The Best Pumpkin Bread recipe yields a moist, warmly spiced loaf that's easy to stir together with just one bowl in about 10 minutes!
The Best Pumpkin Bread recipe yields a moist, warmly spiced loaf that’s easy to stir together with just one bowl in about 10 minutes! Enjoy a slice for breakfast, snack, or as a side dish with supper. This is a year-round family favorite!
Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Once the temperature drops and you wake up to a crisp autumn morning, you’ll be craving a slice of this warmly-spiced, moist pumpkin bread with your hot cup of coffee. It’s a simple and delicious treat that your entire family will devour! Best of all, with only 10 minutes of prep, you can skip a trip to the Starbucks drive-thru and enjoy a bakery-style loaf at home.
The key to a nicely-balanced, moist loaf of pumpkin bread with a light, tender crumb is just the right amount of pumpkin puree paired with just the right amount of oil. Too much oil, butter or pumpkin and the bread turns out dense, heavy and wet. Too little oil, butter or pumpkin and the bread turns out dry, crumbly and flavorless. It’s a delicate balance!
I’ve made many, many loaves of the classic fall treat over the years, and I can confidently say that this is the best pumpkin bread recipe you’ll ever taste! It’s perfectly moist — but not wet or heavy — and has just the right amount of warm spices. Even my pickiest little eaters go crazy for this sweet treat!
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin bread is a classic American fall treat! Served for breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert, pumpkin puree and warm spices (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves) are the stars of this quick bread. It can be made with either fresh pumpkin puree or with canned pumpkin (as shown here) for a stronger pumpkin taste.
Best of all, since it’s a “quick bread,” there’s no yeast necessary, no rising or proofing time, no kneading, and no mixer to haul out onto the countertop. The entire loaf comes together in about 10 minutes with just one bowl to wash at the end, making this a very easy pumpkin bread recipe. That’s my kind of baking!
Ingredients for Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Sugar
- Oil
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Salt
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger
Step 1: Stir together Sugar, Oil and Eggs
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, oil and eggs.
Step 2: Add Pumpkin
Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
Step 3: Stir in Dry Ingredients
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the wet ingredients, then stir until well-blended. Next, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger. Finally, fold in the milk.
Step 4: Transfer Batter to Loaf Pan
Transfer the batter to a greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.
Step 5: Bake
Bake the bread in a 350 degree F oven for about 1 hour.
How to Eat Pumpkin Bread
Serve the pumpkin bread warm, at room temperature, or even straight from the refrigerator! It’s a great option for breakfast or snack, and it tastes delicious when paired with a mug of hot coffee or tea. We even add a few slices of pumpkin bread to the dinner bread basket some evenings (that makes the kids very happy)!
The bread is delicious on its own, but it also tastes great when topped with butter, cream cheese, almond butter, peanut butter or chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)!
What to serve with Pumpkin Bread
If you’re serving the pumpkin bread for breakfast or brunch, try pairing it with any of these other dishes:
- Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Fresh fruit salad
- Sally’s Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche or Quiche Lorraine
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Crustless Quiche with Spinach
At dinnertime, the bread goes well with any of these entrées:
- Fried Chicken
- Shrimp and Grits
- Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans
- Cornflake Chicken
- Crock Pot Ribs
- Pulled BBQ Chicken in the Crock Pot
- Crab Cakes
- Shrimp Creole
- Beef Barbecue
- Chili con Carne or “Good Luck” Southern Chili
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Southern Fried Catfish
- Fried Chicken Tenders
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast
- Sour Cream Chicken
- Apple Cider Pulled Pork
How to Store
Always wrap your loaf in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. The pumpkin bread will stay fresh at room temperature on the counter for 1-2 days, and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can you freeze Pumpkin Bread?
Allow the bread to cool completely, and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc freezer bag or wrap again with foil. The pumpkin bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw the bread on the countertop or warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds. It will taste just as fresh as the day you baked it!
Optional Additions to this Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Nuts: stir in 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts
- Raisins: add 1 cup of raisins to the batter
- Cranberries: add 1 cup of sweetened, dried cranberries (such as Craisins), or try fresh cranberries for a tart pop of flavor.
- Chocolate chips: 1 cup of chocolate chips added to the batter takes this simple loaf of moist pumpkin bread over the top!
Turn this Batter into Muffins
Use this batter to make pumpkin muffins! Prepare the recipe as instructed, divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups that have been lined with paper or greased, and bake the muffins in a 375 degree F oven for 20-22 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- I prefer a can of Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin, but you can substitute with 1 cup of fresh homemade pumpkin puree.
- Make sure that you use a can of 100% pure pumpkin puree, which is different from canned pumpkin pie filling. The pure pumpkin puree is unsweetened and doesn’t include any spices or other seasonings.
- I recommend using either canola oil or vegetable oil. You want a neutral oil that will not flavor the bread, so don’t use olive oil.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster, so it will likely be done within 45-55 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require up to 70 minutes of baking in a 350 degree F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
More pumpkin recipes that you might enjoy:
- Easy Pumpkin Cake
- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins
- Shortcut Pumpkin Coffee Cake {made with 1 can pumpkin and cake mix}
- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Gingerbread {made with 1 can pumpkin and cake mix}
- Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls
The Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
The Best Pumpkin Bread recipe yields a moist, warmly spiced loaf that's easy to stir together with just one bowl in about 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup oil (either canola or vegetable)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
In a large bowl, stir together sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and vanilla; stir to combine. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over top; stir until well blended.
-
Stir in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger; be careful not to over-mix. Fold in milk.
-
Transfer batter to a greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes for dark or nonstick pans or up to 60-70 minutes for glass, ceramic or light pans. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-
Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Recipe Notes
- I prefer a can of Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin, but you can substitute with 1 cup of fresh homemade pumpkin puree.
- Make sure that you use a can of 100% pure pumpkin puree, which is different from canned pumpkin pie filling. The pure pumpkin puree is unsweetened and doesn’t include any spices or other seasonings.
- I recommend using either canola oil or vegetable oil. You want a neutral oil that will not flavor the bread, so don’t use olive oil.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.
Did this recipe change? It looks different from when I previously viewed it.
Hi, Nads! Yes. 🙂 I updated the recipe because we love this version even better. If you’d like the old recipe, I can still email it to you. Just let me know!