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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Making mini loaves. Adjusting time to see what happens. This is by far the best recipe I have found.
The taste of the ground cloves is overpowering everything else. And I only used ¼ of a teaspoon. I will leave that ingredient out next time. Other than that, the bread is juicy with a nice crust. Will make it again. Thank you!
Perfect recipe, used half tsp cloves. Can’t wait to try adding stuff in the future. Perfect size loaves, fell right out of the pans!
This looks great! Do you have any recommendations on how to adjust cook time if we use mini loaf pans to yield six loaves instead of 2?
Hi Carolyn, Are you using the standard mini loaf pan size (5¾” x 3¼”)? If so, while I haven’t tried it, I suspect you’ll only get 3 to 4 loves. If that’s what you’re planning on using, I’d start checking for doneness for about 35 minutes.
I decided on your recipe because it seemed to be the closest to the one me and my mom used to make. (In my memory) Somehow I lost that recipe. Wow! Good decision! Next time, I think I will cut the sugar a little. But this recipe is spot on!! I followed it exactly. Thank you so much for sharing.
Good recipe. I cut the sugar in half. Next time I’ll add some orange zest either to the bread or to an icing. I also used 2 cups fresh pumpkin, and baked the bread in a bunt pan. It only half filled the pan but made for an attractive presentation.
I cut the sugar in half, too…it was plenty sweet.
Hello and Happy Holidays,
I just made this bread and let me tell you, YUM! It was delightfully easy and full of flavor. I did add an extra teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice only because my family REALLY loves spice but I tasted it before that point and thought it was very flavorful. I made mini loaves for gifting from this recipe and the batter filled six very nicely. I swirled homemade cranberry sauce through some of the loaves and put a little cinnamon and sugar coating on the top before baking. I can’t wait to give these beautiful loaves away! Thank you for a recipe I know I will make again and again.
Wow an amazing idea the cranberry swirl!!
This has been by far the best pumpkin bread I have ever made.
This is the best pumpkin recipe I have ever tried. Perfect!
Excellent recipe!!
If made 2 days ahead, should this bread be frozen, or can it be stored in the cupboard, and if so, should it be in a sealed Ziploc bag or loosely wrapped in a bag?
Hi Diane, I store this bread loosely wrapped in foil on the countertop — it keeps well for 3 to 4 days. Enjoy!
This turned out SO DELICIOUS!!!
Mine turned out a bit more crumbly and didn’t slice well. Not sure what i can do to improve that, any advice?
Glad you liked it! Did you wait until the bread was completely cool before slicing it?
I figured it out. I used 1 and a half cups of butter instead of sticks! Wow
Dumb
I was about to respond to your first comment, but so glad you figured it out! 😊
I’ve made this twice now, first time in 2 loaves pan (think were a little too big) so were they were a bit on the small side. One with roasted pumpkins seed on top and I also used pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and cardamom rather the clove and nutmeg. Also cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups.
And made it today again, but in one loaf pan. Both times was delicious! My neighbors loved it, too much for one person!
Thank you!
I love cardamom…will use that, too, next time.
how many servings does it make?
It makes 24 slices. Enjoy!
Best pumpkin bread recipe, hands down, we’ve ever tried! I use Einkorn flour in place of regular (same amount), and it works beautifully. Have also made variations with chocolate chips and pecans. Jenn, this is a winner!
The flavor and texture of this bread is great. My husband and I both enjoyed it. It was too sweet for me, so I’ll try cutting the sugar down next time. There will be a next time!
I brought this to thanksgiving and it was a hit!
Picked this recipe because of all the positive reviews! Definitely a winner from a taste perspective, however, I found it a bit too sweet (for me) so I will cut back 1/2 cup of the sugar next time I make it. Perhaps add a streusel topping as some have suggested. That being said, my issue was that the loaves did not properly rise. Toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean so they were definitely done and I bake on a regular/weekly basis so I know my ingredients were fresh/wholesome. I even used my own homemade pumpkin puree (roasted, drained overnight and processed in my food processor until smooth). I think the oven temp of 325F might have been the issue because I normally bake other breads (such as banana bread) @ 375F. Does it sound like the lower temperature could have caused the rise issue? Any insight would be appreciated.
This was the most amazing pumpkin bread I have ever made. Everyone loves it and has requested more.
I have been making this for YEARS and it’s always a hit during the holidays. I’m too scared to try any other recipe! Some adjustments I make are cutting down the sugar amount a tiny bit and I just use pumpkin pie spice (about 2 teaspoons) – LOVE!
