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This pumpkin bread recipe makes two soft, moist loaves with the perfect amount of that classic pumpkin spice flavor you know and love. It’s easy to make and so delicious. You’ll be munching on it all day long.
Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
When the leaves turn gold and the crisp autumn air sets in, there’s no better way to embrace the spirit of the season than with a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread. And this is the best pumpkin bread ever! It’s so moist and tender and delivers the perfect marriage between the subtle sweetness of pumpkin puree and the warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s easy to make and will fill your kitchen with the nostalgic scent of the holidays.
I love how beautifully simple this classic pumpkin bread is but, if you’re looking for something a little more “exciting” try my Pecan Praline Pumpkin Bread or this Cheesecake Swirl Pumpkin Bread.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Loaf
You are going to love this homemade pumpkin bread. Everything from the smell to the taste to the texture is divine. Here are some of the reasons I think it’s so special.
- Just. So. Yum. The marriage between the subtly sweet pumpkin and the warm spices is just perfect here. You can taste the spices but they don’t overwhelm the palate. Plus, I used real butter instead of oil, which adds a richness and texture to the bread that is just to die for.
- Smell. I love the way the spices in this loaf light up the kitchen with the smell of autumn as it bakes. I swear you can almost taste how good it is before it even comes out of the oven.
- Wonderfully moist. This pumpkin bread is so moist and tender. It really is a treat to sink your teeth into.
- Super easy. This recipe is super straightforward and doesn’t require any complicated mixing techniques, making it perfect for both experienced and novice bakers.
- An all-day treat. You really can enjoy this moist, flavorful loaf any time of day. Have it as a snack or a dessert. Heck, you could even classify it as a breakfast item in my book.
- Mix-in friendly. While this autumn treat is delightful on its own, you can easily add your favorite mix-ins like chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to the batter for extra flavor and texture.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy pumpkin bread. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure it properly, with either a food scale or the spoon and level method. Too much flour can ruin your pumpkin loaf.
- Leavening – The combination of baking soda and baking powder gives you the best rise and texture.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves give this pumpkin bread the perfect amount of fall spice!
- Salt – For flavor.
- Unsalted butter – The butter should be softened at room temperature. Otherwise, it won’t cream properly with the sugar and eggs.
- Sugar – I used all white sugar here. Some people will add brown sugar to their pumpkin bread for a slightly deeper, more molasses-y flavor but I don’t think it’s necessary.
- Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
- Pumpkin puree – I highly recommend canned puree. Also, be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Bread
Here comes a quick look at how to make homemade pumpkin bread. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9×5 loaf pans with nonstick baking spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the butter and sugar together and then mix in the eggs, one at a time.
- Cream. Beat the wet ingredients on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the pumpkin. Mix the pumpkin puree with the wet ingredients.
- Put it all together. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Bake. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and bake for 60-70 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the loaves to cool in their pans for a few minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
Here come some tips and tricks that will help you get this easy pumpkin bread recipe right the first time. Happy baking!
- Grease your pans. Not just a little. A lot. You really want to get in there with some non-stick cooking spray as these pumpkin loaves have a tendency to stick to their pans.
- Room temperature butter. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature before using it. Cold (or overly melted butter) will not cream properly with the sugar and eggs. This can give you an overly dense loaf.
- Don’t skimp on cream time. When creaming together the butter, sugar, and eggs, do so until you see that the mixture has significantly lightened in color and has become nice and fluffy. This adds air to the batter, helping to ensure that you don’t end up with an overly dense loaf.
- No over-mixing allowed. Unless you want tough, dense pumpkin bread. Over-mixing after adding the dry ingredients to the batter can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, making the finished product tough and much less pleasant to bite into.
- Remember that baking is a science. In order to get the right texture and rise out of your pumpkin bread, you want to treat this recipe as a high-stakes science project. Measure meticulously (I suggest using a food scale, especially for the flour) and use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is preheated to the proper temperature.
- Patience. Once you put the bread in the oven, keep the oven door closed. It can be tempting to check on the progress of your loaf but letting cool air in can cause the bread to collapse. So be patient.
Proper Storage
- Counter. Once it has cooled completely, wrap the pumpkin bread tightly in plastic wrap or seal it in an air-tight container. Store it at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator. If you would like to give your pumpkin bread a slightly longer shelf life, allow it to cool completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap or sealing it in an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Note that the cool temperatures of the refrigerator might dry the bread out a bit.
- Freezer. Allow the bread to cool to room temperature before wrapping it (either the whole loaf or individual slices) in plastic wrap and then in foil. Pop the bread in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before indulging.
