This easy pumpkin bread recipe has a soft, moist crumb with a wonderful pumpkin flavor and spiced with warm cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It’s quick to pull together with ingredients from your pantry, and it makes two loaves, which is perfect for sharing.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Similar to our other fan-favorite quick bread recipes, like our Banana Bread, Cranberry Bread, and Zucchini Bread, this pumpkin bread keeps really well, but we’d be surprised if it went uneaten long enough to store because it’s that good.
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.
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.
This is a favorite, fail-proof recipe. So, these are just some of the reasons we love it:
- Perfectly spiced Fall flavor and moist crumb
- A short list of ingredients
- 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
- Fast prep in just 10 minutes
- Customizable. Check out our tips for making this recipe into chocolate chip pumpkin bread—yum!
Variations
Besides the amazing texture and taste, the best part of this pumpkin bread recipe is that it is customizable. Just like the famous Starbucks pumpkin bread recipe, you could also top the bread with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or mix about a cup of extras into the batter. Try some of these additions and toppings:
- Chocolate chips – semisweet or milk chocolate
- Raisins – white or brown
- Cranberries – dried, fresh, or frozen
- Nuts – chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts
- Streusel topping like in our Berry Crumb Cake
- Spices – substitute the spices with pumpkin pie spice
- Vanilla – 1 teaspoon added to the wet ingredients
- Maple glaze from our Cinnamon Roll recipe after the bread cools
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread
It’s easy to whip up this delicious pumpkin bread with just a few pantry staples, so there’s no need to wait. Let’s get cooking! (I mean baking!).
- Flour – all-purpose give this easy quick bread recipe a great crumb
- Sugar – sweetens the bread and holds moisture. Mix into the dry ingredients.
- Baking soda and baking powder – the leavening agent in most quick breads.
- Spices – cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg 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.
- Salt – balances the sweetness
- Eggs – room temperature, this helps the bread rise in the oven
- Oil – use extra light olive oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil so the flavor won’t overpower the bread.
- Pumpkin puree – Double-check you are getting pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie mix. If using homemade pumpkin puree, be sure it is well-drained so the bread isn’t too wet.
- Optional additions – Vanilla is one of our favorite optional additions (as in the photo below). It’s not in our original recipe, but you can add a tsp to the batter if you’d like, and you can find more of our favorite additions, like chocolate chips, nuts, or pumpkin pie spice above.
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.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
- In a second bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, and eggs
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and then transfer to 2 buttered/ floured loaf pans, and bake.
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.
Common Questions
We’ve used both homemade pumpkin puree and canned puree for this recipe. You can use any brand of pumpkin puree, but just be sure it’s not pumpkin pie mix (it has additional seasoning). We’ve also tried Libby’s and organic canned puree with great results.
You can use a single loaf pan and cut the recipe in half and bake as directed.
This pumpkin bread recipe works great in any metal, glass or stone loaf pan, but the bake time may change. To check if the bread is done, insert a clean toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean, then the bread is done. If it becomes too brown on the top before the middle is cooked, tent the pan with foil.
You can use a larger pan such as a bundt pan, but check the bread as it bakes since the baking time will change.
How to Serve Pumpkin Bread
This sweet bread pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee, but we’ve also been known to heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave and top with:
- Homemade Honey Butter
- Salted butter with a shake of pumpkin pie spice
- Cream cheese
- Almond butter
Make-Ahead
- To store: Cover the bread in an airtight container or with plastic wrap, then it will stay moist for 3-5 days on the counter or refrigerator.
- Freezing: Wrap 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.
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
Pumpkin Bread Recipe
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
- 1/2 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
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 1/2 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, and pumpkin puree.
- 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
Wonderful recipe! I added pecans to top it off & some vanilla but otherwise, loved it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Oops forgot photos.
Looking, how does one attach photos on here?
No worries Bob, you cannot attach photos here but you can share pictures of your creation on our Facebook page or group!
Absolutely fantastic!!!!!! Never had pumpkin bread before. I am the “baker” for our Christian congregation. Meaning when we had goody night (last Tuesday of the month) at our KH, I always baked gluten free deserts because we have several friends that are gluten intolerant. One brother asked could I bake Pumpkin bread.”it’s my favorite “. First batch I made (from different recipe) was totally aw…full. He raised about it. I made another loaf for me. I couldn’t even swallow it. I politely reminded him “the Bible says not to lie and instructed his wife to give him 12 lashes minus 1 with an Al dente noodle. I came across your recipe and decided to give a try. Pulled out of oven an hour ago. Made the Honey butter to go with. Totally Aw…..some!! Going in to work this afternoon. Will be dropping one loaf and a container of honey butter at his house. I bet he won’t deserve 12 lashes minus 1 this time.
I looked to see if you had a GF recipe for this as well. Didn’t see. Please advise.
Hello Bob, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience making this recipe. I am so happy to read your good comments and feedback yay! I don’t have a GF recipe for this yet but thanks for that suggestion.
