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
It has a good flavor, but the consistency is more like cake, not bread.
Hi Dianna! That’s very common (just like banana bread). The loaf shape leads people to call it “bread,” even though the texture is moist and cake-like. Basically it would be categorized as a sweet quick bread, which uses baking powder/baking soda for leaving and not yeast as traditional bread would.
Hi Natasha..can u tell me what is pumpkin puree…how to make it…
Hi Niti, I have it linked in the recipe but I use this Pumpkin Puree Recipe.
It’s a great pumpkin bread! Suggestions for converting it to an 6 mini loaf pumpkin bread?
Hi Linda! That would depend on your loaf pan size. Some of my viewers reported making 4-5 mini loafs and baking them from 25-30mins. I would check them early and keep an eye on them.
Thank you I will try it and post my results )
Can you use the recipe to make them into muffins?
Hi Patricia! Yes, that would work but you can use my Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe here.
Hi there Natasha,
My neighbor made a pumpkin bread with some kind of thick dark maple frosting and it is incredibly delicious. Do you have a recipe for maple frosting?
Hi Delia! That sounds amazing. I do not have a recipe for that. But we do have a maple glaze that we use for topping our Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Maple Glaze recipe.
Very moist and delicious.
Simple to make, and you can’t go wrong.
Modified for some “healthier” ingredients:
Oven 350 ° F
Bake 45-55 min
Mix dry ingredients, then wet, then nuts:
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup monkfruit/erythritol
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• a lot of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• like 15ish twists of a salt grinder
• 2 eggs
• 1-1.5 cup coconut oil
• 15 oz pumpkin puree (1 can)
• a few handfuls of pecans
The pumpkin bread is delicious! I would not recommend the streusel topping. I made the topping and it is very difficult to slice the bread with out the topping crumbling. I ended up “trimming” the streusel and the bread tasted much better even though not ascetically looking. A keeper…
Did I miss the streusel recipe? I didnt even see one for streusel. I made it at is. Came out beautifully.
My favorite recipe i come back to each year! Bonus is it makes 2 loaves and they freeze well so a nice little treat in your freezer for later! Curious if you have suggestions for muffins and bake time!
So glad you’re loving the recipe, Emily! You can reference my Pumpkin Cupcakes here for that.
So delicious!
I’m so thankful I found your site and just in time for the holidays.
The only variation I used was avocado oil instead of the recipe listed oils and I added walnuts.
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe I have ever made. The olive oil makes for a very moist flavorful bread. The spices were modified to suite my family’s taste (no cloves), extra cinnamon and raisins coated in flour. The recipe was doubled and made 4 good size loaves. This pumpkin bread also freezes well. Thank you Natasha for a wonderful recipe!
You’re very welcome, Susan! I’m so glad you loved it!
Excellent bread. I currently only have one 9×5 pan. What adjustments do I need to make for that size pan?
Hi Donna! I haven’t tested that size in this recipe so I don’t have those instructions. You can change the number of servings at the top of the recipe card. Cutting the recipe in half (which is 8 slices) will work, but the loaf will be thinner and bake faster. You may want to try changing it to about 10 slices to see if that amount of batter works well, just be careful not to over fill your pan.
Thank you for answer. I may fill the 9×5 pan to about 2/3 and then put rest in muffin tins.
Tastes good but I wish I had put walnuts in it! Next time!
That will be delicious!
Hi Natasha,
Made this several times and I love it. FYI whenever I need a recipe I look at yours first. You are an amazing cook and thank you for all of your wonderful recipes! 🙏🏻
Thank you so much, Gayle!
I agree, I have your book and follow you online! We have never been disappointed in any of your recipes! Going to try this pumpkin bread today and the lasagna recipe for company soon!
I love this recipe. It came out so light and airy. I used half no sugar added applesauce in place of half the olive oil and I only used 1 1/4 c of sugar instead of the full 1.5 cups. I used 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1.5 tsp cinnamon and I also added mini chocolate chips. My kids love it too. I will be using this recipe from now on for sure!
The bread was very moist and was very easy to make but the flavor of the ground cloves was overwhelming and honestly made it taste bitter so ended up going to waste. I would advise omitting that spice for any first time tryers of this recipe.
Hi Leandra, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I checked the notes and it should be 1/4 tsp. My apologies for the oversight. It would taste a little more like gingerbread with 1/2 tsp for this loaf size. I adjusted the recipe to 1/4 tsp.
Perfect fall treat with cup of coffee or milk.
Not too sweet .
I added cream cheese frosting for an extra sweet bite.
Delicious.
I made this today, nice moist loaf, good texture. I also subbed unsweetened applesauce for half the oil and used 1 cup of sugar/ brown sugar splenda, and 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice with the cinnamon. I will make again, thank you for a great, easy recipe.
I used 1/2 cup avocado oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for Pumpkin muffins and they turned out fabulous! And lots healthier.
Absolutely fantastic! This pumpkin bread recipe was so easy to make and the bread turned out moist and delicious! I topped my slices with cinnamon honey butter, and I am glad the recipe made 2 loaves because 1 disappeared 🤣 Thank you Natasha for sharing this wonderful recipe and I really enjoy my signed copy of your book! 😁❤️
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Chris! I’m glad the book is loved!
Regarding a previous comment, someone gave the recipe four stars after mentioning the sugar content. They also used a different puree and, with no disrespect intended, noted that it was not quite the same. Having prepared this recipe twice, I have found that using only Libby’s puree yields the best results. I have experimented with other brands of pumpkin puree in different recipes, and the outcomes were not comparable. The first time, I included one teaspoon of high-quality vanilla, and the second time, I omitted the vanilla but added an extra teaspoon of pumpkin spice. Both times, the bread was exceptionally moist, and the flavor was perfect. Thank you, Natasha. – Joe from Michigan.
Hi Joe! Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I appreciate the feedback.