More Easy Pumpkin Recipes
Fall is in the air and I am in a pumpkin mood. Here are some of my absolute favorite pumpkin-y recipes for you to try out. Let me know which is your favorite.
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
See How to Make Pumpkin Bread
PrintPumpkin Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves (10-12 slices per loaf)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Pumpkin Bread recipe is soft, moist and full of flavor with lots of pumpkin and spice! It’s easy to make and made with butter, instead of oil.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (390g) all purpose flour (measured properly)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (621g) sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups (638g) pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9×5 loaf pans very well with non stick baking spray.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Whisk together to combine, then set aside.
- In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix just until combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined after each addition.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin purée and beat until well combined. The mixture may like a little curled and separated.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix. If you need to stir it a bit more, use a spatula and do it gently by hand.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 163.9 mg
- Fat: 8.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.8 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 43.6 mg
I have a question about the pumpkin bread recipe. Would it still work if I, also, melt the butter too?
I haven’t tried it, but it would likely change the final texture. Creaming the butter and sugar adds air to the batter that adds to the rise and texture of the bread.
Hi I made this recipe several times, it is amazing! Can I substitute the butter for oil? Also what is the trick to making the bread rise higher mine always drops so low? Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Honestly, I don’t recommend oil. I haven’t tried it in this particular pumpkin bread, but when I tested it in other recipes it just did not give the same flavor and really tasted kind of oily. I highly recommend butter over oil in this particular case. As for the rise, is your pumpkin bread falling in the middle or do you just want it to have a larger dome on top? If it’s falling in the middle, you could be opening oven too soon.
Hi Lindsay, I would like to make your pumpkin bread recipe into mini loaves and give them as pre Thanksgiving treats for some BINGO ladies. I think they would love them. I was wondering if you might know how many mini loaves this recipe might make and how long they should be baked? Thank you in advance and Happy Thanksgiving to your beautiful family!
I haven’t made it as mini loaves so I’m not sure. I’m sorry! I wish I could be more help. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
I’ll go ahead and make them and let you know how it went. Wish me luck!
I am baking one up right now…but because I live in Italy, had to buy a pumpkin, which looks nothing like a Halloween pumpkin but more like a squash. As it was the first time I am making it, I did not want to make 2 so I just divided all the ingredients in half…(plus changing all the measured into metric)….Thusly, if the above recipe makes 2 large loaves…but you need, let me say, 4, just quarter it and check on it now an then to see if it needs less cooking time not to mention if you have smaller loaf pans. If you need 8 smaller ones, double the recipe and then pour into 8 smaller pans instead of 4 larger ones. It is all arithmetic, in the end.
I am making this recipe now using Swerve for a sugar substitute. I have never before seen a recipe where the sugar content was equal to the flour content. No wonder everyone is raving about it. The sweeter the better, right? I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for sharing your baking talent and your recipes with us! By the way, the cake on the cover of your cookbook is beautiful! What a gorgeous cake! The colors almost remind me of a neopolitan ice cream cake.
I hope you enjoy it! Keep in mind that sugar not only adds sweetness but also moisture. It actually really affects the texture of the baked good. Using swerve may change the texture of your banana bread.
And yes, that cake was inspired by Neapolitan ice cream.
Made this with fresh pumpkin we roasted and puréed. It really is the best pumpkin bread recipe ever. I made it 3 times to give out as gifts. On one of them, I added pecans. On another, added curry powder for a spicy version. All turned out wonderful. Thanks!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
This turned out great! Didn’t have enough butter so substituted with vegetable shortening and still came out great! Mixed in some flax meal too and added a little almond extract and vanilla
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! Can I substitute almond flour for flour and some other kind of sweetener (like Splenda, etc.) for sugar? Due to health issues, I cannot have regular flour or sugar of any kind.
That would not give you the same results. I can’t recommend it.
LOVE THIS! If you were to cut the recipe in half, would you use one egg or two?
You want to use an egg and a half, which is obviously a little tough. You could use just the yolk or just the white, but I do find that it can sometimes change the result. The other option is to beat an egg and try to divide it in half.
Love love love the bread
I want to know if I can substitute pumpkin for other veg puree
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s hard to say for other veggies without testing them since there can be a lot of variation in moisture content, etc.
Turned out great, very moist, keeper of a recipe! Enjoyed by all.
So glad to hear that!
I made this wonderful recipe with fresh frozen pumpkin from last year. It is truly the “Best Pumpkin Bread” ever. I brought it sliced in individual zip lock bags for the runners at the end of my daughter’s own Thanksgiving 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Thank You!
So glad it’s been a hit!
