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Pumpkin Bread is loaded with warm spices and full of delicious pumpkin flavor. This recipe will become one of your absolute favorites!
There is just something about quick breads that make me happy. They’re one of my absolute favorite things to bake no matter the season.
They come together super easily, they’re often delicious for both breakfast and dessert and they’re the perfect treat to gift to just about anyone.
From Banana Bread, Zucchini Banana Bread, Apple Pie Bread, and Butternut Squash Bread, I pretty much have any type of quick bread you could possibly want. But my absolute favorite quick bread of all the quick breads here on My Baking Addiction, this Pumpkin Bread will always be my most loved and most baked!
THE BEST PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE
Okay, let’s chat about this pumpkin bread. There is nothing that signifies fall for me more than this recipe. I’ve been making it for years – long before my blog, and it shows up countless times in my kitchen throughout the season.
It’s sweet, spicy and incredibly moist. I know, I know, moist is not my favorite word either, but there is really no way to adequately describe this Pumpkin Bread recipe without mentioning that word.
I have fed this bread to so many people and every one of them has declared that this recipe is the best Pumpkin Bread they have ever tasted.
This particular recipe gets better with time, so whip it up a day or so in advance before you plan on eating it or giving it away.
Because let me tell you, it makes a great gift for neighbors, a hostess gift, or a gift for your boss if you’re looking to butter them up a bit.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN BREAD
This quick bread recipe takes a bit of time to bake, but I bet you can pull together the batter in about the same amount of time it’ll take for the oven to preheat.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and measure out your ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Like all quick-bread recipes, we mix together the wet ingredients in one bowl, which in this case includes a whole can of pumpkin puree. We’re not skimping on the pumpkin in this bread!
In another bowl, we’ll whisk together all of the dry ingredients. From there, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix the batter together before dividing into two loaf pans.
That’s right, this bread makes two loaves! That’s why it’s extra perfect for gifting.
Or you could keep them both for yourself. It freezes beautifully, after all. Serve it up plain, toasted, with a spread of butter, or get a little adventurous and fry it up in a pan and make Pumpkin Bread French Toast!
CAN YOU USE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING IN THIS RECIPE?
When you’re making this bread, make sure you grab a can of pure pumpkin puree.
Canned pumpkin pie filling is not the same thing; it has a bunch of added ingredients that we don’t need in our Pumpkin Bread.
While you’re at the store, grab a few extra cans because I can guarantee you’ll want to use them in Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Crunch Cake, and more.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
This bread is perfect as it is, but you can totally add some extra if you want.
Add in some chocolate chips for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, or even add things like chopped pecans and dried cranberries. Simply fold them in before you add the batter to the pans.
If you love pumpkin bread, but are looking for pumpkin muffins? This recipe works beautifully for both.
Simply divide the batter into muffin tins that are either sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with paper liners.
Bake them up at 350°F for about 18-20 minutes and you’ll have some seriously delicious pumpkin muffins!
STORING AND FREEZING
Store this bread well wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want it to keep for longer, pop it into the refrigerator.
This recipe is also great for freezing. You can either freeze the loaves whole or freeze individual slices.
To freeze the whole loaves, wrap the bread well in plastic wrap and then wrap them tightly in foil.
To freeze slices, cut nice, thick slices and wrap them each in plastic wrap. Pop them in a zip-top freezer bag.
Freeze the bread for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, take the whole loaves out of the freezer and let them thaw on the counter overnight, or grab as many slices as you like and microwave them for 30-60 seconds for a nice warm slice of Pumpkin Bread.
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 can pure pumpkin puree 15 ounces
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8.5 x 4 x 2.5 inch loaf pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla and sugar until well blended.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Makes 2 8.5×4-inch loaves
- This bread is a fantastic base for all sorts of additions. Get creative by adding in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries or whatever else sounds good to you.
- Adapted from allrecipes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have a similar strange love for pumpkins over the autumn/fall months. I think this bread would be the perfect accompaniment for my http://www.smileyculture.com/chilli-pumpkin-soup/. Minus the vanilla flavours of course!
Sounds great! Thanks so much for stopping in and have a wonderful holiday season!
-Jamie
Very, very nice. I wonder if the folks who are reporting that it stayed flat and dense and didn’t rise started with cold ingredients, especially the eggs. I find that having everything at room temperature makes a huge difference.
Elaine-
Thanks so much for the tips! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe. Have a wonderful day and thanks for following MBA!
-Jamie
I made this several weeks ago. I added 1/2 cup of walnut.The smell reminded me of being home for the holidays. The honey colored bread was moist and it had the right balance of pumpkin and sweetness. I plan to make it again for the holidays. I’m considering giving it as gifts as well. Yes, it was that good. Thank you!
Hi Jamie!
I just found your blog while searching for applesauce receicps! (I’ll be making the crockpot receipe this weekend!) One thing led to another and now I’m looking for your pumpkin pie spice! Only problems is I can read the blog but there is no receipe! Could you help! I really would like to use the pumpkin pie spice!!
Thanks, Lynn
Hi Lynn, the recipe is here: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/
– Jamie
Does anyone else get hard pieces (like sand or shell bits) in pumpkin bread? I can’t decide if the problem is with the pumpkin puree or the spices (cloves, nutmeg, or allspice). This makes me hesitant to give loaves as gifts.
Wynn, I’m trying to think what that could be from and am completely at a loss. I’ve never had that issue.
– Jamie
Hi Wynn-
I have run into your problem of hard pieces like sand or pebbly like things in your pumpkin bread or other things! I am from Louisiana where we raise sugar cane and had a sugar guy tell me one time that tiny lumps in your sugar that are caused by humid conditions in processing can cause clumping in the sugar and if it is bagged and then stored in the warehouse for a long period of time they turn to actual crystally glued rocky lumps and will NOT bake out. I almost broke a tooth one time biting into a large one I had not seen! After that, I now pour out my 5 lb. bag of sugar into a fine sieve over a large bowl to get any and all lumps out then I rebag it inside of a gallon size plastic freezer ziploc so it doesn’t happen again. You can also crack your eggs over a bowl just in case you have “crumbly egg shells” I call them. Lol . Some egg shells seem to be more crumbly than others and if you get egg shell in your bread batter when you run into a piece it will feel just like chewing sand! By cracking eggs into a bowl first you can watch for bits of crumbly shell falling in by accident and you will be able to see them and fish them out before it gets into your bread. Hope this helps Wynn!! God bless and happy baking! :)
Are you using whole cloves instead of ground?
I made this very good I did use half oil and half applesauce and raisins will make it again
I made this I did use half oil half applesauce and raisins very good this will be my recipe to go to when I want to make pumpkin bread. Linda
Linda-
Sounds great! Thank you so much for stopping in to share and have a lovely day!
-Jamie
Can you use these ingredients for pumpkin pie?
Hi Lisa,
Pumpkin pie is very different in texture. I would not use this recipe to try and make pumpkin pie.
– Jamie
Have you ever made mini loaves with this recipe?
Aggie,
I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work fine. The yield would be hard to guess though, because there aren’t any standard sizes for mini-loaves. You may have some extra batter leftover.
– Jamie
Made 4 loaves with this awesome with a few tweaks. They came out delicious. Gave a loaf out to friends already. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
That’s great to hear! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe and are sharing! Have a great day and thank you for following MBA!
-Jamie
Made 5 mini loaves with this recipe. I baked it at 325 for about 50 mins and they came out great! Love love love this recipe! Thanks for sharing!