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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Could you use pumpkin pie spice instead
Yes, you’ll need 1 tablespoon. Enjoy!
I made it two days ago for a group of women. It could not have been more perfect! I’m making it now for an event on Sunday. It is the best!
It turned out great. Everybody is loving it!!
I followed the recipe without the cloves. I used 1/2 the sugar, 1/2c dark brown sugar 1/2c raw sugar and a really ripe banana. It came out very good.
I live in the tropics so I did not cook as long as you recommended, it was moist and very tasty.
Thank you for the recipe and all the work that went into your recommending it.
I will try more of your recipes later. Grateful
This pumpkin bread is absolutely delicious! Soft, moist, full of flavor…perfect. It presents a little on the plain side if giving as a gift, so I drizzled confectioner sugar icing mixed w real maple syrup over the top and sprinkled little bit of orange zest over the frosting.
And…I felt the loaves were not high enough when mix is shared between 2 full size loaf pans. So…Next time I’ll use 1 full size pan and one mini pan and see how that works.
My loaf pans are larger. Can I use the disposable foil loaf pans? Would temperature or time change?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris, the disposable pans should be fine with no modifications. Just keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
1 15 oz is very confusing. I thought that meant 1 lb and 15oz. The amount on the can says 1lb and 15oz. So I threw the whole can of pure pumpkin in there. Otherwise this recipe is pretty good.
Hi Bao, I’m sorry you found it confusing! I just updated the ingredient to try to make it a little more clear.
This bread is fabulous!! I have made dozens of Jenn’s recipes with absolute success, and this bread certainly doesn’t need another accolade, but it deserves it! After reading several comments, I opted to add only a scant 1/2 tsp of cloves, as we are not huge clove lovers, and it was perfect. I followed everything else to a T. 🙂
Gotta love all the readers telling a classically trained chef that her recipe doesn’t work ha! If you read a recipe and think it has too much sugar or cloves, make it with less. Pretty simple. This recipe is 50 years old so it has clearly stood the test of time. Those reviewers saying this needs oil to be moist either did not actually make the bread or made a mistake. This is the moistest pumpkin bread I have ever eaten. Thanks, Jenn, you rock!!
It is a delicious recipe, however I dont think it is the best. I’ve made countless different pumpkin bread recipes and this one always seems to fall apart and not stay together.
Agree! I did have some trouble getting it out of the pan however.
Line the pan with parchment paper and the loaf easily lifts out of the pan. Pull the parchment paper off before it cools. I have made this recipe countless times and have never had a problem.
I made this today and it is delicious. It’s my new go to recipe for pumpkin bread. Thank you.
I am an avid baker, especially around the holidays. I’ve made every type of pumpkin bread and muffin under the sun, and this is by the far the best I’ve ever made or had! The sweet to spice ratio is so on point, and it’s insanely moist. Thank you so much for sharing this one!
A fantastic pumpkin bread recipe. As others have noted, it is definitely clove forward. If you’d prefer more of a cinnamon/nutmeg flavor, you’ll want to back off in the 1tsp of cloves.
Mine turned out perfectly fluffy and delish with these high altitude (6,000ft) adjustments:
Decrease baking temp by 25deg
Decrease baking powder by 1/8 tsp
Decrease sugar by 1TBSP
Increase liquid 3TBSP (I used veg oil)
Be VERY careful to not overbeat the eggs. (I added them after the pumpkin and mixed by hand)
Correction…INCREASE temp 25degrees. ☺️
Again- a delightfully tasty recipe! Changes are just for high- altitude.
This is delicious!
I’ve baked this recipe for a couple of years now. It is outstanding! I’ve given it as gifts & every fall my kids ask for it when they come to visit.
It stands above the rest! Yummy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Just make this! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I made four batches at once and used various combinations–I used 1 cup of only brown sugar & turned out fine. I forgot the baking soda and baking powder and though it didn’t rise, the taste was still astounding. It’s basically fail-proof. I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour. I cut the sugar down to one cup. I used a combinaion of white and whole wheat flour. I used salted butter but didn’t add any other salt and the result of all this: IT’S ALL FINE & EXCEPTIONAL TASTE.
***********NOTE********
I baked all my four batches at once. I made each batch in seperate bowls (bless my husband, he cleaned up) and what I did notice is that in a mini loaf pan the rise was much more significant than in the large loaf pan as suggested. Also, my teens didn’t like this and one of them noted that it wasnt very sweet. I had not told them I cut the sugar in half. So, if you’re older and your taste buds are fully developped, 1 cup of sugar is plenty. If you have a sweeter tooth, go for 2 cups of sugar. It is so very good. Thank you, OUAC!
