
Absolutely amazing recipe!! I just tried it and it was so simple to make and came out 10x better than I even expected. Super easy and delicious.
This was phenomenal! Came out super soft and not too sweet. I added pumpkin seeds on the top while it baked. Amazing recipe!
This has been my go to recipe for pumpkin bread for a while now and I just have to say how much we love it. I doubled a recipe every year around this time and sent some to my husband’s office and they just go crazy over it. So for my family to yours thank you very much for the recipe. It is most definitely a keeper.
Would using brown sugar over white sugar change the recipe at all?
Hi Paige, I’ve only made this with white sugar so for the most predictable results, I’d recommend sticking with the white sugar. That said, some readers have commented that they’ve replaced some of the granulated sugar with brown sugar and have been happy with how the loaves came out. Please LMK how they turn out!
I actually used brown sugar, I browned my butter, and added dark chocolate and pecans, and let me just say that my mouth was having a fall awakening. I highly suggest playing with this amazing recipe. I’m adding some blackcurrant to the next one.
If I wanted to make mini loaves how should I adjust the temp/time?
Hi Peggy, you can keep the temperature the same; I’d start checking them for doneness at about 35 minutes (although they may take a little longer). Hope you enjoy!
My rule of thumb for mini-pans is same temperature but 85% of the time. Seems to work for me. I also add just a pinch of black pepper.
Please help: This was he best tasting pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. I Love the flavors. I made it twice.
I only use fresh pumpkin. Both times I made it, it did not rise and was very moist, almost like a bread pudding. I thought I messed up and put too much butter. I also use a pastry flour with freshly ground flour. I have a more glutinous flour and thought it would try that next, thinking it might be the flour I used. But I now think fresh pumpkin purée has more moisture. Would you say that’s right? Would the extra moisture keep it from rising? If so, how much more flour should I use in the recipe?
Thank you for your help.
Hi Dayna, I’m sorry about the problem you had with how moist the bread was. After roasting the fresh pumpkin, do you squeeze it thoroughly to get out any excess liquid? If not, that white would explain why it has that texture.
No, I don’t. I didn’t know I had to do that. What would I squeeze it with?
Also, can I add extra flour?
You can put the puree in a sieve, put it in the sink, and apply pressure to it using a ladle, small plate, or bowl. This will extrude much of the moisture. For extra insurance, you can let it sit for 30 minutes to allow it to continue to drain.
This was the first time I had ever tried to make any sort of bread. I followed the recipe just as it is and it turned out amazing. I took it to work and now everyone wants me to bring more! Thank you for such a good easy to follow recipe.
Hi,
Your recipe calls for Pure Pumpkin. Will it work with pumpkin pie filling?
Thanks.
Unfortunately not — sorry!
Delicious bread, but unless you really like cloves, I would reduce to 1/2 teaspoon.
I made these yesterday. So easy and so delicious! I used pumkin pie spice for all the spices instead because I didn’t have the ground cloves but it still came out good. I also added chrystal sugar sprinkles on top for crunch and chocolate chips in one of the loaves. The chocolate chips complimented the pumkin flavor!
This turned out perfectly. Only changes I made were necessary to my availability of ingredients. I used self-rising flour instead of plain and omitted ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder. Also, instead of individual spices, I used 1+ tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
So very moist!
Mine did not come out as shown, never rose in pan and gummy
I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Did you use 8 x 4-inch loaf pans?
Tastes wonderful but did not rise but to about half size of loaf pan. Used fresh baking powder.
Hi Kathy, The pumpkin bread doesn’t rise a ton (it’s more like a cake than a bread) so assuming you used two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans, I don’t think anything went wrong. (And glad you like the way they tasted!)
Hi Tina, 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. Hope that helps!
Same with me- I followed directions pretty closely. Though mine did rise in the oven a little bit, it looked like it fell or something as it cooled. The top of it was flat so it turned out very, very dense.
