Pumpkin Bread

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Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!

Slices of Pumpkin Bread on a plate.

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.

Picture of a pumpkin bread recipe.

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.

What You’ll Need To Make Pumpkin Bread

Bread ingredients including baking soda, eggs, and butter.

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.

Dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Whisk well and set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Butter and sugar in a bowl.

Beat until just combined. It will look a little crumbly.

Bowl of beaten butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Egg added to a butter and sugar mixture.

Continue beating for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

Beaten egg, sugar, and butter in a bowl.

Add the pumpkin.

Pumpkin in a bowl with a butter mixture.

Beat until combined. It will look a little curdled or grainy — that’s okay.

Electric mixer with a light orange-colored mixture.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.

Dry ingredients in a bowl with an orange-colored mixture.

And beat on low speed until just combined.

Bowl of pumpkin bread dough.

Transfer the batter to loaf pans.

Two bread pans of pumpkin bread dough.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Two loaves of pumpkin bread in pan.s

Let the loaves cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Two loaves of pumpkin bread on a wire rack.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!

Slices of Pumpkin Bread on a plate.

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Video Tutorial

Pumpkin Bread

Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!

Servings: Makes 2 loaves
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 65 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

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

  1. 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).
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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 Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • I found this recipe and it looks wonderful. Before I try it, however, I live at 6000 ft in elevation. Are there any modifications I should make to the recipe to accommodate high altitude baking? Thank you. Looking forward to trying this.

    • — deborah on November 19, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Deborah, 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.

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • I added streusel topping and it was fantastic. My teenage son’s girlfriend said it is “one of the best things she’s ever eaten.” So delicious!

    • — Marisa Biehl on November 19, 2023
    • Reply
  • This bread is amazing! I took it to work and everyone loved it! I added walnuts and chocolate chips, but it would be great without anything added. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It will be a holiday staple at our house!

    • — Pam O'DONOVAN on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can a mild vegetable oil be substituted for the butter and if so, how much for 3/4 c butter?

    • — Roberta on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Roberta, unfortunately, vegetable oil won’t work here as you need something solid to cream with the butter. If you’d like to use oil, you could use (solidified) coconut oil. It would be the same amount, so 3/4 cup. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
    • I used 3/4 cup vegetable oil and it turned out great

      • — Skyler on November 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • I make this every Fall and Winter and it’s the highlight of everyone’s year! The recipe is absolutely perfect – don’t change a thing. Thank you so much!!

    • — Kirsten on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
  • Do you think this would work with 1 to 1 gluten free flour?

    • — Melissa West on November 15, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Melissa, a number of readers have commented that they’ve made this with 1 to 1 gluten-freee flour and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy if you make it!

      • — Jenn on November 16, 2023
      • Reply
  • Turned out great! I added raisins and chopped walnuts to one of the loaves (for my mom and me).

    • — Steve on November 15, 2023
    • Reply
  • Could you turn this recipe into muffins?

    • — Nick on November 15, 2023
    • Reply
    • If you want to make muffins, I’d use this recipe (and you can omit the topping if you’d like).

      • — Jenn on November 15, 2023
      • Reply
      • I put the streusel topping on the pumpkin bread. Yum !! Would love to know what your favorite cinnamon is, Jenn. Thanks!

        • — Lizzie on November 15, 2023
        • Reply
        • Glad you liked it! I just use McCormick’s cinnamon. 🙂

          • — Jenn on November 16, 2023
          • Reply
  • My daughter and I made this today together and found the recipe foolproof! The pumpkin bread was delicious! We forgot to check our pantry in advance and discovered we were out of ground cloves. We doubled the cinnamon as a substitute. We also added one cup semisweet chocolate chips.
    Thank you for another great recipe! Your recipes have made me look really accomplished in the kitchen … they are always a hit when served to family and friends.

    • — Megs on November 14, 2023
    • Reply
    • This recipe is amazing, instant favorite! I would love to make these and give them as gifts for the Holidays… any recommendations on converting baking time for mini loaves? Thank you!

      • — Jennifer Franco on November 19, 2023
      • Reply
      • Glad you like it! For mini loaves, I’d start checking for doneness at 35 minutes. Hope your recipients enjoy!

        • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
        • Reply
  • Could this recipe be made into muffins?

    • — Rocco on November 14, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Rocco, if you’d like to make muffins, I’d suggest this recipe (and you can skip the topping if you’d prefer).

      • — Jenn on November 15, 2023
      • Reply

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