This truly is the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe. I’ve baked all varieties of pumpkin bread, and this one has been my favorite pumpkin bread recipe for over forty years. Watch the video showing you how to make the best pumpkin bread recipe, then scroll to the bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can bake it at home!
Table of Contents
What makes this the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe?
This pumpkin bread turns out perfectly moist and tender every time. There are a lot of spices added in to the ingredients in this bread. Plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves round out the spicy flavor of the pumpkin bread. The recipe makes two loaves. It’s the perfect snack!
My best pumpkin bread recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of oil. That’s the original recipe that I started with so many years ago. Nowadays, I reduce the sugar to 2 cups and I use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. It still turns out so good with these modifications!
Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe for Gifting:
I’ve used this recipe for gifting for as long as I can remember. It’s the perfect hostess gift for fall parties and holiday gatherings. And when I’m feeling generous, I’ll bake a dozen pumpkin bread loaves and deliver them to neighbors “just because.”
I wrap the pumpkin bread directly in foil, and then I slip it into a gift bag and tie a cute ribbon to close it up. Homemade pumpkin bread makes the perfect gift, and everyone always appreciates the gesture of a gift that’s homemade.
Does this Best Pumpkin Bread recipe freeze well?
This pumpkin bread definitely freezes well. In fact, I always double the recipe when I make it… and then I have one loaf for my family to eat and three loaves to wrap and put in the freezer.
Just wrap the extras directly in foil and keep them in the freezer. When you’re going somewhere special, need to gift a sick friend, or surprise a neighbor with something yummy… you have pumpkin bread that you can take out of your freezer, and it’s ready to gift to someone!
Let this be your go-to Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe to make all year long, but especially in the fall months. You’ll enjoy it for breakfast and snacks and holidays. And everyone else will be able to enjoy it with you.
If you’re looking for more pumpkin themed recipes, you might also enjoy my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares or thesePumpkin Cake Pops. Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars, Pumpkin Fudge, and Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bundt Cake are also good pumpkin treats to try!
1cupvegetable or canola oil(can sub 1/2 unsweetened applesauce)
2cupspure, unsweetened pumpkin puree
2/3cupwater
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans. You can use 8x5 pans too, but they'll rise quite high while baking.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, baking powder and salt.
In large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add the pumpkin and water and stir until combined.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It could take an extra 15 minutes, depending on the type of pan you're using.
Video
Notes
*If you reduce the sugar to 2 cups and sub 1/2 of the oil for unsweetened applesauce, here is how the nutritional information changes per slice: 274 calories, 46 carb, 4 protein, 8 fat, 1 fiber.
*Since this recipe yields two loaves, make several batches and deliver them to your neighbors as a fall holiday treat!
*You may also use 8 mini loaf pans- bake 45 minutes to an hour.
*This bread freezes well. When cooled, cover with plastic wrap, then foil & freeze until ready to eat. It should keep well in the freezer for several weeks.
You might think you could overcome the lack of flavor by adding more pumpkin purée to your recipe, but you'd be mistaken: By the time you've added enough purée to taste it, your baked good would have a soggy texture on account of all that moisture.
Quick breads are typically mixed by hand, and it's important not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in a tough and chewy bread. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined, and then stop. If there are a few lumps in the batter, that's okay.
That means—don't leave out the salt, don't cut the amount of sugar, and use the specified amount of cinnamon. This is important because flour is what I like to call a “flavor thief”— it sucks the flavor out of ingredients. So, if you don't follow the recipe as specified, you risk a bland tasting pumpkin bread.
Pumpkin bread can become dense if there is not enough hydration or wet ingredients in the recipe. Another cause is overcooking the bread which can cause it to dry out. Remember, it's always easy to keep cooking if it isn't done but impossible to take cooking time back.
It's important not to use too much baking soda in recipes, as it can result in a metallic, soapy flavor. It is much more powerful than baking powder – you only need about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour to leaven baked goods.
Briefly cooking your canned pumpkin purée on the stove can help improve both the flavor and texture. This method helps reduce excess moisture, which gives the pumpkin a superior texture. It also releases the natural pumpkin flavor and helps reduce the metallic taste from the can.
The possibilities are endless, but the common factor is the basic ingredients of fat, sugar, eggs, flour, liquid, leavening agent, and a flavoring ingredient. The flavoring might be a fruit or vegetable, a liquid such as buttermilk or fruit juice, an extract, herbs, or spices.
Avoid overmixing the batter as it can lead to tough, dense quick bread that may sink in the middle. Dry baked goods are not enjoyable, so it's always important to closely monitor baking time to prevent overbaking.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. If the toothpick tester comes out with crumbs or wet batter, continue cooking in 5-to-10-minute increments, testing the bread until the toothpick comes out clean.
Not only does roasting deepen the flavor of the pumpkin, but it bakes off some of the moisture in the purée, ensuring a more custard-like pie with less risk of a soggy crust.
If your pumpkin spice bread is gummy or undercooked in the center, it's typically because it either 1) needed more time to bake in the oven or 2) the batter was too wet, which led the bread to collapse in on itself a bit (this happens if you measure ingredients by volume, rather than by weight: it's easy to ...
All it takes is a small amount of dough enhancer per loaf to create a much lighter and fluffier result. Using a dough enhancer like Vital Wheat Gluten works to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough and elongate the strands of gluten. Doing so allows more room for the gas in the dough to develop and rise.
The oven temperature is off: Usually it's running too hot, and the outside looks brown before the center is baked through. But a low oven temperature can fool you too– you think you've baked long enough, but it's actually running 50 degrees too cool.
When taken by mouth: Pumpkin is likely safe when eaten in foods. It is possibly safe to take pumpkin seed or pumpkin seed oil in medicinal amounts. Side effects from pumpkin products are rare, but might include stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and nausea.
Experienced bakers such as The Baking ChocolaTess have tackled the problem of dry bread, finding the main sources and some creative tricks to reverse the issue. One common problem is having an incorrect ratio of wet to dry ingredients. This can be easily adjusted by increasing the liquid or decreasing flour.
So, to know when pumpkin bread is done, look for the crack on the top of the bread, which is a tell-tale sign it's either done or close to being done. Then stick a skewer or toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.
Hobby: Gunsmithing, Embroidery, Parkour, Kitesurfing, Rock climbing, Sand art, Beekeeping
Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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