I realized I made a mistake. In Canada, they don’t have the cans labelled in oz, so I used 1 can of pumpkin here which is 796 ml instead of 15 oz which is apparently 443 ml. So I used way too much pumpkin! It would help to have the measurement in cups or mL in the recipe card so others don’t make the same mistake! I realized I made the mistake when I made the pumpkin pie from this website (which is absolutely amazing) which lists 15 oz can as 1 and 3/4 cups. Otherwise the flavour was really tasty!
Hi Paulina, Glad you figured out why the pumpkin bread had the texture it did. The great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps!
That really helps- I plan on trying a bunch of recipes on your site since I had such success with the pumpkin pie, pie crust, and pumpkin bread the 2nd time around so will be sure to change to metric next time! Thank you Jenn!
Yes I had the same experience, followed to the letter
I agree that it’s too sweet. Would reduce sugar to 1+1/4 cup maybe. Also agree that I didn’t care for the amount of cloves. I made the recipe exactly as posted and it was very moist and yummy but a couple changes would make it a bit more to my taste. I absolutely love this chef’s recipes and even have her cookbook, but wanted to give my honest feedback.
My daughter-in-law made this pie and brought it over to share with me. It was excellent! Thank you Jenn!
They will be visiting me in a week’s time, so I am going to try making your pumpkin loaf to share with them. I’m having 2 friends in a couple of days to celebrate our Canadian Thanksgiving. Will try the pumpkin loaf served with whipped cream for dessert.
I found this to be overly sweet and bland.
Don’t know if my comment will add anything not already said! I found the equal quantities of spices really deepened the flavor. Most pumpkin bread recipes go lighter on ground cloves. Also, using butter, instead of oil, was new to me but the bread is still very moist. Just shows you that the tried and true recipes are still golden!
Hello we have different can sizes, how much pumpkin would we add in cups?
Hi Michelle, you’ll need 1-3/4 cups. Hope you enjoy!
Mine came out crumbly. Way too much baking soda I’m guessing. This to me was the worst pumpkin bread I’ve ever made. I followed the directions to a t.
Little less than 65 mins for me— not sure if it’s because I used glass loaf dishes. Perfection at around 57 mins when the skewer came out clean. Can’t stop eating.
I made this bread and it was delicious. Also, it was pretty simple to make. The only substitution I made was that I used margarine, instead of butter and I cut the recipe in half, to just make 1 loaf, instead of 2. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious!
Made using King Arthur 1:1 gluten-free flour. I didn’t have cloves so substituted with 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Let the batter sit for a few minutes before baking hoping it would help with the gf flour.
Thank you! This recipe was fantastic!!
I love this recipe. The best one
Wow! I never leave reviews…but both my sons said better than Starbucks pumpkins scones. This recipe is a Gem! Thanks SO MUCH for sharing.
What spices are used?
Hi London, You can find the full recipe here. 🙂
‘canned pumpkin’!
have you heard of actually buying real pumpkin?
this must be an American recipe.
wonder they don’t have canned eggs.
sorry to be snarky, but … wth.
Gee who booboo’d in ur cereal? Its just canned pumpkin, the recipe is delicious!
As someone who has tried recipes like this with real pumpkin–meaning buying the pumpkin itself, cutting, seeding, roasting, mashing, pureeing, and seasoning–it is 100% not worth it. In fact, my family preferred goods made with canned pumpkin. I’m not sure where you are located, but “canned pumpkin” in the U.S. is literally just pumpkin… I’m holding a can right now and it says “INGREDIENTS: PUMPKIN.” Maybe canned pumpkin means something different where you are! Either way, I’m sure you could make this recipe using your own homemade pumpkin puree.
could you use the streusel topping from the muffins and add to the loaf??
