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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Best pumpkin bread recipe ever. I added raisins and used mini loaf pans to make a loaf size that was easy to freeze and enjoy later. I’m still working out the baking times for the smaller loaf size.
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe out there. It produces two delicious loaves. The flavors are warm and the texture is moist but not too moist. My family of four can never save a loaf to freeze for later because we usually finish in a day or two. I sometimes add chocolate chips to this recipe which is yummy as well.
Pumpkin bread is a favorite of all ten of my grandchildren. Jenn’s recipe(or rather her grandmother’s recipe) is the way I first learned about Jennifer Segal’s world many years ago. One of the college grandchildren had texted me pleading for a loaf (or two) of pumpkin bread. “PLEEEEEZE, BUBBE!” I had never been overly pleased with other recipes (too spicy, too heavy, or too sweet), so when I started looking on line and came across this recipe with a photograph of the worn and stained recipe from her grandmother, I KNEW it had to be good. It has become a family favorite. I have probably made over 100 loaves over the past few years (yes, I do have the recipe memorized). It is very well received all year ’round, not only in the fall.
Just made the Pumpkin Bread for the 1st time this morning- it is DELICIOUS!! I just started to get emails from Once Upon a Chef and they all look good! And I’m trying the Beef Tenderloin recipe this weekend- now that I know how to cook it properly!!
Made this twice. Easy and yummy.
Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m excited to try it. I was hoping to cut back a bit on the sugar, though, so I was wondering if I could use unsweetened apple sauce instead? How do you think I might need to adjust the recipe if I do?
Thanks!
The only pumpkin loaf recipe I use. Delicious.
Keep up the good work. I love your site!
So many great recipes and so little time…lol
I have made this bread more that twice. This is a keeper. I like to combination of the spices (clover, nutmeg and cinnamon). This pumpkin bread is perfectly moist, not-too-sweet and couldn’t be easier. Very delicious.
I have made this bread more that twice. This is a keeper. I like to combination of the spices (clover, nutmeg and cinnamon). This pumpkin bread is perfectly moist, not-too-sweet and couldn’t be easier. Very delicious.
This is my go-to recipe for pumpkin bread. My family and I enjoy it year round. In addition to the spices listed, I also add 3/4 teaspoon allspice and 3/4 teaspoon ginger. I sometimes add raisins and/or chopped walnuts to the batter for a change of pace. But certainly delicious as is! Freezes well too so you can always have a loaf on hand for unexpected company or as a hostess gift.