This easy pumpkin bread recipe has a soft, moist crumb with a wonderful pumpkin flavor, spiced with warm cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. It’s quick to pull together (no mixer required!) with ingredients from your pantry, and it makes two loaves, which is perfect for sharing.
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The Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
This pumpkin bread is a sweet bread or a dessert bread made with pumpkin puree, and it’s similar in consistency to banana bread but has all of the cozy flavors of Pumpkin Pie and smells just like Autumn. I honestly think it’s better than the famous Starbucks pumpkin bread.
Want to know a secret? This recipe is based on our popular Pumpkin Cake and easy Pumpkin Cupcakes. Several readers shared that they had converted the base to make pumpkin bread and added more spices to it, so I tested it and sure enough – it became an instant hit. We slather it with a bit of our irresistible Honey Butter for a delicious Fall-flavored snack, dessert, or even breakfast.
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
It’s easy to whip up this delicious pumpkin bread with just a few pantry staples. No fancy equipment is needed, just a couple of mixing bowls and a whisk, and don’t forget the loaf pans! This makes two (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″) loaves.
- Baking Staples – all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt give the pumpkin bread a soft crumb.
- Spices – cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla gives the pumpkin bread the fall smell and taste we love. We think it’s perfectly balanced, but for a more heavily spiced bread, add a tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
- Eggs – room temperature, this helps the bread rise in the oven
- Oil – use neutral extra light olive oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil
- Pumpkin puree – Double-check you are getting pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie mix. You can also use a well-drained homemade pumpkin puree.
- Optional Mix-Ins – add 1 cup of add-ins such as chocolate chips, nuts, dried cranberries, or chopped dates.
Pro Tip
Don’t swap the oil for butter here, because the oil is what helps keep that amazingly soft and moist crumb. It also stays softer after refrigeration with oil.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
This recipe couldn’t be easier. Simply mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, and then combine them and bake.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a second bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, and eggs
- Combine and Bake: Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and then transfer to 2 buttered/ floured loaf pans, and bake.
Natashas Pro Tip
To get a light and airy crumb, be sure not to over-mix the batter, or else the bread could become tough. Mix until the ingredients are combined, but it’s okay to have a few lumps.
How to Serve Pumpkin Bread
This sweet bread pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee, warm with butter, but here are some fun ways to keep this pumpkin bread exciting:
- Homemade Honey Butter
- Salted butter with a shake of pumpkin pie spice
- Glaze (see Maple-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls)
- Almond butter or peanut butter
- Cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
Make-Ahead
Similar to our other fan-favorite quick bread recipes, like our Banana Bread, Cranberry Bread, Cornbread, and Zucchini Bread, this pumpkin bread keeps really well:
- To store: Cover the bread in an airtight container or with plastic wrap, and it will stay moist for 3-5 days on the counter or refrigerator.
- Freezing: Wrap the loaf or slices in plastic wrap and foil or in a freezer zip bag for up to 3 months.
- To thaw: Place loaf in the refrigerator overnight, or thaw at room temperature for a few hours then unwrap to serve.
This easy pumpkin bread recipe comes together quickly and tastes amazing. It makes two loaves—perfect for gifting or freezing. The moist crumb pairs nicely with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in the fall and all year long. We know this will become one of your go-to treats.
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda, sifted to eliminate lumps
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves, optional
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, optional
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup extra light olive oil, (or vegetable or corn oil)
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and lightly dust with flour, two 8 1/2"x4 1/2" bread pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a second medium mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: 3 room temp eggs, 1 cup oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients then whisk together until smooth. Divide evenly between 2 prepared bread pans and bake at 350˚F for 45-55 minutes*, or until a toothpick comes out clean (my oven took 50 min). Let cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to fully cool.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Our Top Pumpkin Recipes
If you love all things pumpkin during the cozy Fall months, try these next:
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Roll
- Easy Pumpkin Waffles
- Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
This was a great recipe. Very easy. Best part no mixer. Thanks
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Annette!
This was absolutely amazing. Very moist and balanced. The only thing I added was a drizzle of white cookie icing on top. Yummy 🙂
My hubby doesn’t like pumpkin, however this is his favourite bread now. He likes it better than banana bread, which used to be his favourite. It’s so easy to make and turns out perfectly every time. It’s now my Thanksgiving go to side. Looking forward to enjoying this again this weekend for the Canadian Thanksgiving. Happy turkey day to all my fellow Canucks 🇨🇦
That’s wonderful! So happy it’s being enjoyed.