Every fall season I use this recipe. People are amazed by this bread and cannot stop eating it! I add a vanilla glaze on top and some walnuts and it is perfect. I’ve used this recipe about 3 times this fall!
Another recipe without the recipe, I hate blogs, what happened to online recipes.
It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions above. If you scroll down a bit to under the 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!
So I used this recipe but…replaced 1c of the sugar with brown sugar, added 1/2tsp each of allspice, ginger, cardamom, black pepper (sifted to get only fine stuff), and vanilla, used 2c of cheese pumpkin that I steamed instead of canned, coated the pan in cinnamon sugar instead of flour, and sprinkled some on top, and it was a huge hit!! It was a tad clove heavy for me, but multiple other people said they liked the amount of clove, and everyone who tried it said it was a great balance of spiced and sweet. I think I might play around with the leavening agents since it wasn’t quite as fluffy as I was hoping, but the density (not to say it was too dense—it definitely wasn’t!) might be contributing to the appeal so I certainly can’t judge it on that!! It also cooked in only an hour, but my oven is troublesome so that might be why. I used this as a baseline instead of my family’s recipe since that always comes out too dense for me, so this was an improvement there for sure. I know it seems like I made a lot of changes but this recipe was for sure a GREAT start point and it was all easy changes! I might try a gluten free version with oat flour soon since mine is usually too dense as well!
I bet like me, you have 9″, not 8″ loaf pans, as this recipe uses. I end up almost doubling the recipe in order to fill my pans.
I followed the directions. Both breads are small, maybe 1 1/2 inches high. I wondered about it after I put the dough in the loaf pans. I found other recipes that call for 1 1/2 cups of flour for one loaf, after I made this one. Even my husband said something about them being small. They were made to take to a work pot luck tomorrow. I was only going to bring one, and give the other to a friend. I guess I’ll bring both to work.
I had the same issue so I’m wondering if the oven temp was too low. Mine is pretty accurate, however, I also bake other breads at a higher temperature (375F), so next time I’ll go with a higher temp and see if the loaves rise like they are supposed to.
The dough should have been more than 1.5 inches in the pan before it was even cooked! I have a feeling either your baking soda or baking powder (or both) were old and should be thrown out and replaced. I’m only guessing because I had similar happen to me before and someone suggested I replace my baking soda and powder with new andVoila! it solved my problem. I think we tend to forget how long we’ve had those things sitting around!
I’ve been making pumpkin bread for years, but I wasn’t happy with my recipe that called for unhealthy vegetable oil. Found this one last year and I’ve used it 3-4 times so far and every loaf turns out perfect and cooked all the way through without being overdone on the outside. Easy, peasy and perfectly delicious!
Yes! Same. I love my recipe but it calls for vegetable oil. Looking forward to trying this one.
This is an easy and delicious bread.
I love that it uses a whole can of pumpkin and other conventional measurements.
I add a cup of raisins and a cup of chopped walnuts.
Fantastic recipe! It was absolutely delicious.
I omitted the Cloves as I prefer that flavor.
I used a bread loaf and made a few cupcakes with this recipe.
The texture, density and taste was perfect.
I Highly recommend this recipe.
I found this to be way too sweet. Also, mine cookef in 45 minutes. That said, I liked the crumb. Wonder how much sugar could be left out?
Hi Diana, you can get away with reducing the sugar by 1/2 cup.
I give this recipe 5 stars if you reduce the sugar to 3/4 c from 2c. I did not try the original suggested sugar amount because it seemed obscene. The bread was delicious with less than half the amount of sugar. Also I added pumpkin seeds to the top
I agree about the sugar…I cut the sugar in half and used 1 cup of light brown sugar. It was plenty sweet.
I have used this recipe in my family for years and HANDS DOWN!! it’s my family’s favorite. There is nothing like making this bread on the 1st day of Fall and throughout the season. The house smells so wonderful and the kids love the aroma after walking through the front doors after school! Yumm-o!!
Excellent recipe – as usual. Very moist, and spicey. I added about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Turned out perfect.
I found this recipe and it looks wonderful. Before I try it, however, I live at 6000 ft in elevation. Are there any modifications I should make to the recipe to accommodate high altitude baking? Thank you. Looking forward to trying this.
Hi Deborah, 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.
I added streusel topping and it was fantastic. My teenage son’s girlfriend said it is “one of the best things she’s ever eaten.” So delicious!
This bread is amazing! I took it to work and everyone loved it! I added walnuts and chocolate chips, but it would be great without anything added. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It will be a holiday staple at our house!
