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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Sorry if this has been asked already, but do the loaves freeze well? I plan on baking them tomorrow, they sound delicious!
They freeze beautifully, Joanne. Enjoy!
Thanks, Jenn, I just took them out of the oven and the kitchen smells wonderful!
What’s the difference in some recipes cakes/breads using oil vs. butter. I’ve seen both for pumpkin bread and can’t decide. I love butter but use oil making a great NY style crumb cake.
Hi George, Recipes with butter typically call for creaming the butter and sugar to create lightness. This would be impossible with oil. Butter and oil are not interchangeable in baking recipes unless the recipe calls for melted butter.
hi can I add pecans??
Sure Marsha – I think pecans would be delicious here. You might also check out my Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins.
Hi Jenn,
Thanks a bunch for sharing this delicious recipe. It is so moist, light and yummy, and very easy to make. Thanks for sharing, and making me feel like a “master” baker!
Sincerely,
Lisa
Thank you for an excellent recipe. Made it as is, then with whole wheat flour, and then vegan (flax eggs and coconut oil) for a school potluck. A hit all three ways. Thank you!
I have made this bread twice and each time it does not rise. It is very dense. Is there some adjustment to make to the baking soda?
Hi Diana, Are you making any substitutions or cooking at high altitude?
Can you use vegetable oil instead of butter?
Sorry, Linn – that won’t work in this recipe.
I have made this pumpkin bread 4 times in 2 weekends! I made it for my friend who had surgery and she requested it again:)
I also made muffins with one batch because my 9 year old said he doesn’t want to have to get a knife to cut the loaf. Same recipe just let it cook for a shorter time. Anyway, my son wants them as muffins again to share with his friends in January for his birthday.
Also brought a plate to share with my co-workers and it was gone within 2 hours.
Love the recipe and didn’t change a thing. Thank you for a great recipe, Jenn.
I love all your recipes. Can I use fresh pumpkin if I can get all the water out in your pumpkin bread and your muffin recipe
Yes (and glad you like the recipes)!
I made these this past weekend, but as muffins rather than bread. And I added dried cranberries. They are fantastic muffins. Very, very moist. Perfect balance of spices. Will definitely keep making these!
Thank you!!!!