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 love this recipe however it needs more baking powder. I put in 2.5 half teaspoons so it rises fully. Otherwise, it was great.
I apologise if I am posting this twice. My data conked on me mid “Enter”.
This recipe is my go to for a nice baked present for friends. I have a question though. I have 3 ripe bananas. Is there a way to incorporate them into this recipe
Hi Leila, I’ve never tried this with bananas so it’s hard to say how it would come out. You may want to give this recipe a try instead.
Beautiful texture and taste. A bit too sweet for us so next time would either reduce the sugar or try a different sweetener. Have you ever tried the bread with coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey?
Hi M, I haven’t tried it with any of those alternatives. I don’t have any experience with coconut sugar and regarding honey and maple syrup, I would recommend sticking primarily with sugar; you’ll need that in order to create the correct texture when you combine the sugar and butter. If you replace any of the sugar with honey or maple syrup, I’d keep it at a minimum. You could also just stick with sugar and cut it back by 1/2 cup. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe as muffins, and everyone I shared them with asked for the recipe. Deliciously spiced, perfectly moist.
Great recipe on it’s own.
Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of Cardamom for that extra spice punch!
Our neighbor enjoyed the second loaf in ‘repayment” for some Baking Powder!
I used a 19 oz jar of pumpkin butter (pumpkin, sugar, apple juice) and 1 cup sugar to make one 9 x 5 loaf (same timing) plus a few muffins (21 minutes). Everyone loved it.
My girlfriend introduced this recipe to me and I have made it three times since! Like the heading says – everyone loves it! We make muffins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cream cheese icing and it becomes a healthy cupcake! So light – absolute keeper!
I have made this bread many, many times. It is fantastic – amazing flavor and texture. A few years ago I made it into mini-loaves and gave it to people for Christmas. I also have made the cake version of it which is in the first cookbook. I brought that to a small gathering and it a hit. When I asked if anyone wanted a piece to take home before I wrapped it up – everyone said yes,
My guests rave about this recipe…my son in law says it’s his favorite way to eat a pumpkin!
Made this with gluten-free flour and mini chocolate chips. Everyone loved it! My mom even said that this recipe was a keeper because it was packed with spices you could actually taste. She said it reminded her of an old-fashioned spice cake mixed with pumpkin. 10/10 would recommend.
This is my go-to recipe when I crave pumpkin bread. Absolutely delicious every time!!