Pumpkin Bread
To make pumpkin bread, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and sugar, then fold in flour, baking soda, and warm spices. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 60–65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Pumpkin bread should taste like pumpkin and warm spices, not like cinnamon accidentally rented a loaf pan. This one starts with a full cup of pure pumpkin puree and backs it up with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, giving the loaf a deep autumn flavor without turning it into potpourri you can slice. Vegetable oil keeps the crumb moist, while the combination of granulated and brown sugar gives it sweetness with a little molasses depth.
The batter is deliberately simple: whisk the wet ingredients until smooth, fold in the flour and spices only until the dry streaks disappear, and stop. Overmixing develops gluten and takes pumpkin bread from tender to oddly determined. Bake until a tester shows no wet batter and only a few damp crumbs, tent the top if it browns too quickly, and—this is the rude part—let it cool before slicing. A hot loaf smells like a legal argument for immediate consumption, but cutting too soon can leave the center gummy and compressed.
Once it cools, the texture settles into that dense-but-tender sweet spot that makes one slice turn into “I was just evening up the end.”
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray, then lightly flour it or line with parchment paper.
- 2In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, water, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fully combined.
- 3Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger directly to the wet ingredients. Fold with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined — stop when you no longer see dry streaks. Do not overmix.
- 4Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. The batter will be thick.
- 5Bake on the center rack for 60–65 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with aluminum foil after 45 minutes.
- 6Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn it out and let it cool completely on the rack before slicing — at least 30 more minutes. Slicing too early gives you a gummy, structureless interior.
Nutrition Information
Estimated per serving: 1 slice (recipe makes 10).
Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.
Pro Tips
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The can labels are almost the same size and the mistake is almost too easy to make. I am not pointing fingers. I am pointing at myself.
- Don't overmix the batter once you add the flour. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and turns a tender loaf into something with the texture of a firm handshake.
- The bread is done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. If it comes out completely clean, you've got about ten more minutes than you needed — still good, just drier.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Wrap cooled pumpkin bread tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Refrigerate for up to 7 days — bring to room temperature before serving or warm a slice briefly in the microwave. Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic and stored in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or microwave from frozen for 45–60 seconds.
Make Ahead
Pumpkin bread improves on day two as the spices deepen and the crumb settles. Bake it the day before you need it, cool completely, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature overnight. It will be noticeably better and you will feel like a genius who planned ahead, even if that wasn't exactly your original intention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the pumpkin bread ahead and let the loaf cool completely before wrapping it. Waiting until it is cool keeps trapped steam from softening the crust or making the loaf gummy around the edges.
How do I store the leftovers?
Wrap cooled pumpkin bread tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Refrigerate for up to 7 days — bring to room temperature before serving or warm a slice briefly in the microwave. Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic and stored in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or microwave from frozen for 45–60 seconds.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Let the pumpkin bread cool completely, then freeze the loaf or individual slices tightly wrapped. Thaw while wrapped so the moist crumb stays protected from condensation.
Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?
Yes. Tested adjustments on this recipe include vegetable oil → melted coconut oil or melted butter; all-purpose flour → 1:1 gluten-free baking flour; and granulated sugar + brown sugar → 1 1/2 cups total coconut sugar.
What's the most common mistake to avoid?
Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The can labels are almost the same size and the mistake is almost too easy to make. I am not pointing fingers. I am pointing at myself.