Can a mild vegetable oil be substituted for the butter and if so, how much for 3/4 c butter?
Hi Roberta, unfortunately, vegetable oil won’t work here as you need something solid to cream with the butter. If you’d like to use oil, you could use (solidified) coconut oil. It would be the same amount, so 3/4 cup. Hope that helps!
I used 3/4 cup vegetable oil and it turned out great
I make this every Fall and Winter and it’s the highlight of everyone’s year! The recipe is absolutely perfect – don’t change a thing. Thank you so much!!
Do you think this would work with 1 to 1 gluten free flour?
Hi Melissa, a number of readers have commented that they’ve made this with 1 to 1 gluten-freee flour and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Turned out great! I added raisins and chopped walnuts to one of the loaves (for my mom and me).
Could you turn this recipe into muffins?
If you want to make muffins, I’d use this recipe (and you can omit the topping if you’d like).
I put the streusel topping on the pumpkin bread. Yum !! Would love to know what your favorite cinnamon is, Jenn. Thanks!
Glad you liked it! I just use McCormick’s cinnamon. 🙂
My daughter and I made this today together and found the recipe foolproof! The pumpkin bread was delicious! We forgot to check our pantry in advance and discovered we were out of ground cloves. We doubled the cinnamon as a substitute. We also added one cup semisweet chocolate chips.
Thank you for another great recipe! Your recipes have made me look really accomplished in the kitchen … they are always a hit when served to family and friends.
This recipe is amazing, instant favorite! I would love to make these and give them as gifts for the Holidays… any recommendations on converting baking time for mini loaves? Thank you!
Glad you like it! For mini loaves, I’d start checking for doneness at 35 minutes. Hope your recipients enjoy!
Could this recipe be made into muffins?
Hi Rocco, if you’d like to make muffins, I’d suggest this recipe (and you can skip the topping if you’d prefer).
I’ve been making this the past 4 years for my friends and family – they are all obsessed with this pumpkin bread! Best when not cooked too long so it’s nice an moist! I will continue to bake every year!
Oh wow! Jenn, another great recipe. This pumpkin bread was amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Can we add pecans and dried cranberries? Also, can they be baked in mini loaf pans? If so, how?
Yes and yes. 🙂
You’ll likely get 3 to 4 mini loaves from the recipe. They won’t take as long to bake — I’d start checking them at 35 minutes. Enjoy!
Amazing! I’m not much of a baker but this turned out great. So easy to make and so moist! This will go into my favorite recipes book.
This is the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried dozens of recipes over the years. My family loves it and I make it at least once a week in either loaf or mini muffin form.
The only thing I do differently is use allspice instead of cloves, simply because I don’t have them on hand, and I sub the unsalted butter for salted. I find the little extra salt really brings the flavors out even more and makes it so rich. This is a great recipe and I’m gonna try the muffin/streusel topping recipe next!
My pumpkin bread turned out great! The texture was like a yummy Bundt cake! Next time I might top it with pecans and a drizzle of white chocolate bc I always like to be extra with my sweets:)
Made it last week and family loved it! So, making it AGAIN, but this time added walnuts to JUST ONE loaf (I’m adventurous, but not stupid)….
Tried this tonight and it was wonderful! Can this be made into mini loaves? If so, do you inow the bake time off hand? Thank you!
So glad you liked it! Yes, they can be made into mini loaves; I’d guesstimate this will make 3 to 4 mini loaves, and I’d start checking for doneness around 35 min (they may take longer). Hope that helps!
So incredibly yummy! My family loves the spicyness. It really is super easy to make. The crispy outside and moist inside, it’s almost impossible to resist.
I thought this recipe was great. Very moist and loved the spices. I even tried another comment’s suggestion about 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Delicious. But it kinda seems to be lacking a little on the pumpkin flavor. Can you add pumpkin spice also. I love all the other spices. I definitely will make again.
Sure, feel free to add up to a teaspoon of pumpkin spice as well.
Very odd recipe. First and definitely last time I’ll make this. I love pumpkin bread, make it all the time. Decided to try a different recipe and found yours…super not impressed. Way too sweet, not enough pumpkin or flour, definitely dows not make 2 standard loaves. Hard to call this bread also…more of a cake batter. I’ve never seen another pumpkin bread recipe where you cream the sugar and butter first. In fact I’ve never used a pumpkin recipe with butter, it’s usually oil, and I’ll be going back to oil in the future. This was grossly sweet, had a crust which I do not like, and only made 2 half loaves pretty much. Should’ve followed my gut and stuck with my go to recipe.