If you love pumpkin, you HAVE to try this easy pumpkin bread recipe! Moist, warmly spiced, and filled with pumpkin flavor, it's the perfect fall treat.
Jump to Recipe
This pumpkin bread recipe is super moist, warmly spiced, and filled with delicious pumpkin flavor. It’s one of my favorite fall recipes, and I make at least one loaf every year. On a crisp fall day, you can’t beat the smell of homemade pumpkin bread baking in the oven!
I first published this pumpkin bread recipe in 2019, and I’ve since updated it to include even more pumpkin and warm spices. This version has a moister texture and richer fall flavor…and it’s completely impossible for me to eat just one slice at a time. I think it’s the best pumpkin bread I’ve tried. I hope you love it too!
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy pumpkin bread recipe:
- Pumpkin, of course! I tested this recipe two ways: using a full (15-ounce) can of pumpkin and using slightly less, 1 1/2 cups. While I hate to leave you with leftover pumpkin, I found that using 1 1/2 cups gave the loaf a better texture. It’s super moist, but not dense. You’ll have a few tablespoons of pumpkin puree leftover—perfect for making a pumpkin spice latte! Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I like Libby’s.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Vegetable oil – For moisture and richness. Another neutral oil, such as avocado or canola oil, would work here too!
- Milk – Use whatever kind you keep on hand. Regular milk, almond milk, and oat milk are all great choices.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and eggs – They help the loaf puff up as it bakes.
- Cane sugar – For sweetness.
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves – For warm, cozy fall flavor. A tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice works too.
- Vanilla extract – It enhances the spices’ warm flavor.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread recipe is so easy to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, make the batter. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix, or the pumpkin bread will be dense.
Then, bake. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.
- Tip: Check the loaf after 45 minutes in the oven. If the top is browned, tent it with foil for the remaining bake time so that it doesn’t get too dark before the loaf cooks through.
Let the quick bread cool completely before slicing and serving.
Finally, enjoy! Devour a slice plain, or slather it with butter or honey butter. Leftover pumpkin bread keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, wrap slices in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the slices to thaw at room temperature, or unwrap and defrost them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Pumpkin Bread Recipe Variations
Do you like nuts, fruit, or chocolate in your pumpkin bread? Feel free to adapt this recipe to suit your tastes. Here are a few fun ways to change it up:
- Add some crunch. Stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite chopped nuts, and sprinkle some on top. Chopped pecans or walnuts would be especially good!
- Make it fruity. Fold 1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, raisins, or chopped dates into the batter.
- Go the chocolate route. Fold 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips into the batter. Scatter more on top for good measure!
- Frost it. Craving a more decadent treat? Slather this loaf with my tangy cream cheese frosting!
Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
If you love this homemade pumpkin bread, try one of these delicious pumpkin recipes next:
Can’t get enough quick bread? You’ll love my banana bread and zucchini bread too!
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups canned pumpkin puree*
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x4 or 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I like to check the loaf after 45 minutes. If the top is nicely browned, I cover it with foil for the remaining bake time to prevent further browning.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
I followed the recipe all the way except I used real pumpkin not canned and mine didn’t cook all the way through it smells amazing tho
I made this loaf and followed the recipe exactly as written. So delicious and moist. My family loved it!!
Any suggestions for incorporating yogurt for added protein while I am pregnant? I don’t want to add it then have it overflow in the oven (:
So delicious. Had to make another batch the next day because we loved it so much
I made this loaf this morning and to keep it vegan and gluten-free for the whole family I made a few modifications. Used oat flour, oat milk and flax eggs. It turned out perfectly.
Delicious! I will definitely make it again.
Just put it in the oven. The only thing I changed was using avocado oil because I had no vegetable oil. I also added some raw pepitas on top.
Great recipe. Followed the recipe as written and added chocolate chips. I baked it for 50 minutes and it was delicious. Will definitely be making this again
This recipe is perfect and I’ve made it many times over the years.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve needed to modify it for health changes.
Works:
Sugar – 2/3 cup is sweet, next time I’ll try 1/2 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp oil with Greek yogurt added to make up 1/2 cup
Spices: I was out of cloves and substituted cardamom. Mmm!
Doesn’t work:
1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, and 1/2 cup oatmeal flour will not rise. But it still tastes great! Might slice my flat loaves to see if I can make biscotti.
Thank you for all your delicious recipes!
Could this be made with less sugar or brown sugar? Thanks!
If you. Are vegan you don’t eat eggs. Your recipe calls for 2 large eggs. There are substitues for eggs that you use. You should know about and use in your recipes. The same as milk. Vegans don’t drink milk that comes from cows there are many plant based milks such as almond milk that vegans use instead
Hi Joyce, this recipe isn’t vegan. Let us know if you saw it tagged and we’ll correct that. Thanks!
Not everyone is vegan. They are in the minority.
You will need to make your own accommodations for the recipe, not expect everyone else to do so.
Delicious bread and plan to make it over and over for my friends and family.
If you want a vegan recipe, Google a vegan pumpkin bread recipe and leave this creator alone.
Great recipe! Perfect for this Nor’easter on the first Sunday of Fall! Thank you <3
So glad you loved it, Leah!
What size pan are you using. Your recipe does not say.
It’s literally the very first instruction…
In the instructions it calls for an 8×4 or 9×5 loaf pan.
I am confused also. Seems like there should be 2 different cooking times for each.
Hi Lori, we offer both pan sizes because people often just own one! This recipe will work in either, and in our tests we found that this range worked well for both.
Canned for me is a no …. just cannot! Pumpkin season is here now … doesn’t feel like scratch when it is from a can.
What’s with this comment? Have you ever considered not everywhere in the world has access to fresh pumpkin? I live in the far north and we get one shipment a year then that’s it- and hopefully it hasn’t spoiled.
Maybe just move along next time. This recipe is great.
Hi Dragi, we’d agree normally, but for baking it’s convenient for most people!
LOVE this recipe! I made it as listed and with half the sugar and applesauce instead of oil. Both ways came out great!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Is there a way to sub out the sugar? Or perhaps leave it out completely? I know that some baking recipes do require it for the purpose of the rise and how dense etc…
Hi Morgan, I don’t think you could omit the sugar without impacting the texture of the loaf. You could potentially reduce it to 2/3 cup or 1/2 cup though.
That would be fun to make this bread and a pumpkin spice latte. This sounds so delicious, and a cozy way to kick off fall!
That would be so fun for a fall weekend!
I remember having a vegan alternative for this recipe but I can’t seem to find it. If you could help, that would be great! It was such a great recipe.
Sending you an email!
Hi, okay if I use extra virgin olive oil? That is what I have on hand
Hi Brooke, it will totally work, it might just give the loaf a subtly different flavor. I personally like that, but wanted to give a heads up!
I absolutely LOVE pumpkin bread. I also love that this is one of the few recipes that includes vanilla extract.
Although a tip I’d give, is to forgo the baking soda and instead of all purpose flour use self raising! It makes sure there isn’t a chemically flavour.
So glad you love the recipe, Rochelle! I’ll have to try that tip.
Hi – I am wondering if it would work to use almond flour instead of regular flour? Thanks for any advice.
Hi Christin, I think it could work to replace up to 1/2 cup, using 1/2 cup almond flour and 1 1/2 cups regular flour. If you want to use all almond flour, I’d look for a recipe that’s designed for that.