This easy pumpkin bread is my go-to whenever I want something cozy without spending all day in the kitchen. It comes together so fast—just mix it, bake it, and your house will smell amazing. What a bonus! I love how moist the pumpkin makes it, and the warm spices give it that perfect fall flavor. Plus, you can totally customize it with chocolate chips or nuts if you’re feeling fancy.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 Pumpkin bread to make your house smell amazing
This is the kind of recipe you’ll keep coming back to, especially when you want something simple but delicious.
- Foolproof. This recipe is pretty straightforward, you’ll only need a few simple ingredients and no special equipment needed.
- Tons of pumpkin spice flavor. This recipe is filled with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg – all the fall flavors that you’ll love.
- It’s a delicious option for a sweet breakfast with a cup of coffee or cozy dessert topped with ice cream.
Want a great vegan version? Check out my vegan pumpkin banana bread.
Simply love pumpkins? My readers also love my pumpkin streusel muffins, pumpkin pie cookies, and homemade pumpkin spice latte!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this pumpkin bread, you’ll need all-purpose flour, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, baking soda, eggs, vanilla extract, and spices.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pumpkin puree. Use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling.
- All-purpose flour. Substitute with 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if you need.
- Baking soda. Helps the bread rise and stay fluffy.
- Sugar. Using a mix of both granulated sugar and brown sugar balances sweetness and adds a subtle caramel flavor.
- Spices. I used ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt to add warmth to the batter. You can also use a pumpkin pie spice blend. If you love stronger spice flavors, add a pinch more cinnamon or ginger, or try a hint of cardamom for a twist.
- Eggs. Use two large eggs to bind the ingredients.
- Milk. To add moisture to the batter. You can also use almond milk or oat milk.
- Vegetable oil. I used vegetable oil but you can use canola oil or even melted butter for a richer texture.
- Vanilla extract. Helps enhance the flavor.
Variations
- Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the batter before baking to make chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, or dried cranberries to the batter for extra crunch.
- To make pumpkin spice muffins, pour the batter into a muffin tin and bake for 18-22 minutes.
- To make gluten-free pumpkin bread, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of regular flour.
📖 How to make pumpkin bread
Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3:
Whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until well combined.
Step 4:
Add the eggs and beat well until fully combined.
Step 5:
Stir in the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 6:
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 5:
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 6:
Allow the pumpkin bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Drain canned pumpkin if needed. Some brands of pumpkin puree can be a bit watery! If you notice excess liquid, gently press the puree in a strainer to avoid soggy bread.
Libby’s Pumpkin Purée is the thickest and least watery, making it ideal for pies and baked goods. Farmer’s Market Organic is more watery but works well in soups and lighter dishes. Trader Joe’s and 365 by Whole Foods fall somewhere in the middle, offering good consistency for a variety of recipes!
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Let your eggs and milk come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the batter blend smoothly and results in a more even bake.
- Do not overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to prevent the bread from becoming dense and tough.
- Oven vary so keep an eye on the bread. If the top starts to brown too much before the center is done, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Cool completely before slicing. It’s tempting to dive in, but letting the bread cool fully helps it firm up and makes for cleaner slices.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Absolutely! Using melted butter will give the bread a richer flavor. If you want a balance, try using half oil and half melted butter for the best of both worlds.
If the top of your bread is getting dark before the center is cooked, loosely cover it with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time. This will protect the top while the middle finishes baking.
Over-mixing is usually the culprit for dense bread. Be gentle when folding in the dry ingredients, and mix only until you can’t see any streaks of flour. Also, check that your baking soda is fresh!
Yes, simply pour the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Only pour 3/4th of the way to avoid it spilling over.
🍴 How to serve pumpkin bread
Look, honestly, pumpkin bread is already delicious on its own, you can also serve it with a lot of spreads and toppings! I like to use butter or cream cheese spread on mine. Topping it with a streusel topping, whipped cream, or ice cream for a yummy dessert.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Store pumpkin bread at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
To freeze, cool the pumpkin bread completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil or a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, let the pumpkin bread sit at room temperature for a few hours or overnight. Feel free to slice it before freezing for easy, on-the-go snacks.
🍴 More pumpkin recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Pie Cookies
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Muffins (with Crumb Topping!)
Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread (with chocolate chips!)
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- ¼ cup milk, or water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until well combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the pumpkin bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, you can use 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (homemade or store-bought).
- The recipe calls for vegetable oil to keep the pumpkin bread extra moist, but you can substitute it with melted butter for a richer flavor.
- Do not overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to prevent the bread from becoming dense and tough.
- Oven vary so keep an eye on the bread. If the top starts to brown too much before the center is done, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best loaf ever! Absolutely delicious, moist… was a big hit here.
Keeper for sure
Thank you so much for taking the time to share back, Christina! So glad it was a hit. If it’s not too much trouble, would you consider leaving a star rating? That would really help! Thanks again.