I have made this recipe countless times. Whenever we have a get together my co workers request this. It will be featured at Thanksgiving again this year.
So glad to hear that!
This pumpkin bread is AMAZING!!! I can’t keep hubby and son away from it… Looks like I need to make some more!!
Awesome! So glad to hear it!
This is my new pumpkin bread recipe, moist and very tasty!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Curious – when I printed it, it printed a 28 square inch black box (the video on that page). Drained my black ink. Did anyone else have that happen?
There will actually be a fix for that in the printable version soon. Sorry for the trouble.
I made with homemade pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice with additional cinnamon and dark chocolate chips. Smells coming the oven are unbelievable! Taste! Amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this using fresh pumpkin puree & freshly ground nutmeg. To die for.
Loved it! Used fresh pumpkin purée & it came out excellent. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I will definitely be adding it to my recipe book.
Hi Lindsay! I can’t wait to try this recipe but am wondering how long to bake if I use small 3×5 pans? And would it be @ the same temperature as well? Thank so much!
I haven’t made that size, so it’s hard to say for sure.
you can down size to smaller pans just ajus the time to about 40 minutes and check with a tooth pick about 10 minutes before done to see if they are done.
Fill each little pan half full. I make a lot of little pans as gifts.
I have gluten free folks to cook for and am wondering if I use the 1 to 1 mixes available for flour replacement would there have to be any other adjustments to the recipe?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think so.
I just made this today. Absolutely delicious! I made 1 loaf plain then added chopped walnuts to the other. I drizzled a little glaze on one. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe today. Soooo good! Just the right amount of spice and pumpkin flavour.
It was perfect warm with a little butter.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is delicious!!!
This is an excellent recipe, very moist and very tasty. I’ve tried other recipes and this one with the butter in place of oil, along with the combination of spices is excellent.Thank you so much for sharing it!
For the pumpkin purée, is this the same as canned pumpkin? Thanks
Yes, just be sure not to get the canned pumpkin pie filling. Just the plain pumpkin.
Oh. My. Gosh. I don’t consider myself to be a *huge* pumpkin fan, nor am I an expert on pumpkin bread, but I know what’s good and this is honestly THE best.
I used homemade pumpkin puree from a pie pumpkin in place of canned pumpkin puree, which was new for me. I was skeptical but if you want to take it up a notch, I highly recommend taking the extra time to make your own puree. So so so good.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I halved this recipe using 2 eggs and a 15 oz can of pumpkin, and used my mini loaf pan (8 mini loafs) and it was perfect!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
By far one of the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever tried. If I just wanted to make one pan instead of two should I reduce the about of flour by half? Any recommendations
I was wondering same thing about this recipe. 3 cups of sugar IS a LOT, and the recipe only makes ONE loaf??? I can make 3 loaves with my zucc bread recipe, and that only calls for 2 cups of sugar. Maybe reduce the sugar a bit and add applesauce to keep it moist (?)
I made this bread yesterday. OMG! This is amazing. It taste just like a muffin I get at a well known coffee shop. I did make my own fresh pumpkin puree and this came out so moist. I also made a confectioner sugar glaze to drizzle on top. AWESOME RECIPE!
Thank you SO MUCH. This is by far the best pumpkin bread i’ve made with fresh pumpkin. I gave a loaf to my neighbor as a gift and she RAVED over how good it was. i was a bit skeptical because my batter is usually a bit thinner than it was. The only problem I had was using two different types of bread pans- one stone (came out a bit burnt) and one glazed clay (my fav of the 3 i have).
Have you any experience trying this with a cast iron bread pan? I’m curious as to how that would turn out!
So glad you enjoyed it! I don’t have experience with a cast iron pan, I just used a regular KitchenAid baking pan.
I am working on this recipe and thought I would try mini Bundt kind of like a donut pan. I assume the baking time will need to be altered? 🤞🏻
Yes, you’d likely need to reduce the time a good bit.
My husband and kids loved this recipe! I changed a few things. I used pumpkins we grew in our garden, so they may be a little more sweet than usual ones. I steamed them to make the puree. I added 3 cups of pumpkin instead of 2 because I had a lot of pumpkin to use and then I decreased the butter to 1/2 cup and the sugar to 2 cups. I added 1 C of mini chocolate morsels to the mix at the end. We usually like a little less sweet, but the added chocolate morsels gave the extra sweetness from the missing 1 C of sugar. This recipe is a keeper! thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can be made with butternut squash puree insted? I would love to make it
I’ve never tried that. You could certainly give it a try.
I would like to make this with vegetable oil instead of butter due to cost and wondered how much to use.
