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 perfect pumpkin bread recipe for flavor and texture. The only change I made was to use 1/2 the amount of ground gloves. I’ve halved the recipe successfully. I feed my dog the remaining pumpkin. 🙂 I make this often! Thank you!
I ate a whole loaf
Not sure why but my bread has come our dense three times. Is this normal? It appears to rise and then when i check it with a butter knife, it sinks and is partially cooked. Any advice is appreciated.
Hi Ohana, I’m sorry you’re having a problem with this! Are you using two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans?
Amazing recipe. My family and friends loved it, thank you for sharing! <3
The best pumpkin bread ever and making 2 loaves at a time is a big helper. Added chocolate cinnamon jimmies some time and use a maple glaze (using real maple syrup).and sprinkle with maple sugar
Thsnk u Jen. Youre my first my go to for reciped
Hello Jenn,
Apologies if this is a repeat question.
Could this be made with fresh pumpkin, or home made pumpkin purée? ( if so, how do you make? )
Always lots of orange pumpkins in the UK shops at this time of year, but tinned is just not a thing here. They are mostly used for decorating and carving, but I hate to throw away the flesh and so was looking for recipes to use fresh pumpkin.
Best wishes
Jo
Sure Jo, it’s fine to use homemade purée. I’d roast it at 400°F for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender, then scoop out the flesh and blend until smooth. Just make sure to drain it of excess water. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I made this this weekend and it is good. It didn’t rise and is a bit dense. I’m wondering if I need to adjust for high altitude? Any suggestions appreciated as I do like the bread. Thanks!
Katie
Hi Katie, are either your baking powder or baking soda old or expired? That could contribute to the lack of rise (although keep in mind that the bread doesn’t rise a ton; it’s more like a cake than a bread). And I don’t have any personal experience baking at high altitudes, so I don’t know if that may have had an impact. You may find the tips in this post helpful (see #14 – Make Adjustments at High Altitude).
I make this recipe at least twice a month! I always have pumpkin in my cupboards. Delicious every time! Perfect texture! I even freeze some loaves!
Not something we normally eat in Australia but definitely something I want to try! Will need to use fresh pumpkin tho, the cans aren’t available. How much pumpkin should I cook and how? Microwave okay? Or roasted? Thanks!
Rene, You’ll need 1-3/4 cups (425 grams). And I’d go with roasting and then pureeing the pumpkin. Just make sure to drain it of excess water after you puree it. Enjoy!
This was okay, nice an moist but this is a one loaf recipe, not two. Very short loaves
You’re right. I made it today. I used 2 pans. As soon as I put the batter in I knew it didn’t look right. I ended up with two very small loaves. But still delicious.
I agree. I halved the recipe because I wanted 1 loaf and was annoyed when I had to whip up another half on the fly to get 1 full loaf.