This is my family’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe. It turns out incredibly soft, moist, and full of pumpkin flavor. It never lasts long.
We’ve tested this easy homemade pumpkin bread so many times to get the texture just right. Melted butter adds richness, brown sugar gives a hint of caramel flavor, and the pumpkin puree keeps every slice perfectly moist.
You don’t need a mixer. Just a bowl and a whisk, and the results easily rival any bakery or coffee shop loaf. Serve thick slices plain, warm them up with a bit of butter, or slather on some of my very favorite honey butter.
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree for this bread. Libby’s or Whole Foods’ 365 are reliable store-bought options. If you have access to baking pumpkins, you can make your own pumpkin puree. Here’s our pumpkin puree recipe to help you out.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, then add salt to the bread batter. If you have salted butter, you will need to add less salt (check the tips below the recipe for guidance).
- Eggs: These add structure and moisture. We use three eggs, just like in our pumpkin chocolate chip bread.
- Vanilla: I love the combination of vanilla and pumpkin spices, so I’m generous with the vanilla in this quick bread.
- Sugar: Use both granulated and brown sugar for the best flavor and texture.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is great for this one.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: We need both to give this bread enough lift. When measuring, make sure to level your teaspoons so you add the correct amount.
- Pumpkin Spice and Salt: I use my homemade pumpkin spice blend that calls for cinnamon, ginger, and cloves (plus optional allspice and nutmeg). You can also use your favorite store-bought jar.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Pumpkin Bread
Tip 1: Use melted butter. When it comes to this pumpkin bread, melted butter is best. It works beautifully with the spices and pumpkin. I’m generous and use 10 tablespoons (I know!), but trust me. Once you taste this bread, you’ll see why. I also use melted butter for my favorite banana bread, and think it adds the best flavor, just like with this fall-inspired quick bread!
Tip 2: Mix the batter by hand. I make this pumpkin bread batter the same way I make muffins or apple bread. Whisk the dry ingredients until well combined (really important to get the baking powder and soda mixed through the flour), then in another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Finally, use a spatula and fold the two (wet and dry ingredients) together.
Tip 3: Butter and flour your loaf pan. Parchment paper works, but I always find that it folds back towards the loaf as it bakes, and we don’t want it to hinder the tall domed top. So, I skip it and go old-school by buttering and flouring my pan instead.
Butter (or spray) the bottom and sides of the loaf pan, making sure to get into the corners. Add a generous spoonful of flour, then tilt the pan to coat the inside evenly. Finally, tap out the excess flour, and you’ll have a thin, even layer that keeps the bread from sticking.
Tip 4: Bake at 350°F. The loaf rises nicely at 350°F and stays soft and moist in the center without browning too much on the outside. I bake my loaf in a 9×5-inch pan with an 8-cup capacity and recommend that you do the same. A smaller loaf pan might have issues with the batter overflowing.
More of My Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
Our Favorite Pumpkin Bread
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
Our family loves this pumpkin bread recipe, and we’re committed to making it every fall from now on. It’s soft, moist, perfectly spiced, and packed with real pumpkin flavor.
Maks 1 loaf, 10 slices
You Will Need
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (140g)
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (260g)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, reduce to ¾ teaspoon if sensitive to salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, see homemade pumpkin pie spice
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
¾ cup light brown sugar (150g)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin, like Libby’s, or 1 ¾ cups homemade pumpkin puree (425g)
Directions
1Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan (8-cup capacity). Place a baking sheet into the oven.
2Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice until evenly blended.
3Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter. If you see any large lumps of brown sugar, break them up. Then, whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until smooth and well combined.
4Combine: Add the dry ingredients, in three parts, to the wet mixture. Folding the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until you no longer see any streaks of flour.
5Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake the loaf for 55 to 70 minutes, gently rotating the pan after 40 minutes for even baking. Since pumpkin bread is so moist, test a few spots with a toothpick toward the end of baking. If it comes out wet, give it another 5 to 10 minutes.
6Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it and transfer it to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Store pumpkin bread at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then seal in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature, and warm slices in the oven or toaster before serving.
- Salted butter: If you have salted butter, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon fine salt.
- The nutrition information provided are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 slice of 10
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Calories
368
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Total Fat
13.4g
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Saturated Fat
7.8g
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Cholesterol
86.3mg
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Sodium
358.4mg
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Carbohydrate
58.4g
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Dietary Fiber
2g
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Total Sugars
36.2g
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Protein
5.1g
We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us
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