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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I used this recipe to make pumpkin bread for the first time yesterday and OMG it was a hit. I LOVE pumpkin bread and this lived up to all the cravings I had for it. I served it at a get-together I was having and everyone complimented how much they liked it! I am going back to the grocery store to buy more pumpkin to make more tonight!!!
Thank you for that lovely pumpkin bread recipe. I love making quick breads. It’s quick and very tasty. For this pumpkin bread recipe, if I’m using fresh pumpkin, which I will boil to soften, what is the weight of pumpkin I will need to use?
Hi Karine, you’ll need 15 oz/425 g of fresh pumpkin. Just make sure that 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!
BEST recipe ever! Thank you for sharing!
This is a hands-down best recipe. I’ve made muffins and mini loaves. Once u try this it will become a family favourite as it has mine.
Review and a question. I would like to start by saying that this is my number 1 go to Spiced Pumpkin bread for any occasion, for any time of year. I ran out of a nutmeg and a cinnamon on a few separate occasions but the combination of all ingredients is so incredible that I was able to make a substitution it and it still came out incredible. My question is I cant seem to be able to get 2 full loaves, only 1.5, any pointers?
So glad you like this Emma! What size are your loaf pans?
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe! Very moist, flavorful and delicious.
Oh my goodness! I LOVE this Pumpkin Bread Recipe! My 1 year old granddaughter absolutely loves Pumpkin bread so I tried this recipe and like everything on this site-it was amazing!! So easy and so moist. You will not be disappointed and more importantly-its Granddaughter approved:))
Hi Jenn
Do I have to lower the temperature to 300 degrees for glass loaf pans?
Thank you
Hi Patty, No it’s not necessary to reduce the oven temp; they may bake just a tiny bit faster in the glass, so just keep an eye on them. Enjoy!
Recipe is awesome. Family loves it, especially with chocolate chips and nuts added in! We put in smaller loaf pans and once cooled we wrap and freeze for later!
Of all Jenn’s recipes this is my favorite. Just follow the instructions and the bread comes out perfect the first time. Love the sweetness and the spices.