Yep, but I would reduce the sugar in the bread by 1/4 cup. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
Made this for my friends and it was a huge hit. The crust is amazing and flavors are so good. The only thing is that the loaves are a touch short. When you look at the pictures on the recipe the full loaves look tall but the pictures of slices the loaves look shorter. That’s what mine look like. Aesthetically I’d prefer them to be taller loaves but they taste so good I will make the recipe as is!
I made this recipe today for the first time…. Absolutely delicious.. can’t lose this one!!
I was thinking the same thing! Thanks for the question, and for the reducing sugar response! Can’t wait to try it!!
I was replying to the streusel topping…
Just made a loaf for the first time. It turned out well but I feel like 1 teaspoon of cloves is too much. My bread came out too spicy. My kiddos didn’t like it so I’ll be eating this one alone. I’ll try this recipe again but definitely reduce the amount of cloves next time.
I agree……1 teaspoon of cloves is too much and it over powers the bread
this is The best pumpkin bread recipe ever. my friend and i have been making it for years and i haven’t met someone who hasn’t loved it. amazing <3
I made it with fresh pumpkin puree, which needed about 1/4 cup extra flour. I also used pumpkin pie spice instead of the separate spices. My husband raved about it, and asked when I would make it again.
Yes, I use fresh pumpkin too. I made it twice and it did not rise and was very moist. Almost like a bread pudding. I thought I messed up and put too much butter. But I think fresh pumpkin purée has more moisture. So, I’ll try adding the extra flour. Thanks for commenting!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. This year decided to make the batter up in pretty molds for single servings to decorate for a party. Everyone loved them.
This will also be my thanksgiving dessert this year. I will bake in 2 rounds and fill with cream cheese frosting and decorate. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Susie
I’ve made this recipe several times and tweaked it to fit my taste preferences and to be slightly healthier so I can call it breakfast instead of dessert 😉
Unlike a lot of “healthy” recipes, this one still turn out light, moist and sweet.
I sub 1/4 cup Greek yogurt for the half stick of butter.
I sub 1/2 cup wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the white flour.
I only use 1 2/3 cups sugar.
I reduced to 1/2 tsp clove and added an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon (taste preference)
I also have made them into 24 muffins- Bake for 20 min.
With modifications: each serving is 135 cals, 4g fat, 23 carbs, 14g sugar, 2.5g protein
I totally get this is no longer the recipe, but it was this deliciously addictive recipe that made me want to make a healthier pumpkin bread.
Thanks so much for adding these options! I am in the process of learning how to make things healthier and really appreciate your suggestions.
After reading the other reviews I made 2 minor alterations: I 1 1/2 timed the recipe except for the sugar- left it at 2 cups, and I added dark chocolate chips, about 1 1/2 cups. It got rave reviews at a meeting. The loaves were ample sized and plenty sweet.
Thanks Jenn for another outstanding recipe!
I have never baked anything in my entire life and this recipe was very easy to make. I didn’t have a hand mixer to combine the sugar and butter together, so I ended up melting the butter instead. The bread came out very moist. Neither did I have grounded cloves but double cinnamon did okay…. I’ve never realized baking was something I’d really enjoy doing and now I’m eager to make more. Thank you!
Best pumpkin bread I’ve ever tasted!!!
Added chopped walnuts and subbed oat flour for all purpose to make it GF. Was worried that the difference in flour texture might not work as well but it came out amazing!
I cut the recipe in half to make 1 loaf and I used pumpkin spice in place of the individual spices. It baked for about 45 min. It came out SUPER moist, light and tasty. I would definitely make again.
How much pumpkin pie spice did you use? I was thinking of doing the same.
Hi Cyn, You’ll need 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. Hope you enjoy!
I’ll never try another pumpkin bread recipe. This one is perfect! So moist and flavorful. After trying a recipe once, I tend to take creative liberties upon remakes. Last time I used “heaping” measurements of all the spices and added chopped pecans. Excellent that way, too, but you really don’t need to change a thing. My family devoured two loaves quickly.