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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Not just this one, but many, many great recipes
Perfection
Making this today. Wondering what internal temperature the bread should reach when it is done?
Hi Martha, it should be between 200°F and 205°F (93°C and 96°C).
I’m wondering what to do about getting the inside done either by lowering the temperature and cooking it longer or if it’s supposed to be hard on top?
Hi Maria, I’m sorry you’re having a problem getting the pumpkin bread to fully bake through. Are you using 8 x 4″ loaf pans? Also, are you making your own pumpkin purée? If so, are you draining the excess liquid? If you are using the correct size loaf pan and canned pumpkin, I would try lowering the oven and temperature by 25° and baking it a bit longer. (And if you’re finding that the top is browning too much before the bread is cooked through, loosely lay a piece of foil across the top of the pans.)
The best Pumpkin bread recipe yet! This one is moist and dense and bursting with pumpkin and spice flavors. I like that it’s not overly sweet. A real winner!
This is my go to recipe! And I’m super picky. I’ll spend hours comparing recipes and reviews, and I often find myself on the blog once I’ve chosen which to make.
Would it be possible for you to add a little note somewhere about how much pumpkin spice to use if you’re not doing individual spices? Every year when I use this recipe I have to go searching in the comments because I forget 😅
Hi Kayla, so glad you like the pumpkin bread! An easy way for you to remember the amount of pumpkin spice required is just by looking at the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg called for in the recipe (1 teaspoon of each) which is the equivalent of 1 tablespoon so that’s the amount of pumpkin spice you’ll need. Enjoy!
I don’t know why I ever to use anyone else’s recipes when Jenn’s recipes have never failed me. Her pumpkin bread recipe makes an amazing bread. It is so tasty, moist and easy to make. Another A+ recipe from Once Upon a Chef.
I’ve made so many pumpkin breads and cakes over the years, all with relatively the same ingredients – but the ratios of this recipe are the best! Perfect, and I have no need for another recipe. I halved the recipe and baked in an 8” square pan with a thick layer of coffee cake crumb on top. The cake came out flavorful and so moist and dense. I did reduce the sugar to accommodate the crumble topping, but otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing!
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe! So good, easy and is really delicious! Thank you for sharing this!
I made this wonderful pumpkin bread but I use vegetable oil instead of butter and I reduced the amount of sugar buy 1/2 cup. It was delicious!!! I shared the bread and my friends loved it. Got requested for the recipe!
My first making pumpkin bread from scratch. The recipe is easy to follow. The bread is delicious & full of flavor. I love that it makes 2 loaves. I froze one for the holidays. I added a handful of mini semi sweet chocolate chips. I will definitely make again.
I dare you to make this and not devour a whole loaf in a day! This is perfectly spiced and I love that it makes two loaves. I substitute King Arthur’s gluten free flour and it’s still so delicious that no one knows the difference and I definitely recommend baking it towards the 75 minute mark – at least in my oven. I love making one loaf with chocolate chips for my husband and one classic for me. It doesn’t stick around long!
I was wondering if King Arthur GF bread would work. Thanks!
Hi Susan, for the best results. I’d stick with an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. King Arthur makes one.
Love breads . The recipes
I have seen of yours are wonderful. Keep them coming!🌹