Pumpkin Bread
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This is bad. I added less cloves and still all you could smell are the cloves. Should only use one loaf pan. Two are way too thin.
This recipe was very disappointing. It was barely done after 90 minutes in the oven and was so moist and sticky that it was almost impossible to slice. I was embarrassed to take it to a breakfast as I had promised. Most of it came home with me. Some of the slices held together enough that I could toast them and the flavor was delicious.
So sorry you had trouble with the recipe, Betty. I’m wondering, did you make any substitutions?
Your first issue was making a recipe for the first time, and offering it to guests. Always make the recipe first prior to serving to guests. This recipe turned out great for me.
Same here. I followed the directions exactly. It smelled wonderful but once sliced the top part looked like bread and the bottom half was smooth like it was not done. I actually made it twice. Great flavor but after 60 to 75 minutes if bake time it was not done.
I give this recipe 5 stars. This pumpkin bread had an excellent taste and was very moist!
This pumpkin loaf is deliciously moist and flavorful. The recipe is easy and I’ve been making it around the holidays for two years now – it’s always a hit. I replaced some of the spices with my own blend and it’s still just as fragrant and delicious.
First, Thank for this recipe! My question is, can you freeze the bread, and if so, what is the best way to defrost it when you want it? Thank you. (:
Hi Julie, Yes it freezes beautifully. Simply defrost on the countertop.
My first time trying this recipe, oh my goodness I will make this one from now on. I even forgot to cream butter and sugar ( put sugar in dry mixture) still turned out so good. Thank you for this awesome recipes
How would you adjust cooking time for Mini loaves?
Hi Nisha, I would start checking at 35-40 minutes.
I’ve been making this pumpkin bread for a while now, and it’s my favorite recipe. Not only it’s simple and easy but it tastes great. My two toddlers love this bread and because they end up eating most of it, I modify this for health reasons and personal preference. I only use brown sugar and 1 cup instead of 2. I also use 1/2 of recommended clove and nutmeg because I don’t like their overwhelming taste and at the end after I mix all the flour mixture, if the batter is a bit thick, I add 2-3 tablespoons of milk to it and whisk it quickly. I also double the baking powder and add a tad of vanilla to it. During this season, this bread is a staple in our home.
Smells wonderful. Added walnuts and substituted half dark brown sugar for the white sugar. Yummy!
Thanks for the recipe. We are living in Brussels, Belgium and can’t find pure pumpkin puree. We only found Pumpkin pie mix. It says it contains sugar and spices. Any thoughts on whether or not to add the recommend amounts of sugar and spices. We thank you from Brussels!
Hi John, It’s hard to say since I don’t know how much sugar is in the mixture, but I would say cut back on the sugar by 1/2 cup, and reduce the spices by about 25%. The recipe is pretty forgiving so it should work 🙂