This homemade pumpkin bread recipe is super moist and easy to make. It’s full of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and has a super moist texture from the oil, melted butter and eggs. It’s really the best pumpkin bread and simple to make!
Also check out our famous coconut loaf cake, the best banana bread recipe and an incrediable lemon loaf! They’re all amazing!
Nothing tastes better than bread made from scratch, and thankfully, our moist pumpkin bread recipe is easy to master and make your own.
This recipe will give a super flavorful and moist pumpkin bread that’s perfect for fall.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know how to make pumpkin bread for every occasion this fall. We’ll also cover the basic trouble-shooting questions that new bakers have. Let’s start baking!
Another great pumpkin brunch recipe is our fluffy pumpkin pancakes!
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Bread
Table of Contents
Along with the ingredients below, you’ll need a loaf pan, mixing bowls, spatula, hand or stand mixer and parchment paper.
Ingredients
Canned Pumpkin – Libby’s Pumpkin in a can works great for a strong pumpkin flavor.
All-Purpose Flour – All-purpose flour, like King Arthur is great for this.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder – These ingredients helps to bread to rise.
Spices – We use cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to add extra fall flavors.
Sugar – Granulated sugar is used as a sweetener.
Oil – Vegetable oil or Canola oil creates a super moist bread.
Eggs – Creates structure, leavening and yields a super tender pumpkin bread.
Melted Butter – Adding melted butter to the recipe creates a rich flavor and works with the oil to give the bread a super moist texture.
Vanilla Extract – Enhances the flavors in the recipe. Always use pure vanilla extract when baking.
Directions
Combine Dry Ingredients – In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside.
Combine Wet Ingredients – Combine the oil, butter and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.
Beat Sugar, Pumpkin & Eggs – In a mixing bowl with a fitted paddle attachment, beat the pumpkin, sugar and eggs until combined.
Add Liquid Ingredients– Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the liquid ingredients. Let this process take about 1 to 2 minutes so the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Fold in Dry Ingredients – Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet and slowly fold until the ingredients are blended.
Prepare the Loaf Pan – Prepare a 10 x 5 loaf pan by buttering it really well and then adding a strip of parchment paper to the bottom and up the sides for easy removal.
Bake – Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. The bread will be fully risen in the center, like a loaf. Make sure it’s fully cooked and brown on the top otherwise it will fall in the middle once removed from the oven.
Tips for Making Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Measure all of the ingredients before. Liquid in one measuring cup, dry in a mixing bowl.
- Always use high quality ingredients when baking. Whole, organic eggs, full fat butter, pure vanilla extract. This all makes a difference in the quality of the pumpkin bread.
- The oven must be preheated before the loaf pan is placed in the oven.
- When adding the oil, butter and vanilla, add it very slowly with the mixer running to incorporate air into the mixture.
- Remember that true oven temperature and the material of the loaf pan you’re using will influence the baking time.
Loaf Pan
We use a 10″ x 5″ x 3″ ceramic loaf pan for all of our breads and loafs. We highly recommend the The Emile Henry French Ceramic Ruffled. The ceramic heats evenly, so breads and loafs cook even and brown to perfection. You will have it forever and it’s so worth the investment!
If you have a smaller 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, you can also use that, but only fill it 3/4 of the way full. You might be able to get two loaf cakes from out it using a smaller loaf pan.
How to Prepare a Loaf Pan
If you want to get creative, you can use our easy pumpkin bread batter in a muffin tin to make pumpkin muffins. However, pumpkin loaf is a classic that will never fail you.
To prepare a loaf pan for the perfect pumpkin bread recipe, grease it thoroughly first. You can use butter, oil, or shortening. Even if you line the loaf pan with parchment paper, you still need to grease the bottom and sides.
How to Store Pumpkin Bread
The great thing about pumpkin bread is that you can make a huge batch at once. All you need to do is multiple your ingredients and have enough loaf pans on hand.
It can last up to five days at room temperature; however, make sure you cover it or wrap it in plastic wrap. Putting your pumpkin bread in the refrigerator will make it last longer, but you still shouldn’t store it longer than a week.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Bread
The best way to make use of your big batch of pumpkin bread is to freeze your extra loaves. If you do it right, you will have fresh backup loaves on hand all season.
To freeze pumpkin bread, wrap each loaf individually in two layers of freezer paper or tin foil. The goal is to remove all air and block any from getting into the wrapping.
When you’re ready to use your frozen pumpkin bread, unwrap the first payer of foil or freezer paper completely and loosen the second layer, but leave it on. Let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours and then wrap it up again to store it.
Frequently Asked Questions
First off, keep in mind that pumpkin bread is meant to be a dense type of bread. It’s best served cut into thick slices that you can sink your teeth into.
However, if you feel like it’s a little too dense, you may be cooking it for too long. Turn down your oven or reduce your baking time to avoid it coming out dry and overly dense.
You can also cover your loaf pan with tin foil in the last ten minutes of baking to make sure the top doesn’t get over-cooked and come out dark brown.
Another tip is to make sure you slowly add in the oil while the mixture is beating to incorporate air into the batter for a lighter constancy.
There are a few reasons why your pumpkin bread isn’t coming out perfectly fluffy:
Overfilled the pan with batter
Baking powder or soda is stale
Cooking temperature is too high
Dry-to-wet ingredient ratio is off
Cut into it before it cooled completely
There’s something so sad about a loaf of pumpkin bread with a sunken middle, so avoid these mistakes to make sure it doesn’t happen to your loaf.
