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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Finally got around to making, followed except for 1/2 white – 1/2 wheat flours.
it is great …made 3 mini loaves cooked 50 min at 340 (don’t trust my oven).
i used the big can and was waiting to taste before i made 3 more.,and deleted every pumpkin bread recipe i had. Well done you thanks for posting
I adore this recipe. I found it a while ago and now it’s a staple. I sometimes add chocolate chips too! Jenn, you’re recipes are amazing! As I am teaching myself to try new things and become a better cook, your blog has been a fantastic resource. I’m looking forward to the cookbook!
Hi Jen,
I would like to try this with fresh pumpkin. Please guide me as to how to make the puree. Thanks in advance.
Vanita
Hi Vanita, Yes, you can make this with fresh pumpkin; After you have cooked and cooled the pumpkin, use a towel to squeeze out all of the extra liquid you can (so the bread isn’t too moist). Hope you enjoy!
How much (in cups) of the fresh cooked pumpkin should I use? (Dutch girl in Africa)
Hi Elisabeth, you’d need about 2 cups of fresh pureed pumpkin. (After you’ve cooked and cooled the pumpkin, use a towel to squeeze out all of the extra liquid you can so the bread isn’t too moist).
First time I’ve ever tried pumpkin bread and it was a real winner! Moist, fragrant and delicious. Will definately make this again.
Just made this recipe last week. OMG BEST pumpkin bread recipe EVER!!! I cannot believe how MOIST this bread is and continues to stay that way! THANK YOU!!! Will only use this recipe for pumpkin bread from now on.
Super light and fluffy. The best recipe I’ve used to date, very moist even to the edges. (I decreased the sugar by 1/2 cup and added a banana.)
What would you find a perfect recipe for a glaze on these?
Hi Maddie, You could give the glaze from these pumpkin scones a try. I’d love to hear it turns out if you try it!
Thank you for the recipe, it is delicious.
This recipe is awesome and the loaf came out so nice. It smelled amazing. I however in order to make it a little less caloric substituted 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup brown sugar+ 1/4 cup white sugar+ maple syrup. Also instead of using 3/4 cup butter i used 1/2 butter + 1/4 sunflower oil. I plan to make this again with whole wheat flower and brown sugar/maple syrup and vegetable oil.
Also i made my own pumpkin puree instead of store bought. I am a novice to baking and i feel so proud that it came out really well all thanks to once upon a chef.
You’ll have to hide this, if you don’t want it stolen and devoured in minutes! This is the best pumpkin bread ever, no question about it. Be sure to cream the butter and sugar well, and whip with the eggs until it is very, very fluffy and light in color. Grate your own fresh nutmeg, if you can. It’s more like a fabulous cake than bread. I also short the sugar a little bit, as there is quite a lot of it called for.