Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe

This is the best pumpkin bread recipe and it's easy to make (no mixer required)! It is moist with a perfect crumb, loaded with fall spices and just the right amount of sweetness. Use fresh or canned pumpkin!

It took me many years to create what I could confidently call the perfect pumpkin bread recipe.

 I wanted a simple pumpkin bread that wasn't overly sweet and didn't have any weird ingredients (like water - which in my opinion, just doesn't belong in a quick bread)! 

So here it is, the best pumpkin bread recipe you'll ever bake or eat! It's easy to make and doesn't require the use of a mixer. Also, it uses an entire 15 oz can of pumpkin!

It's dense & moist with a perfect crumb! Plus, this pumpkin bread is loaded with fall spices with just the right amount of sweetness. You can add chocolate chips or cinnamon chips to make it even more special! 

Pumpkin Bread: Ingredients & substitutions 

Before we walk through how to make pumpkin bread, let's chat about the ingredients in this recipe.

• Pumpkin puree. This recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of pumpkin puree, which equals one, 15 oz can of pumpkin puree. You can also use fresh homemade puree, just be sure to drain the water out of it so that it's thick and isn't runny. 
• Salted Butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil, canola oil or ghee can be used in place of butter. You can substitute up to half of the butter with applesauce, but I prefer it with the butter.
• Brown Sugar. Both light and dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe. If you want a more molasses taste, use dark.
• Granulated sugar. Any white granulated sugar works great in this recipe. I use organic cane sugar.
• Eggs. I have not tried an egg replacement in this recipe, if you do let me know how it goes!
• All-purpose flour. Bread flour and pastry flour also work well in this pumpkin bread recipe! You can use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour for a gluten-free version as well.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice. Use store bought or make your own with this recipe: homemade pumpkin pie spice.

How to make pumpkin bread 

This pumpkin bread recipe comes together in one bowl without any fancy ingredients. Don't forget to watch the video.

Mix together wet ingredients & sugars

Begin by mixing together the pumpkin puree and melted butter. 

Next, add sugars and stir or whisk until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).

Add eggs & dry ingredients

Next, add the eggs and stir until they're throughly combined. Then add the dry ingredients.

You can either mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients, or just toss them on top. Just be sure to stir them well so they're evenly distributed. 

At this point you can add mix ins if you'd like to!

Mix-in suggestions:

• Chocolate chips
• cinnamon chips
• nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.)
• rasins
• dried cranberries
• white chocolate chips

Put batter in a loaf pan

Grease a 9x5" loaf pan and pour batter into the pan. You could line it with parchment paper or foil for easy removal, but I find that as long as the pan is throughly greased, this pumpkin bread comes out easily!

Bake 

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour. I recommend baking on the lowest rack in your oven to avoid the top becoming too brown before the center fully baked through. You can also tent the loaf pan with foil if it begins to brown too much. 

The bread is done when a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. The top will be set and the edges will be slightly browned. 

Cool

Let the pumpkin bread cool in the baking pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. After 1 hour (or longer) transfer the pumpkin bread to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Note: the crust becomes softer if the pumpkin bread cools in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight! 

Store

Store any leftovers in an an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze

Freeze either an entire loaf or individual slices by letting the pumpkin bread cool completely. Then, wrap the loaf/slices in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Serve

We love serving this pumpkin bread recipe as a special breakfast, snack or dessert! It's great for gifting as well! Here are some serving suggestions: 

• I'm pretty sure this cinnamon butter was made to be slathered on this pumpkin bread recipe!
• This vanilla almond butter is so delicious on this bread! So is this vanilla peanut butter!
• Also try some spreading some Nutella on top! (YUM)!
• Serve with a mocha latte or matcha latte!
• This pumpkin bread tastes amazing with a warm cup of hot chocolate or peanut butter hot chocolate!

FAQs about pumpkin bread

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