Remember that temperatures vary based on what kind of loaf you use, and you need to use a lower temperature for glass pans. Make sure all of your ingredients are fresh and follow our recipe exactly for the perfect ratio that makes fluffy and delicious pumpkin bread.
Pumpkin bread is ready to come out of the oven when the middle is fully cooked through. You can test it by inserting a long toothpick or skewer into the middle of the loaf and making sure it comes up clean.
The best pumpkin bread should also develop a crack in the middle when it’s completely done, so make sure you don’t take it out until you see that beautiful golden-brown line through your bread.
Why Does My Loaf Cake Crack?
It’s very common for a loaf cake to crack on top. When the batter bakes, the heat causes it to rise. When it starts rising over the top of the pan, then it spreads outward. This often causes the top to crack.
Why Is My Pumpkin Loaf Dry?
A dry loaf cake is a problem many bakers discover when trying a new recipe. There are two reasons why you might find your fresh-baked coconut cake dry:
- Too much flour
- Baked too long
Both of these issues either absorb or evaporate the liquid in the batter. As a result, you find your loaf is dry when you pull it out.
Does Pumpkin Bread Go Bad?
Pumpkin bread goes bad in the refrigerator after a week. However, it does great in the freezer. We recommend freezing it for up to two months.
What Can You Add to Pumpkin Bread?
When it comes to pumpkin bread additions, the options are endless. If you feel like getting creative in the kitchen, give these fun options a try:
- Chocolate chips
- Cream cheese
- Nutella
- Banana
- Ginger
- Coconut
- Cranberries
- Pecans
- Cream cheese glaze or icing
- Caramel
- Cinnamon
- Crumb topping
- Zucchini
Of course, moist pumpkin bread is also perfect on its own or with a little butter spread on top. However you slice it, pumpkin bread is the best fall treat that the whole family will love.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Classic Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
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Apple Mountain Pies – Also Known As Campfire Pies
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The Most Delicious Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe!
Make the Perfect Moist Pumpkin Bread This Fall
Hopefully, you feel prepared to avoid any pumpkin bread mishaps and make the perfect fluffy loaf. If you follow our recipe for the best pumpkin bread, you can’t go wrong.
Your whole family will love having fresh pumpkin bread this fall, and a warm loaf makes the perfect gift for friends, family members, and teachers. If you’re feeling adventurous, have fun with your pumpkin bread recipe and add fun flavors. You can also dress it up with frosting or glaze.
A cool fall breeze is right around the corner, and we can’t wait for pumpkin season. For more ideas of how to use pumpkin in all of your fall treats, check out our other recipes.
Let us know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and review below. We’d love to know your thoughts!
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The Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil , or canola oil
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside
- Combine the oil, butter and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.
- In a mixing bowl with a fitted paddle attachment, beat the pumpkin, sugar and eggs until combined.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the liquid ingredients. Let this process take about 1 to 2 minutes so the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet and slowly fold until the ingredients are blended.
- Prepare a 10 x 5 loaf pan by buttering it really well and then adding a strip of parchment paper to the bottom and up the sides for easy removal.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. The bread will be fully risen in the center, like a loaf. Make sure it’s fully cooked and brown on the top otherwise it will fall in the middle once removed from the oven.
Notes
- Measure all of the ingredients before. Liquid in one measuring cup, dry in a mixing bowl.
- Always use high quality ingredients when baking. Whole, organic eggs, full fat butter, pure vanilla extract. This all makes a difference in the quality of the pumpkin bread.
- When adding the oil, butter and vanilla, add it very slowly with the mixer running to incorporate air into the mixture.
- Remember that true oven temperature and the material of the loaf pan you’re using will influence the baking time.
- If adding in chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in when folding in the dry ingredients.
Nutrition
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Traci says
This pumpkin bread is amazing. I miss fall, so I have been making this a lot lately. The whole family loves it!
Anna says
I made two loaves and shared with my best friend. It was a huge hit! Everyone loved it!
Heather Rose says
Our favorite pumpkin bread ever. We make it all year long!
Kristyn says
So moist & plump!! Pumpkin bread is a favorite of ours!! Love this recipe!
Jennifer says
The BEST pumpkin bread recipe ever!! Comes out perfectly every single time!
Laura Reese says
This bread so delicious and yummy! Thanks for the tips on freezing!
Kara says
I love pumpkin recipes all year long, and this bread didn’t disappoint! Perfectly spiced and so moist.
Karen Janesin says
This is the best ever pumpkin bread!!!
Eden says
Thank you Karen!!
Laurie says
Best pumpkin bread I have ever had!!
Eden says
Yay!! So glad you liked it Laurie!!
Natalie says
Coming up on my favorite time of year!! Love all things pumpkin & pumpkin bread is my fav!! I love making a few, then adding different things.
Beth says
I’m so excited to make this throughout fall! We absolutely love pumpkin bread and we can’t wait to make this! I love the idea of adding ginger and I can’t wait to smell this baking! So excited!
Lily says
I saw your idea of adding ginger to the pumpkin bread and decided to give it a go, it was incredible!! The flavor was so good, absolutely screamed fall, I will be making this from now on!!