My pumpkin bread is a soft moist fall quick bread that bakes up perfectly every time ~ this easy recipe is foolproof!
perfect pumpkin bread you can’t mess up!
Those first iconic bakes of fall are so special, and you don’t want to risk messing them up. This is the pumpkin bread recipe you’ll turn to over and over again this fall and every fall going forward. It’s perfect for all those times when you need something delicious and simple to celebrate the season, or share with friends. The color is a gorgeous golden amber, the texture is soft and pillowy, and the spices don’t overwhelm. There are no nuts or chocolate chips to get in the way of the pure pumpkin experience.
more pumpkin breads on the site
- The Best Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread
- Maple Glazed Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Bread with Toasted Walnuts
grocery list for pumpkin bread
- canned pumpkin
- this recipe makes 2 loaves and uses one 15-ounce can of pumpkin, which is so convenient. Be sure to buy plain canned pumpkin and not pie filling.
- sugar
- both granulated white sugar and brown sugar.
- oil
- plain vegetable oil like canola, corn, or safflower.
- eggs
- cider
- If you happen to have some good fresh apple cider it gives an extra dose of fall flavor, but don’t make a special trip for it, you can use water, or apple juice as well.
- flour
- corn starch
- corn starch has the wonderful effect of tenderizing this pumpkin bread. We’re essentially making cake flour when we mix it with all purpose flour.
- spices
- I’ve intentionally kept the spices light in this bread to allow the pumpkin to shine. Double them if you’d like.
- baking soda and salt
can we talk about nutmeg butter?
It’s just everything, that’s all. And so simple to make! You’re going to want to spice all your butter this fall. How about cinnamon butter for your morning toast? Or on your sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving?
how to make nutmeg butter
- Soften a stick of butter. Either leave it out on the counter or zap it in the microwave for 10 second intervals until it just starts to give when you press the side of the stick.
- Smoosh it together with about a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.
- If you don’t have whole nutmeg you can use ground.
what makes this pumpkin bread perfect
I’m so glad you asked! There are lots of things at play here that make this bread a winner.
First, it’s an easy one bowl recipe. There’s no butter to cream, so everything whisks together in a flash.
It makes 2 loaves, which at first might seem excessive if you only cook for one or two, but trust me, an extra loaf of pumpkin bread in the freezer is not a bad thing.
It uses the whole can of pumpkin. A rare virtue in a pumpkin recipe!
The texture is nice and soft and plush, which I love.
The spices don’t overwhelm like they sometimes do in pumpkin bread. One teaspoon warms the bread without overpowering it. (But there’s nothing wrong with a spicier bread, so use two if you like.)
to store or freeze pumpkin bread
Like many quick breads and muffins, pumpkin bread is moist and will get moister as time goes on. I like to store the (completely cooled!) loaf wrapped lightly in waxed paper or foil, on the kitchen counter. It can also go under a cake dome.
The loaf will freeze beautifully. Be sure to let it cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap, and again in foil. It can go into the freezer as is, or in a heavy duty zip lock freezer bag. You can freeze the whole loaf, or individual slices. Use within 3 months for best quality.
pumpkin is the greatest!
- Pumpkin Spice Crisp
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies!
- Pecan Praline Pumpkin Cake
- Most Popular Pumpkin Recipes!
Perfect Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- Two 9×5 loaf pans
- parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can of pumpkin Note: use plain canned pumpkin, not pie filling.
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup fresh apple cider Note: you can substitute apple juice, or water.
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice.
- 1½ tsp coarse salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
nutmeg butter, optional
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray and line two 9×5 loaf pans with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a very large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, sugars, oil, cider, and spices until the eggs are completely broken up and everything is well combined. Smooth out any lumps of brown sugar.
- Whisk in the salt and baking soda. Then the flour and cornstarch. The batter is thin so you can use the whisk for most of it, but I prefer to finish with a silicone spoon. Mix just until all the dry flour is incorporated, but don't over mix ~ you want your bread to be light!
- Distribute the batter evenly between your two prepared pans. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until the top is firm and a toothpick comes out moist but not wet. Note: sometimes with pumpkin bread the batter in the very center crack can remain sticky, even though the bread is cooked. Insert your toothpick just to the side of the crack.
- Allow the breads to cool on a rack for 10 minutes or so before using the parchment paper handles to remove the bread to the rack to cool further.
- To make the nutmeg butter blend the soft butter with the nutmeg until the nutmeg is completely incorporated and the butter is smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi Sue. How much pumpkin would you use if it is fresh? (I cook down my own – Hubbard Squash is fantastic!). It will most likely be more watery as well. Recommended adjustments?
You’ll need the same measurement of thick pumpkin puree, so cook it or drain it to the same consistency of canned.
Made this pumpkin bread last night, and it is so delicious! The texture is almost creamy. The only change I would make is to either sift in the corn starch, or whisk it with the flour before adding. I just put it all in the wet ingredients and ended up with lumpy batter and some lighter colored spots in the finished the bread. I will definitely make this again! The flavor is wonderful!
Hi, Sue! Have been comparing pumpkin bread recipes and noticed that this Perfect Pumpkin Bread recipe includes cornstarch. May I ask what cornstarch does or adds to this recipe, when your others do not call for it?
I often experiment and tweak recipes. Adding cornstarch is literally like using cake flour ~ it makes the cake more tender. Cake flour is just a combination of all purpose flour and cornstarch, but few people have it on hand so this is a good work around.
Can these be baked in muffin tins? How long should they bake for?
Quick breads have a different texture generally from muffins, but you could bake it in a muffin pan. The time will depend on size, but I’d check them at 15-18 minutes. You might check out my pumpkin streusel muffins recipe.
Hi,
Do you cut your parchment paper to fit your pans or do you buy it already the perfect size? If you buy it already cut, could you tell me the name of the product and/or where to purchase this paper?
Thank you,
I cut it, which is a pain, but not hard. I just set the loaf pan on the paper, against one edge, and eyeball where to cut. I should do a visual on that. But I agree with you, buying ready-sized pieces of parchment is best. Check Amazon for various sizes.