I finally found a 2 loaf Pumpkin Bread that made sense and it turned out delicious
I did add vanilla and walnuts per my husband’s request
Thank you so very much Natasia
what is the best way to freeze this Thank you
Hi Sheryl! See the “make ahead” section for my note on this.
This recipe makes the BEST pumpkin bread! It’s fluffy and moist and has just the right amount of seasonings, so that they aren’t overwhelming!! Will be baking this recipe over and over again! Thanks!
So happy you loved it!
Hi, I was wondering if you could bake the recipe in a bundt pan?? Love your video’s and my kids just gave me your cookbook because I can’t stop telling them about the food you make…….so they said I can now make them some!!
You can use a larger pan such as a bundt pan, but check the bread as it bakes since the baking time will change. I’m gld you are enjoying my cookbook! Thank you for sharing that with us.
This was delicious! Wondering if it could be used for waffles without modifying?
Hi Nicole! I have not tested that to advise.
I tried out this recipe and it was absolutely delicious. The substitutes I made was 3/4 cup of buttermilk for the eggs and a 1/2 cup more flour due to the buttermilk. Also, I added shredded carrots as my mix in. It was incredibly moist and delicious. After the baking, I also added a simple sugar syrup for a sweet taste and beautiful glaze. I recommend you make it and try it yourself.
Thanks Natasha for this great fall recipe. I made this in a bundt pan and it came out great. Warm pumpkin cake with a cup of coffee, great way to start my Saturday morning 😀
This was the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had!
So many ads on rhe page I can’t even get to the recipe. If you touch rhe screen it bounces all over the page. Im so sad..
HI Cynthia, I’m not able to replicate that and that is not a normal experience. In order to troubleshoot it, can you tell me what device you are using to view the recipe and what browser? Thank you!
Me too! There’s so many pop-ups etc it took forever to get to the actual recipe! Sad.
Sorry, did not care for it. Although it was moist, I found it didn’t carry the usual fall flavors that I like when eating pumpkin. Missing the cloves, nutmeg.
Hi Theresa, you beat me to it! I just updated this pumpkin bread, adding more warm spices after reader feedback. I added a half teaspoon of cloves and 1/2 tsp nutmeg, but you could add more if you prefer (but you may want to tone down the cinnamon if you add more of the other spices). The combination of it being moist with rich pumpkin flavor and the warm spices makes it irresistible. I hope you give it another try!
I definitely will give it another try. As I said, It was moist and thanks for updating the recipe, I just printed it out. Will circle back to the site when I next make it. Thanks Natasha
I just use straight up pumpkin pie spice because we like it really spicy. I use 2 1/2 tsp per recipe for 2 loaves. It’s not overwhelming but really has that wonderful fall spice taste and smell.
So so good! Me, my fiance, and 3 year old can’t get enough!!! I didn’t have baking powder and was in the process of prepping the batter, so I used 2 tsp of baking soda and it came out perfect! Baked in a deeper glad pan for 50 mins on 350! (:
Thank you for sharing that, Savanna! I’m glad it still worked out for you.
I just made this for the first time. My husband said on a scale of 1 to 10 it’s a 50!! It’s delicious! Especially while still a little warm!!
Aww, that’s wonderful to hear, Debra!
It’s very good as written, but my husband and grown daughter both said it needed more flavor, so I added 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and it was perfect! I baked them in 5 mini loaf pans for 35 minutes. They’re going to make excellent Christmas and Thanksgiving potluck additions as well as gifts. Thank you for another tasty recipe.
It was the best I’ve ever tasted, I was wondering though, eggs are very expensive at this time, do you think its ok to use powdered eggs? Thanks Patty
Hi Patty! I’m not sure, I’ve never tested that substitution so I don’t know if it will effect anything. If you do experiment, please share your results.
In place of eggs I used 1 banana (split the recipe in half) and it was perfect!
Delicious! Moist. The version I tried was with the 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, and 1 c. pecans. My loaf pans are 9″ and I baked the loaves for 50 min. Next time, I’m going to try 1 c. golden raisins instead of the pecans. My brother will get the second loaf, but this would be a great bake and freeze recipe.
used vegetable oil because I don’t like the taste of olive oil in baked goods. added 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice as suggested. yielded me a loaf and 12 muffins. glad I tried this recipe, it’s a keeper!
Amazing recipe!!! So easy… and cooked perfectly.