Just found out my buddy is moving at end of week. Have a loaf of Pumpkin bread in oven now. Will be dropping off tomorrow morning. So sad to see him go. But we go where Jehovah sends us.
I hope he loves this surprise! That’s so nice of you to make that for him!
Just WOW! This is one of the best things I‘VE EVER MADE! Added choc chips. It’s so good I’m freezing half and taking with us on holiday!!!! X
Yay that is so awesome! I’m so happy to be reading your great comments and feedback. Thank you so much!
Yum!!! I loved this bread. I used GF flour and instead of sugar I used maple syrup. Best Pumpkin bread ever!!!
So nice to know that your substitute worked well! Thanks for sharing, Wendy.
How many cups is 15 ounces of pumpkin puree??
Hi Ashley, this conversion chart can help.
Your recipe is the best💯. Made my own pumpkin puree because its not avail in the Philippines. I added a pinch of nutmeg and cloves. I also put orange rind and daro chocolate chip and its the bomb. Thank you for sharing your recipe you can never go wrong with Natashaskitchen👌
Wow that is so awesome! So great to hear that you were able to make your own pumpkin puree.
We’ve had 3 cans of pumpkin puree sitting in our pantry since… well, a long time. Today, I finally broke one out to try this recipe.
I made the recipe in 4 small, dark loaf tins, reducing the cook time to about 35 minutes (I checked on it a few times before then). I found that once the bread started to develop a large crack in the top, it was a good indication of near-doneness.
If you’re wondering whether you should add the chocolate chips, the answer is yes! I made 1 completely chocolate-free loaf and may end up throwing on a quick chocolate glaze/drizzle to give it that nice, chocolatey addition.
Is the greasing + flouring method necessary for the loaf pans? Well, I don’t know for sure (maybe just greasing would do the trick), but I DO know that these loaves slid out very cleanly because I took the extra 2 minutes to grease AND flour.
I plan to freeze 2 of the loaves. Fingers crossed they keep well! In the future, I may experiment a bit and use bread flour rather than APF.
Hi Krista, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I’m so glad you chose to try this recipe!
This recipe sounds delicious. Would you adjust cooking time if using silicone loaf pans?
Hi Darci, I haven’t tried this in a silicon pan to advise. You may need to adjust it but its hard to say by how much. I recommend checking on it towards the last 5 minutes of bake time.
Hi,
This recipe sounds great. Gave you ever subsituted brown sugar for the white sugar?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but if you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe I’ve tried!! Love love it, and will make again. For mine, I only used two eggs, subbed 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar for dark brown, added about 1/4 each of apple sauce and sour cream, and added nutmeg and a touch of ground clove. I also made a little maple butter glaze for it! You were right about it not needing the vanilla essence, as it really allows the pumpkin to remain the leading act of the show taste wise.
I’m so glad you tried and enjoyed this recipe, Tammy! Thank you for sharing your experience with us and for giving this recipe a great review.
Hi , can I use something else to replace the eggs in this recipe .
Hi Zina, I haven’t tested this as an egg-free recipe so I’m not sure what would work instead. If you are looking for an eggless dessert, you might love our chocolate cake.
3 tablespoon of applesauce for ohne egg
Can I make this gluten free?
Hello Barbara, I haven’t tried doing that for this recipe to advise. If you decide to do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I will
I just made this recipe and I doubled it, I got three big loaves out of it and boy is it good, I will be making this again and again, I’m going to add icing or crumb topping next time but it really doesn’t need it. My puppies love it also
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
What would you say about adding nuts to the recipe?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Recipe is great! I added pecans. I just did not notice that it calls for small loaf pans. Could not figure out why my loafs were so short then saw that it calls for 2 8×4 pans and I used 2 9×5 pans.
Next time I will just try one 9×5 pan.
Will try the chocolate and cranberry variants for Thanksgiving!
I hope you love it even more in the 9×5! Thank you for that awesome feedback Dan!
Can you tell me how to make pumpkin puree pls
You got it, Carmen! We have this pumpkin puree recipe here for you.
If I used four small loaf pans instead of two large, what adjustments would I need to make, if any, and how long to bake?
I love all your recipes!
I haven’t tested that in 4 smaller but yes you will need to reduce bake time. I haven’t tested that to give you an exact time frame.
Hi Debbie. I just made this with 4 small loaf pans. The only adjustment I needed was to decrease the time a bit. Mine took maybe 35 minutes in the oven.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Krista!
Can I use 9X 5 loaf pan instead of 8 1/2″x4 1/2″ bread pans?
If yes, do I have to use 2 of them?
Hi Kiran, I think it would overwhelm a single pan that is just barely larger than what is called for with 2. You could make 1 larger loaf and maybe 6 cupcakes and just take the cupcakes out after 20-22 min. Here are the pumpkin cupcakes directions.
Another winner Natasha and family! Made this last night didn’t change a thing, I live at 7,000 ft so was a little hesitant with the amount of leavening but the loaves are scrumptious. Thank you Natasha
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Amanda! Thank you for the wonderful review!