This is the best pumpkin bread recipe and it's easy to make (no mixer required)! This pumpkin bread is dense & 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 (and many failed attempts) 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!
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. I used to make pumpkin pie spice exclusively from scratch, but now I just buy some at the beginning of the season (6 kids = no time LOL)! I have included a recipe for 1 TBS of pumpkin pie spice in the recipe card.
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!
Possible mix ins include (but are not limited to):
- 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
Yes! To freeze this recipe follow these instructions, after the bread has cooled:
Slice the loaf.
Individually wrap each slice of pumpkin bread with plastic wrap.
Place wrapped pieces in a freezer-friendly airtight container or plastic bag.
Freeze.
My first recommendation is to check and see if your baking soda, baking power and eggs are fresh. Next, be sure to not overfill the pan. The bread needs some space to rise in the pan, and if the batter reaches the top of the pan it will fall. If you have extra batter I suggest making muffins with it!
You can be sure this 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.
Yes, you can double this recipe and bake it in two 9x5" loaf pans or 4-6 mini loaf pans.
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Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (or 1 ½ cups fresh pumpkin puree)
- ½ cup butter melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x5” loaf pan, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin puree and melted butter.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until combined and there are no lumps.
- Add eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.
- If desired, add mix-ins like chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, walnuts, etc. and stir until evenly distributed.
- Pour batter in to prepared loaf pan and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, or until a cake tested inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Let pumpkin bread cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing it, or overnight.
Video
Notes
How to store pumpkin bread:
- Store pumpkin bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Note: The crust gets softer after it has been chilled in the refrigerator.
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.Homemade pumpkin pie spice (1 TBS)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pumpkin puree. This recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of pumpkin puree, which equals one, 15 oz can of pumpkin puree! If you have fresh homemade puree, feel free to use that as well! Just be sure you have drained 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 with great results.
- Brown Sugar. Both light and dark brown sugar work perfectly 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!
Nutrition
What can I make with pumpkin?
I have lots of delicious ideas for you if you're looking to make something with pumpkin, besides this pumpkin bread of course!
- This pumpkin pie is the BEST and it's made completely from scratch. Or try this dairy-free pumpkin pie which is equally delicious!
- Pumpkin baked oatmeal is one of our favorite fall breakfasts!
- Baked pumpkin donuts are another yummy breakfast for special days!
- This no-bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake is great if you have people in your family with food allergies! Also this paleo pumpkin bread, these paleo pumpkin muffins, and these mini vegan pumpkin pies!
- This pumpkin smoothie tastes like a liquid pumpkin pie but it's so much healthier and only takes 5 minutes to make!
- This literally the best pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting I've ever had - ever.
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Emmi
I went ahead a doubled the recipe similarly to how another commenter did. Here is the list how what I changed. I weighed my batter in the glass 9x5 loaf pans and each weighed 3 lbs 12 oz. I also managed to get one tiny loaf with the left over batter! The little aluminum tin is 6 x 3 and baked for 40 minutes. I also adjusted the spices according to my taste buds. I recommend IF doubling to use a stand mixer like I did.
* 2 - 15 oz can pumpkin puree
* 1 cup salted butter melted
* 1 cup brown sugar packed
* ¾ cup granulated sugar
* 4 eggs
* 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
* 3 - 1/2 cups bread flour
* 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice ( homemade via this recipe blog )
* 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp baking soda
Makes 2 (9X5) Loaves and 1 tiny 6X3 loaf.
Rachel
I doubled this recipe except.... I left the sugar content as is. I also didn’t have brown sugar, so I used all white and added roughly 2tbls of molasses. I also only used 4 eggs for the doubled recipe. And I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice, so I added cloves, ginger cinnamon and nutmeg for my spices. Made with semisweet mini chocolate chips and it was delicious!!! My now go to pumpkin bread recipe.
Alexandra Kast
This is by far my favourite pumpkin bread recipe! It is fluffy and moist and super delicious. I threw in some chocolate chips and walnuts. Thanks for this amazing and simple recipe!
Laura
Thank you so much Alexandra!!
K.S.
This came out perfectly sweet and moist. Thank you!
Ellie
I love this pumpkin bread, I also love all the recipes I've tried from you! I've made the peanut butter cookies, banana bread and chocolate chip cookies (the absolute best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made). All have been delicious, can't wait to try more.
Tais
We all loved this bread! Easy to make and suuuuper yummi. Thanks, Laura,
Emily Swanson
This is beautiful pumpkin bread Laura! I hope, Lord willing, to get into making some of this next week.
Ashley
Can you make this into muffins instead?