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.
Scooped the inside of the pumpkin before carving for Halloween, simmered it and made a big batch of this lovely, moist bread. Much better than other pumpkin breads I have tried and the spices are just right. Thanks.
This really is the best pumpkin bread ever! I have been making pumpkin bread for decades and have used many recipes. I used a fresh pie pumpkin in this recipe and it was so amazingly moist and flavorful.
I want to make mini loaves. Any idea how many they will make & how full I should fill the pans? Also plan on giving them as gifts on Saturday. Ok to make today (Thursday)?
Hi D, I think this will make 3 – 4 mini loaves (but I can’t say for sure b/c I’ve never made mini versions of these). I’d fill them about 2/3 of the way full. They will take less time to bake; I’d start checking them at about 35 minutes. And yes, you could get away with making them today to give on Saturday. Hope everyone enjoys them!
Can I put this in my mini bunt pans?
Hi Ruthie, I’ve never made this in mini bundt pans, so it’s hard to say- sorry!
I halved the recipe because I only had one loaf pan. Made one last night and the other tonight because I couldn’t let half a can of pumpkin go to waste! It was my Spanish boyfriend’s first time trying anything pumpkin flavored and he loved it! I just asked him what rating I should give the recipe and he said “11/10.” I also thoroughly enjoyed the recipe! It’s a very moist bread and the spices aren’t overpowering. Only thing I did differently was do half brown sugar and half white. Also, not sure why but both times my bread was done MUCH earlier than the recommended baking time. Around 40 minutes. So, keep an eye on your bread! Will make again. Thanks.
hi, instead of using 1 can of pumpkin sauce, can i use fresh pumpkin? what will be the weight like in grams?Thanks!
Hi Kelly, it would be the equivalent of 425 grams.
I used fresh pumpkin in mine and used the same amount. I did let the pulp sit in a strainer for about 20 minutes to get the excess moisture out of it. It worked perfectly.
Could I make this in a bundt pan instead of two loaf pans? Would I bake it at the same temperate and time?
Hi Bina, I’ve always been hesitant to bake this in a bundt pan as I was afraid it would stick. That said, a few readers have used a bundt pan successfully. I’d just make sure to generously grease the pan with butter and a good dusting of flour. Temperature will remain the same; the bake time may be just a bit quicker — around 55 to 60 minutes (but keep an eye on it). Enjoy!
It turned out great!! And you were right, it was done in 55 minutes. But it came right out of the pan and was delicious! Thank you!!
I tried this recipe and will definitely make it again! Moist and not too sweet. I put the batter in muffin tins and added a crumb topping (baked for 40 mins) – makes it easy for sharing.
I cut the amount of cloves and nutmeg amount in half so it wasn’t too much spice for me.
I am so disappointed, my bread only came out to be about an inch tall and the middle did not cook through completely. I took it out at 60 minutes and the center was still raw so I put it back in for another 20 minutes, it baked a little more but not completely. I did not want to leave it in for longer because the outside was drying. The center has kind of a pumpkin pie like texture and I do not know why. The flavor is there and it is moist but why didn’t the center bake through? Could it be that I need to turn my oven up higher than 325? Note that I only used 1 cup of sugar because it was all that I had, and I added extra spices for flavor. Could the amount of sugar have had an effect of the bake?
Hi Nat, sorry to hear you had a hard time with the bread! Yes, I do think the significant reduction in sugar likely made the difference. You can usually reduce sugar in baked goods by a small amount (like a 1/4 cup in this case) but cutting it in half would definitely have an impact.
Oh my goodness. That is dangerous…. it is sitting on the counter with a little cinnamon voice that keeps yelling at me to come back and eat more!! But seriously… It is the most delicious and moist (hate that word but i have to use it here I’m sorry:)) pumpkin bread ever had in my life…with just the right amount of everything… thanks for sharing the recipe!!!!! Going to have to make more so my family can try a bite!
How would you recommend storing this pumpkin loaf over night? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Jelena, I’d store it loosely covered with foil on the countertop. Enjoy!