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.
Above, you can see the original recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box—it’s definitely seen its share of spills! After a bit of research, I discovered that the recipe was first published in the McCalls Cook Book (Random House, 1963). It is a typical sweet quick bread, similar to banana bread or cranberry nut bread, leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda instead of yeast. Quick bread batter can often be used to make muffins, and my pumpkin muffins are nearly identical to this bread, but with the addition of a pecan streusel topping.
Table of Contents
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 curdled or 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 to 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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I made this bread for Easter brunch, and I have to say it was the definitely a show stopper. My family put out a dish of cream cheese to spread on it and it was really pretty good. The creaminess blended very nicely with the robust spices. I myself had a hard time staying out of it, for I had about 10 pieces, and I’m not exaggerating. I overeat on these occasions. My friend asked me for the recipe and said she really liked it. I always find that in pumpkin recipes it pays to double the amount of cinnamon, so I did. It was very profound in the bread. I also did 1 1/2 cups of sugar instead of two and it was perfectly sweet. Thank you so much for making this day special by sharing this recipe with us!
I made this recipe today, and it turned out great! My 4 and 2 year old really enjoyed baking with me. The only thing I’d change is the amount of cloves. Other then that, it’s delicious. [:
I really enjoyed this pumpkin bread. I love how you included a picture of your grandmother’s recipe. Those are truly cherished memories. I did add dried cranberries. I love them in pumpkin bread.
An excellent idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
My husband, who has previously not enjoyed pumpkin bread, absolutely loved this! We may have eaten the entire loaf in one day! By far my favorite pumpkin bread. I love all the big spice flavor.
This bread was very good! My 2-year-old enjoyed helping me make it, and we added tiny chocolate chips which were able to stay suspended in the batter and not all sink to the bottom like regular chips would.
I think this pumpkin bread is spectacular. My son inhaled it. I brought a loaf in to work, and it was devoured within minutes. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!!
OMG, the pumpkin bread is out of this world. I only used 1 and 1/4 C sugar otherwise followed the directions.
I have made this pumpkin bread four times already, and every time, it has been a big hit with my family and me. Considering that I have been baking for more than 40 years, adopting this recipe as my favorite pumpkin bread recipe says a lot! I am so glad that I discovered your site and your newsletter, Jenn — you are a blessing!
Thank you, Joanne. That is so nice to read 🙂
Any adjustments for high altitude? I’m at 5,280 feet (Colorado).
Hi Jeannine, I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking, but you will likely need to make some adjustments. Here’s a good guide: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html
I’ve made this pumpkin bread twice so far and it has been a hit especially with my toddlers. The first time, I followed the directions exactly as shown on this site, and it came out very good. However, based on personal preference, I made some adjustments to it for the 2nd time. I’m not a big fan of cloves and nutmeg so I only used 1/4 teaspoon of each and because my children eat it too, I reduced sugar from 2 cups to 1 cup. It tasted awesome!
As for complaints that it crumbles, etc., I haven’t had that. I oil the pan, put a parchment paper underneath and flour the paper and the walls lightly. After 75 minutes of baking, let it sit for 30 minutes and by turning the pan upside down, the loaf just slides out. Then I let it sit for couple of more hours to cool down completely. I highly recommend this recipe.