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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Omg delicious! Thank you for the wonderful recipe..perfection.
I think I’m one of the very few that was not happy with this recipe. The cloves were incredibly strong and I got very little pumpkin flavor. To me it’s more of a gingerbread flavor. The texture and flavors were good, just not quite what I was expecting.
I made muffins. Kids don’t like streusel topping, so I left it off. I added a pecan to the top. Also subbed 1/2 cup brown sugar for the white. These were so good. Just like Starbucks pumpkin bread. I’ve been looking for a recipe that tastes like theirs. Found it! Thank you! I will be making them again. And again. Etc. gotta get more pumpkin.
Made this recipe today, hubby said it was as good as banana bread, that’s a huge compliment😊 Thanks for sharing, I’ll be making this again soon for the holidays!
Hi, curious to know if you can substitute white sugar for brown sugar? I decided to make this last minute to celebrate first day of fall, but I’m out of regular sugar.
Hi, I’d recommend sticking with the white sugar – sorry!
What about substituting whole wheat flour for white? TIA!
I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Is there anything I need to adjust for Hugh altitude? My loaves didn’t rise ? Should they have? Not sure what the culprits is since this recipe gets rave reviews. I’m at 6,000 ft
Hi Cindi, these don’t rise very much — they’re more like a cake than a bread. That said, perhaps the altitude made them rise even less. I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
I’m in the Denver area and I’ve been advised to never sift or spoon the flour. Just scoop it with the measuring cup and make sure it’s mounded! Also to add an extra egg to all recipes! I’d say this would work at 6,000ft. Every 2,000ft – 3,000ft add another egg.
When I’m looking for recipes on google I look for the highest number in ratings cause obviously means that recipe is amazing and I’m completely satisfied with this recipe it was my first time making pumpkin bread and now this is the recipe I’m gonna use every time my looking has came to a end on first try so thank you a bunch for this recipe 100% satisfying
Has anyone (maybe you, Jenn?) tried this with hubbard squash? Same amount of squash as pumpkin? cook the squash first?
Hi Bonnie, I’ve never tried this with Hubbard squash, but I think it would work. Yes, I’d cook it first and drain off any excess liquid. And you’ll need the same amount. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I used the Hubbard squash – about 1 1/4 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spice with a bit more cinnamon. WOW! Thanks for another winner.
So glad it came out well — thanks for taking the time to report back! 🙂
Made this last night. Followed the recipe precisely. Came out deliciously moist and flavorful, filling the house with the smell of Fall spice. My boyfriend took a loaf to work, and his coworkers loved it too. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I’ve been making this recipe for several years and it never disappoints. I follow the instructions exactly as is and it always turns out great. I just wanted to add that I made it in my Breville toaster oven the last time instead of our regular oven and it was done after only about 45 minutes. Definitely keep a close eye on your bread if you are making it in a smaller toaster oven.
Hi, I’m planing to make this after seeing all these wonderful reviews. Id like to use whole wheat flour. Will that wreck it???
Hi Julie, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how it turns out!