Pumpkin Bread

By
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan is a recipe developer, baker, food writer, and author of "The Vintage Baker" and "Icebox Cakes."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/19/21
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Pumpkin Bread

The Spruce / Christine Ma
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 65 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 loaf
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
237 Calories
10g Fat
34g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 237
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 128mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 94mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Pumpkin bread is one of the most delicious and easy ways there is to celebrate fall—and is truly one of the most perfect vehicles for baking with pumpkin, everyone's favorite autumnal ingredient. Not that there's anything wrong with pumpkin pie or pumpkin whoopie pies or even pumpkin cookies, but pumpkin bread (particularly if you add some chocolate chips) is so perfectly flavorful and sweet and wonderfully easy-peasy to assemble that it deserves all of the autumn baking love. After just a few minutes of prep—you don't even need a mixer—and a trip in the oven, you'll be rewarded with a bakery-worthy quick bread.

This recipe uses oil to form a super moist, tender bread that is even better the second day. It calls for only brown sugar as the molasses notes go so well with pumpkin. To keep things simple, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are the only spices you need. The bread is generously sprinkled with turbinado sugar before baking making for a sparkly and slightly crunchy top. Each slice is studded with chocolate chips, making it feel like a real treat. You can swap for nuts, dried fruit, or a mix if you like.

Serve pumpkin bread as a quick, sweet breakfast, as part of brunch, with a cup of hot coffee or tea, or even as a light dessert. We recommend doubling the recipe and either freezing the second loaf or sharing it at a potluck.

"This was a moist and flavorful pumpkin bread with an excellent blend of spices and vanilla. So many pumpkin breads make 2 loaves; it's nice to see a 1-loaf recipe. I put the rest of the can of pumpkin purée in a freezer container and froze it for another day." —Diana Rattray

pumpkin bread
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or other neutral oil

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs

  • 7 1/2 ounces pumpkin puree, about 1 cup, or half of a 15-ounce can

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional

  • Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Pumpkin Bread ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter. Line the bottom and 2 short sides with a long strip of parchment paper.

    greased bread pan with parchment paper

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium-sized bowl.

    flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. In a separate large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.

    oil, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time.

    add eggs to the sugar mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Whisk in the pumpkin puree.

    add pumpkin to the sugar mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Using a flexible spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined.

    pumpkin bread batter in a bowl, dry and wet ingredients mixed together

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  8. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if using, being careful not to overmix.

    add chocolate chips to the pumpkin bread batter

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  9. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or butter knife. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using.

    pumpkin bread batter in a bread pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  10. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until a cake tester comes out with a moist crumb or two but no liquid batter.

    baked pumpkin bread in a bread pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  11. Let cool until easy to handle before inverting the cake onto a cooling rack and then flipping it right side up to cool to room temperature.

    Pumpkin Bread on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Recipe Variations

  • If you like a spice-forward pumpkin-eating experience, add a little extra nutmeg or ginger, or even a smidge of allspice or cloves.
  • If you want a classic pumpkin bread, omit the chocolate chips. You can also swap for other chips or chunks like dark chocolate. Use dairy-free chocolate chips to keep this bread dairy-free.
  • Swap the chocolate chips for toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins, or dried cranberries, or a mix of the two.
  • The recipe doubles easily. Eat one loaf right away and freeze or gift the other.
  • Drizzle the pumpkin bread with a simple vanilla glaze to make it more dessert-like.


How to Store and Freeze

  • Store cooled pumpkin bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to three days.
  • Pumpkin bread may be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
  • Pumpkin bread can also be frozen. Tightly wrap the bread in plastic wrap (either whole or individual slices) and seal in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to two months and defrost in the fridge before enjoying.

What makes pumpkin bread rise?

Pumpkin bread is a quick bread which means it uses baking powder and/or baking soda as leavening instead of yeast. These leavening agents help the bread to rise quickly in the oven without the need to proof the dough.

Can I substitute butter for oil in pumpkin bread?

You may substitute an equal amount of melted butter for the oil in pumpkin bread. Butter adds a nice buttery flavor; however, your bread will not be quite as moist nor will it remain so for several days.


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