I don’t think I tried this version specifically with vegetable oil, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If I were going to try it, I would use an equal amount of oil. But just know that using oil instead definitely produces a different flavor.
Can you use pumpkin pie spice instead of each individual spice? if so how much?
You can, although the spices are likely a little different, therefore changing the flavor a bit. I’d try 3-4 tsp.
This baking time is set for 9×5 pans – what would you suggest for an 8 x 3.875 inch tin foil pan?
I’m not sure, but I do think this would make too much batter for that small of a pan. You might need more like three pans and I really just don’t know the bake time without testing it.
Can you cut any sugar out of this recipe?
Seems like alot! Thanks
You could try it. Sugar not only sweetens things, it also adds moisture. So just be aware that if you reduce it, the bread might not be quite as moist.
Baked this fabulous pumpkin bread tonight, as I already said FABULOUSLY FANTASTIC !! Thank you for great recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much. I’m going to try again.
Have a beautiful day and thank you for your
wonderful recipes.
I made this recipe twice. It was wonderful, but for some reason
the sides and bottom got very dark both times. I had to cut them
off. Did anyone else have this problem? Was it something I did?
Hmmm. Is your loaf pan fairly dark in color? I’d say mine has a medium color. The darker the pan, often the darker things brown in it. This pumpkin bread has a fairly long bake time so it’s possible they really dark pans would make it brown quite a bit.
I have had this problem with all my loafs! Meat loaf, zucchi bread……the works. What i found is that putting it on a cookie sheet and with a little bit of water in the cookie sheet does the trick (not entirely sure if the water truly makes a difference, but I havent tried it with just the cookie sheet….lol).
This was soooo good! Brought it to a party and it got wiped out! Made two loaves, both were gone in a flash!
I’m so glad it was a hit!
I am wondering why you choose unsalted butter over salted in some of your recipes I’ve seen.
Just curious.
I’ll be making your chocolate peanut butter m &m cookies here shortly.
People often like to use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe by adding it separately. Anytime you see unsalted butter in a recipe, you can replace it with salted butter but you would probably want to not add additional salt.
First of all, thank you for you and all your great recipes and Bible scriptures! I love this recipe and cannot wait to try it. I’m thinking of adding nuts like walnuts or pecans. We love nuts in everything! If I do add nuts, what amount would you suggest to add?
Depends a little on how nutty you like it. I would think one cup or so should be enough but not too much.
My house smelled like Christmas when I bake this pumpkin breads. I add chocolate chips to the recipe, and it turn out fantastic. Thank you for the recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this recipe yesterday and it was amazing!! My husband said it was the best pumpkin bread he has ever had. My boys loved it as well. It’s a keeper for sure. I did use homemade pumpkin puree I had in freezer from 2018 which was when I made pumpkin pie for the first time and didn’t realize how much you can get out of one and I had bought three, lol. Thank you for sharing.
So glad it was a hit!
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned. Thank-You
I haven’t tried it but I would think that would be fine.
It’s similar to the pumpkin loaf cake at Starbucks, which is what I was hoping for since I’m highly addicted… the only problem is that this recipe is even better!!! 😋🤯🤗
LOL! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hailey, I’m currently making it right now and your review makes me SOOOOO a HAPPY b/c that’s what I was hoping with this recipe! Starbucks Pumpkin Bread is my FAVORITE! ~ Jessica K.
I tried this recipe at home yesterday, and it turned out to be really delicious…
This is far more best bread recipe I have come across.
Thank you so much for such a yummy recipe.
Gonna save this and will share with others.
Keep sharing 🙂
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I just made this and it is delicious! I’m pretty picky about my baked goods and this is 5 stars. The balance of spices is lovely and not subtle. Delicious! I’ll definitely be using this again. I also found it nice with a sprinkling of nuts to dust the top.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Dense, moist, and flavorful! My favorite pumpkin bread recipe, for sure!
I made this with fresh pumpkin (roasted a small pie pumpkin, cut side down at 350° for 45 minutes, cooled and remove skin) and it was fantastic. However, they were definitely done at 45 minutes, not 60-70, so I’d recommend checking them around 45 to see if they’re done. I did one loaf with mini chocolate chips and one without and both were delicious. Thank you Lindsay!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, I’ve been baking for over 60 years and this is the best pumpkin loaf I’ve ever tasted. It is moist and so flavorful. I grew up on a farm and butter was always used in baking. A lot of recipes call for oil instead of butter, but you can’t go wrong with butter. Thank you, this is a keeper and will make a nice addition in my Christmas baskets! Hope you have a great week!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m so glad to hear that!