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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This is a delicious Pumpkin Bread made with no changes to the recipe/instructions!! I have made this many times and my family loves it! I also gift loaves to family and friends.
I absolutely LOVED this bread. Definitely on the sweeter side, but it was just the treat I was looking for.
I used Bob’s Redmill GF measure for measure flour and it turned out wonderful. I also made a cream cheese icing drizzle for the top.
When I make it again, I’ll probably reduce the sugar in the bread to allow for the cream cheese icing drizzle.
Love it! I halve the sugar and add 1/2 tsp of ground ginger to make it a little extra spicy. So moist and delicious
I absolutely love love love your recipe!!! It’s delicious, moist, and mouthwatering. My family always looks forward to it whenever I bake it. If I bake it 2 days ahead of an event how should I store it? Refrigerator or freezer or do I cover it and just leave it out?
Glad you like it, Gabriella! I would just cover it and leave it out at room temp.
Thank you!!
My go-to Pumpkin loaf recipe. Always get lots of “yummy” comments when I make this.
I was wondering about trying to sub the butter for canola oil to test the texture. Do you recommend this and how will this alter the recipe/flavors????
Thank you!
So glad you like this, Joelle! Unfortunately, canola oil won’t work here as you need something solid to combine with the sugar. If you’d like to use oil, you could try (solidified) coconut oil. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out. 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly, but I used unsweetened applesauce instead of butter. I made one large loaf, and next time I make it I’ll cook it at 350 on convection instead of 325. It’s an outstanding recipe, the whole family loved it.
We love this recipe and my daughter wants to share this with a friend that is vegan. Any suggestions for egg substitutes? Thanks!
Glad you like it! Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder, and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!
I have had great success replacing 1 egg with 1 Tbs water, 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp baking powder, mixed together in a separate bowl and then add to recipe when called for. I’ve used in recipes that call for no more than two eggs. Double above for recipes with two eggs.
Good to know — I’m sure others will appreciate having another alternative!
Can I use 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 pans to make this recipe???
Yes that’s fine; the loaves will just be a little flatter.
Kelly did you have success making eggless? Hoping to make it this weekend and have a friend who’s baby has an egg allergy.
Mine didn’t rise quite as much as the picture, not sure if it was my purée as I made it from scratch? But honestly the best pumpkin loaf I have ever tasted. Thank you.
Hi Elle, These don’t rise a ton (they’re more like a cake than a bread) so I don’t think it had anything to do with the fresh pumpkin you used. Glad you enjoyed it though!
Thanks for this answer. Now I know why mine didn’t raise much but it is delicious. Thanks for the recipe
I love this loaf and am now doubling the recipe as it goes fast. I substituted dark brown sugar 1:1 and prefer the taste.
Excellent recipe, very moist, I give it 5 stars‼️
I used 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices. Best pumpkin bread I ever made.
I can’t get enough of this bread. I’ve made it twice in the last month and given a loaf to my neighbor and son. Super easy, moist, perfect pumpkin bread. I added walnuts. Definitely a favorite