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 turned out SO DELICIOUS!!!
Mine turned out a bit more crumbly and didn’t slice well. Not sure what i can do to improve that, any advice?
Glad you liked it! Did you wait until the bread was completely cool before slicing it?
I figured it out. I used 1 and a half cups of butter instead of sticks! Wow
Dumb
I was about to respond to your first comment, but so glad you figured it out! 😊
I’ve made this twice now, first time in 2 loaves pan (think were a little too big) so were they were a bit on the small side. One with roasted pumpkins seed on top and I also used pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and cardamom rather the clove and nutmeg. Also cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups.
And made it today again, but in one loaf pan. Both times was delicious! My neighbors loved it, too much for one person!
Thank you!
I love cardamom…will use that, too, next time.
how many servings does it make?
It makes 24 slices. Enjoy!
Best pumpkin bread recipe, hands down, we’ve ever tried! I use Einkorn flour in place of regular (same amount), and it works beautifully. Have also made variations with chocolate chips and pecans. Jenn, this is a winner!
The flavor and texture of this bread is great. My husband and I both enjoyed it. It was too sweet for me, so I’ll try cutting the sugar down next time. There will be a next time!
I brought this to thanksgiving and it was a hit!
Picked this recipe because of all the positive reviews! Definitely a winner from a taste perspective, however, I found it a bit too sweet (for me) so I will cut back 1/2 cup of the sugar next time I make it. Perhaps add a streusel topping as some have suggested. That being said, my issue was that the loaves did not properly rise. Toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean so they were definitely done and I bake on a regular/weekly basis so I know my ingredients were fresh/wholesome. I even used my own homemade pumpkin puree (roasted, drained overnight and processed in my food processor until smooth). I think the oven temp of 325F might have been the issue because I normally bake other breads (such as banana bread) @ 375F. Does it sound like the lower temperature could have caused the rise issue? Any insight would be appreciated.
This was the most amazing pumpkin bread I have ever made. Everyone loves it and has requested more.
I have been making this for YEARS and it’s always a hit during the holidays. I’m too scared to try any other recipe! Some adjustments I make are cutting down the sugar amount a tiny bit and I just use pumpkin pie spice (about 2 teaspoons) – LOVE!