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 The best pumpkin bread recipe ever. my friend and i have been making it for years and i haven’t met someone who hasn’t loved it. amazing <3
I made it with fresh pumpkin puree, which needed about 1/4 cup extra flour. I also used pumpkin pie spice instead of the separate spices. My husband raved about it, and asked when I would make it again.
Yes, I use fresh pumpkin too. I made it twice and it did not rise and was very moist. Almost like a bread pudding. I thought I messed up and put too much butter. But I think fresh pumpkin purée has more moisture. So, I’ll try adding the extra flour. Thanks for commenting!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. This year decided to make the batter up in pretty molds for single servings to decorate for a party. Everyone loved them.
This will also be my thanksgiving dessert this year. I will bake in 2 rounds and fill with cream cheese frosting and decorate. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Susie
I’ve made this recipe several times and tweaked it to fit my taste preferences and to be slightly healthier so I can call it breakfast instead of dessert 😉
Unlike a lot of “healthy” recipes, this one still turn out light, moist and sweet.
I sub 1/4 cup Greek yogurt for the half stick of butter.
I sub 1/2 cup wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the white flour.
I only use 1 2/3 cups sugar.
I reduced to 1/2 tsp clove and added an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon (taste preference)
I also have made them into 24 muffins- Bake for 20 min.
With modifications: each serving is 135 cals, 4g fat, 23 carbs, 14g sugar, 2.5g protein
I totally get this is no longer the recipe, but it was this deliciously addictive recipe that made me want to make a healthier pumpkin bread.
Thanks so much for adding these options! I am in the process of learning how to make things healthier and really appreciate your suggestions.
After reading the other reviews I made 2 minor alterations: I 1 1/2 timed the recipe except for the sugar- left it at 2 cups, and I added dark chocolate chips, about 1 1/2 cups. It got rave reviews at a meeting. The loaves were ample sized and plenty sweet.
Thanks Jenn for another outstanding recipe!
I have never baked anything in my entire life and this recipe was very easy to make. I didn’t have a hand mixer to combine the sugar and butter together, so I ended up melting the butter instead. The bread came out very moist. Neither did I have grounded cloves but double cinnamon did okay…. I’ve never realized baking was something I’d really enjoy doing and now I’m eager to make more. Thank you!
Best pumpkin bread I’ve ever tasted!!!
Added chopped walnuts and subbed oat flour for all purpose to make it GF. Was worried that the difference in flour texture might not work as well but it came out amazing!
I cut the recipe in half to make 1 loaf and I used pumpkin spice in place of the individual spices. It baked for about 45 min. It came out SUPER moist, light and tasty. I would definitely make again.
How much pumpkin pie spice did you use? I was thinking of doing the same.
Hi Cyn, You’ll need 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. Hope you enjoy!
I’ll never try another pumpkin bread recipe. This one is perfect! So moist and flavorful. After trying a recipe once, I tend to take creative liberties upon remakes. Last time I used “heaping” measurements of all the spices and added chopped pecans. Excellent that way, too, but you really don’t need to change a thing. My family devoured two loaves quickly.