Excellent! I followed the ingredients and instructions exactly except for using a little less cloves. At the last minute I sprinkled chopped pecans and demerara sugar on top of the batter just before putting them in the oven. They rose beautifully – with all quick breads, I grease only the bottom of the pan so the batter can “grab” the sides of the pan as it rises. The texture was perfect and they taste so delicious. Wish I hadn’t given one away.
I made your pumpkin bread recipe it is the best I have ever had. Thank you for sharing it with me. I did add whipped cream cheese frosting on the slices to make it a dessert. It’s great either way. Thank you again
Heidi Hotmire
This is the best pumpkin bread I have ever had! It was so moist and flavorful! My whole family LOVED it!!! I have made it two times this week! I did use 16 ounces of pumpkin puree instead of 15 just to use up some that I had. Perfect for a family gathering the fall or winter!
It’s delicious and soft! Will make again!
This recipe looks wonderful! My son is dairy free. Is it possible to substitute vegetable oil for the butter? And if so how much? Thank you.
Hi Peggy, You need something solid to cream with the sugar, so if you’d like to use oil, I’d recommend (solidified) coconut oil. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I just made this bread with my 14 year old son as we were putting up the Christmas tree and it was amazing!! We loved it so much that it’s going to be our new tradition to bake your pumpkin bread while decorating the tree! Thank you so so much for sharing your family recipe!
I made this today. It’s the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had! I added dark chocolate chips but I wouldn’t do it next time. This is one of the very few times that chocolate doesn’t really add anything to a recipe. This bread would be delicious with a cup of hot cider or some type of autumn tea.
Oh my goodness. These reviews won’t steer you wrong. This is incredible. This is a perfect recipe and beyond delicious. The only problem is I don’t want to share it now! Thank you for the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had- coming from someone who is obsessed with all things pumpkin!
Very good. It’s a keeper!! Next time going to cut back on the cloves – it was a little too much for me.
I have made many, many pumpkin breads/loaves in the past 30 years. I have tried to duplicate the Starbucks recipe which I love so much. All that said…this is now my “go-to”. It’s as good or better than Starbucks which is saving me a lot of money!
I made a small change (I find people hate it when you change a recipe…sorry). Someone left a comment about how oil is the only thing that makes loaves moist and I agree coming from the south. I substituted the butter for 1 cup oil and using 2 – 8 x 4″ pans I bake for one hour. It’s just so good. No more searching!
Thank you, Jenn!
AMAZING! I brought it to school for my friend’s birthday and it was a fantastic treat during NHS.
Made this twice this week – moist and delicious!
This was really a nice, moist pumpkin bread BUT I am cut recipe in half and cut the baking time down drastically. Only took about 35-40 minutes in my oven at 325. I also used fresh pumpkin puree from a white pumpkin.
When everyone says this is the best pumpkin bread, they mean it! I found a crumb topping recipe to add on top of the loaves and this is BY FAR the best bread I’ve ever made. I’ve made the recipe 3 times in the last month because everyone wants it!
I made this Pumpkin bread last week, the first time I’ve ever attempted making anything like this, it turned out perfectly. The only thing I did other than following the recipe was I added some choped walnuts. It was so good that 2 loaves lasted about 3 days (I ate most of it). I’m going for bananna nut bread next, wish me luck.
I have a cookbook that my grandmother hand wrote for me as a bridal shower gift. I only add to the book recipes that I deem worthy and, congratulations, this recipe has made it into the book! The loaf has all the right textures; dense, without being heavy, moist, without falling apart and packed with just the right amount of spice for everyone.
i made this last night…holy smokes it was incredible; added choc chips to one loaf. Didn’t want all the butter so i split butter/unsweetened applesauce 50/50; will do 75 AS/ 25 bttr next time and cut sugar down by half due to the apple and pumpkin natural sweetness.
Due to high cholesterol i keep mini applesauce cups in pantry for all baking recipes to sub oil/bttr since unsweetened AS doesn’t change taste.
This was EXCELLENT. TYSM. Your recipes are incredible.
GREAT suggestion regarding applesauce, THANK YOU! I’m always looking for ways to up the healthy factor to treats.
This is my new favorite recipe. Moist and so flavorful. One of my loaf pans was being used elsewhere so I made it in a bunt pan. . It was a huge hit with my family.
I have made this twice. They have come out perfect and very delicious.
My bread didn’t rise. It’s not much higher than it went in
Hi Randy, 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 and your baking powder was fresh, it sounds like you didn’t do anything wrong.
Fabulous recipe! It’s a keeper!
Made and brought one loaf for a church
event. Had many positive comments.
Had the other for home. My family all
loved it. Moist and delicious!
