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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 subbed half the oil with applesauce, used buttermilk in place of the water, and cut the amount of sugar in half ….. and it was really quite delicious!!! This time I added chopped pecans and I think next time I will try chocolate chips. Oh, and I was a little concerned about the size of the loaves and the cooking time after reading other comments, but the batter easily fit in 2 loaf pans and they were very much cooked through at 60 minutes. In fact, next time I will check them at 50 minutes next time. This is definitely a keeper!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for noting your substitutions, I’ll have to give them a try sometime soon!
This is so delicious!! My kitchen smelled like yummy pumpkin awesomeness too. It does’t really need anything else as it is so good all on its own, but to make it more like a dessert, I cut it up into little squares with a dollop of vanilla frosting and put in paper cups…gobbled up up by kids and adults.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Diane! Thanks for stopping back to leave your feedback – your serving idea sounds amazing! Happy baking!
-Jamie
Simply delicious. Studded mine with mini chocolate chips. Amazing!
I love this idea, Vicki! Thanks so much for sharing. Happy baking.
-Jamie
I’ve been looking for this recipe for a week! I was looking for the story that went with it before you updated it. I have used this recipe for the past three years or so and it’s the best pumpkin bread I have ever had. Going to make some right now to get myself in fall mode
Rachel-
I am so happy you finally found it! It really needed an update, so we finally got around to it! Happy fall!
-Jamie
Definitely 3 loaves using the pan size indicated. But still needed the same amount of time in the oven. Thanks.
I made this and it was perfect! I baked in 3 small disposable baking pans and put golden raisins in it. It is really the best recipe for pumpkin bread I have ever tried! Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the pumpkin bread, Colleen! Thanks for stopping by an leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I really don’t like the pumpkin but this is something looks very interesting. I really want to adopt this recipe at least once. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I hope you love it as much as we do!
It doesn’t taste pumpkin-y. It does taste pumpkin pie-y, though. And pumpkin is so good for you!
If you guys need so much different substitution make your own recipe and stop following other people’s recipe do it yourself and stop being so picky
Thank you! I always wonder the same thing. For Pete’s sake, the internet is full of other recipes. Make this one or move on.
Since I’m venting, questions such as “can I use … ” crack me up. If you can’t tell the difference between pumpkin butter and pumpkin puree, I don’t think you should be baking. At. All. LOL.
By the way, I have made at least 6 different pumpkin bread recipes, and this one is the best. Makes two GOOD sized loaves! Thank you!
Another great recipe Jamie! I used 1/2 cup less of sugar and applesauce to replace a 1/3 of a cup of the oil. And still so moist! My son ate more than half of a loaf right after dinner and the neighbors we had over for dinner also loved it. I will be making a bigger batch of your pumpkin pie spice for the season. It’s much better than what I get at the store and I didn’t even have really good cinnamon for it.
Carol-
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback. You can definitely cut back on the oil/sugar and still get a great result. So happy this turned out so well for you!
-Jamie
How can I receive a copy of your pumpkin bread recipe?
Jean-
Hello! You can’t print a copy of the recipe by clicking here: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-bread-recipe/print/ – thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie