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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 googled pumpkin bread today and came upon your website. The recipe turned out great and my girls loved it! I did add some mini chocolate chips I had in the pantry, but it would have been great even without them! Thanks so much for sharing. I will definitely be making this again.
Jen-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
This recipe looks great! Going to try it tonight!
Thanks
Just made 4 loaves for coworkers to give as Thanksgiving gifts!!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!!
Erin
rtkce.wordpress.com
Erin-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback – have a fantastic day!
-Jamie
I haven’t tried the recipe yet. However, I’m wondering how much sugar I can reduce, or what I can use instead of sugar ? Any ideas? This looks like a great recipe that I’m excited to try, but I have to be careful on the sugar.
Tracy-
I have never tried reducing the sugar in the recipe, but from what I have read you can attempt to start reducing the sugar by one fourth. You can also try replacing white suagr with a smaller amount of light brown sugar, which has a much sweeter taste. Good luck!
-Jamie
I made this tonight and it was great!
I never never have good luck baking quick breads in loaf pans: it gets too done on the ends in order for the middle to not be raw . So instead of a loaf pan, I poured the batter into a fluted bundt pan-It came out beautifully done
And easy to slice !
Thanks for a great recipe I will use from now on
Kristen-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
LOVED this recipe! I actually made it as muffins with the assistance of my three-year-old son, using the pumpkin purรฉe we made from roasting pumpkins too! You can see us following your recipe on my blog here:
http://lostandfarm.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/pumpkin-bread-muffins/
Thank you for sharing this gem. We has breakfast for dinner today just to have an excuse to eat more pumpkin bread muffins!
How much chocolate chips do you think you should add? Has anyone tried it?
Made this last week end, plan on making more for Thanksgiving. Could I use some eggnog in place of some of the water to give it a touch of eggnog flavor?
Colette-
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. I have never tried using eggnog in place of the water, but it sounds interesting. Stop back and let me know how it turns out! Have a great day!
-Jamie
If you really like this recipe then can it. Yes, its almost exact to the one that I got out of a canning book some 26 years ago. You grease your wide mouth jars fill them half way with the batter and then bake them. When they are done take them out one by one and wipe off the rims then put on the lid and ring and tighten. CAREFUL they’re hot! Then let sit on a towl on your counter until the lid ‘pops’ as it’s cooling down. Once cooled and sealed they will last for up to one year in your pantry. I added finely chopped pecans and white chocolate chips.
Take that out of the cupboard on a cold evening, slice it thick and toast it in the oven on broil. Add butter and a hot drink and you have instant dessert in 5 minutes.
P.S. if your using fresh pumpkin then don’t use the water.
Or cook your pumpkin down in the oven on very low like you would do Apple butter so that its not so watery.
Thanks to Sandy, the kids are off school again today. I’m gearing up to make our third batch of your delicious pumpkin bread. I threw together your pumpkin pie spice recipe, too, last time around and was delighted to find how easy it was. We’ve substituted applesauce every time with great success. This time, I think I’ll toss in some chocolate chips. MMMM. Thanks for sharing this delicious, exceptionally moist recipe–the perfect one for making the breads I share with friends and neighbors.