( Pumpkin flavor is just right. )
Thank you so much!!
Nice. I put 1 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 2 and it was perfect. I put pumpkin seeds on the top. I will keep this recipe.
I have made your pumpkin muffins. They were wonderful. Is there any reason not to just use that recipe for a pumpkin loaf? Is there some advantage to using this one for the loaf?
Hi Pearl, The muffins contain a little less sugar because they have the sweet streusel topping. If you’d like to make a pumpkin loaf, I’d stick to this recipe (or you can use the muffin recipe if you’d like to add a streusel to the top of your pumpkin bread). Hope that clarifies!
Thanks. I’ll try the loaf recipe as is. I don’t really need the streusel topping even on the muffins. But I certainly loved it.!
Just wanted to refresh my comment made a couple of years ago. This is the best pumpkin bread recipe around. Mine have never failed and I go exactly by the directions except at times……I do add pecans, chocolate chips and turbinado sugar sprinkled on the tops. That’s the way my 5 year old granddaughter likes it. It is good. For those with problems with the rise……it is not a high rise but did notice that when I used my nine inch bread pans once instead of my eights…..there was some difference in the height.
Again…..thank you for this wonderful recipe. Everyone I share a loaf with wants the recipe.❤️
I found this recipe two weeks ago and I’ve already made it four times. I don’t know why anyone would think it’s dry because it’s literally perfect. Moist, packed with tons of flavor too! I didn’t have cloves, so I used pumpkin pie spice only in place of the cloves, left everything else the same. And I know what I’ll be passing out this year for Christmas!
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe of all time, hands down. My son asks for it constantly. I sometimes use two full sticks of butter; it still comes out great. So happy to have found it! Thank you.
I made this and it was a huge hit with both me and my husband.
I didn’t want/need 2 loaves so I cut the recipe in half and it turned out amazing.
That said I just might make it again and do the whole recipe and freeze the second loaf.
As per usual anything I make from Jenn is terrific.
The pumpkin bread looks delicious, and I would like to try it. I don’t have ground cloves, but I do have pumpkin pie spice mix from Club House. Can I use this instead and adjust the cinnamon and nutmeg amounts?
Hi Birgit, If you have pumpkin pie spice, I’d replace all 3 spices with 1 tablespoon of that. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Did anyone else grow up with their mom/grands baking their pumpkin bread in a metal coffee can? It was always wonderful. I wonder why the use of the coffee can for baking? I know they had loaf pans.
My family and I, the kids especially, love this recipe. It is our all-time favorite pumpkin recipe, and I just LOVE knowing the history behind it. Makes it even more special. Thank you for sharing!
Just made these today and it was a hit with the family! Made it in a Bundt pan because it’s all I have and it worked out. Super easy and moist!! I’m considering using this recipe to bake in mini loaf pans (5.5x3in) to gift this holiday. How long do you recommend I bake in the oven?
So glad you enjoyed this! I’d start checking mini loaves at about 35 minutes (although they may take a little longer). Hope your gift recipients enjoy!
Delicious! This was a real hit with my grandchildren!
Hi, would it be ok to use coconut oil instead of butter? Would the pumpkin bread taste any different?
Hi Jia, it’s fine to use coconut oil here. And from what I’ve read online, unrefined/pure coconut oil will lend a coconutty flavor and refined coconut oil will not. Hope that helps!
Moist, and delicious! Best pumpkin bread ever!
Wow – made exactly as directed and it is a fail. I should have suspected the crazy amount of cloves and nutmeg. Suggest 1/4 teaspoon cloves, not 1 teaspoon, and possibly 1/4 to maybe 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, at the most. Really, the clove and to a lesser extent nutmeg overload is awful. I would be surprised to learn that this recipe was professionally tested. I think the baking soda and baking powder proportions are also off – maybe switched.
I agree with you on this! It was very over powering and gave my entire family a stomachache 😞. I definitely think it was too much spices, especially the CLOVES! Definitely cut the amount of spice in half. Maybe 1/4 for the cloves. Yikes! My poor kiddos! I should have followed my instincts on the spices. Disappointed.
Loved it! I used vegetable oil based butter because I can’t have dairy, and I used fresh puree instead of canned. This caused my dough to be a bit runny so I added another half cup of flour. The consistency came out great! I also only used half a tsp of cloves since I didn’t have enough for a whole tsp but it still tasted amazing!
I made two batches: One with King Arthur 1:1 gluten-free flour and one with regular flour. Both turned out pretty similar, with medium rises and fine, moist texture. It’s a good recipe, but I’d like to spice it up next time (I played it safe by using only half the cloves, probably a bad move).