Pumpkin Bread
Published: October 3, 2016 · Modified October 23, 2019 by Cindy Gibbs
One of my favorite recipes in the fall is Pumpkin Bread. Each fall, when the weather starts to change, I reach for my recipe box to find this recipe. This bread is moist, dense, and lightly spiced with warm fall spices, and it welcomes the addition of nuts or chocolate chips.
I make this bread at least 3 to 4 times throughout the Fall and Winter and it’s extremely easy to make. It takes only minutes to mix the batter and get it into the oven. It’s also a great bread for gifting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze this bread?
Yes. This bread freezes beautifully. Make sure to wrap it securely in plastic wrap, then wrap it in heavy foil. Freeze it for up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
How long will this bread stay fresh?
This bread is very moist and will stay fresh for up to 5 days, if wrapped securely. But don’t worry, it won’t last that long.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS PUMPKIN BREAD
- Do not over mix the batter. The dry ingredients get added last for a reason. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Over
- Use pure pumpkin puree from a can, not pumpkin pie filling. There’s a big difference. Pumpkin pie filling already has all the spices and other ingredients added for the purpose of making pumpkin pie. We need to use pure puree and add our own spices. If you choose to use homemade pumpkin puree, make sure you squeeze out the added moisture.
- Feel free to add your favorite nuts. You can also replace the nuts with chocolate chips if you prefer. Do your own thing!
- My original recipe for this bread called for solid Crisco. It is a very old recipe and back in the day, solid Crisco was often used in baked goods instead of oil. I decided to test this recipe with butter, then oil, and I felt the oil added the most moisture, without making the bread too heavy and dense. Besides, I think the pumpkin flavor would override the flavor of butter.
- This recipe makes 1 loaf of bread. If you decide to make 2 loaves, don’t double the batter. Mix them separately.
Check out my huge category of pumpkin desserts here on my blog!
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PrintPumpkin Bread
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 90
- Total Time: 105
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Pumpkin Bread is moist and flavored with warm Fall spices. It’s made here with nuts, but feel free to add chocolate chips if you prefer.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spoon & leveled
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pure Pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a large loaf pan with shortening. I used a 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75″ Wilton loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil, sugars, eggs, and pumpkin and mix on low speed for about one minute until combined. The batter will be thin.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for about thirty seconds, just long enough to almost incorporate the flour. Do not over mix. Add the nuts, if using, and mix for an additional thirty seconds to combine.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and gently shake the pan back and forth to level out the batter.
- Bake on a middle oven rack for one hour and do a toothpick test. If it’s done, the toothpick should only have a couple of moist crumbs on it. It could take up to fifteen minutes longer depending on your oven. If the bread starts to brown too much on the top before the middle gets done, place a loose piece of foil over the top.
- Allow bread to sit for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges and invert bread onto a wire rack to cool.
- Use a sharp knife to slice bread into thick slices.
Notes
- Use pure Pumpkin Puree in this recipe. Do not use Pumpkin Pie Mix.
- Store in an airtight container. This bread should stay fresh for up to five days. However, it never does last more than a day in my house.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for two loaves, but mix them separately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8