Bread
How to Make Pumpkin Bread (Easy, Moist One-Loaf Recipe)
Easy pumpkin bread with canned pumpkin purée, cinnamon and nutmeg. One moist 9x5 loaf, no mixer needed, with the doneness cues that prevent a gummy middle.
By the Forkful editorial team · Published
Quick answer
Whisk 1¼ cups sugar, ½ cup oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup pumpkin purée, ⅓ cup water and 1 tsp vanilla, then fold in 1¾ cups flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp salt, 1½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp nutmeg. Bake in a greased 9x5-inch pan at 350°F (175°C) for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h 5 min
- Total
- 2 h 20 min
- Makes
- 10 slices
Total time includes 1 h of hands-off waiting (resting, rising, chilling or cooling).
Pumpkin bread is one of the fastest-growing recipe searches in the US this autumn: Google Trends shows "pumpkin bread recipe" up about 750% over the past 90 days. It is easy to see why, since it is a no-mixer quick bread that fills the kitchen with cinnamon and keeps well for days.
This version uses plain canned pumpkin purée, oil instead of butter for a tender crumb that stays moist, and just enough spice to taste like pumpkin rather than like a candle. The ratios follow the standard quick-bread formula, scaled down to one loaf instead of the two that most big-batch recipes make.
Ingredients
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- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (210 g)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 g)
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable (100 ml)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée, not pie filling (225 g)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup water (80 ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional (60 g)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In a second bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, pumpkin purée, eggs, water and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry and fold with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain. Fold in the nuts, if using. Do not overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too fast, tent it with foil after 40 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, lift out onto a rack and let it cool for at least 45 minutes more before slicing.
Tips for the best result
- 1Buy plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling: the filling is already sweetened and spiced and will throw off the recipe.
- 2Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and levelling it, or weigh it. Packed flour is the usual reason for dry pumpkin bread.
- 3The loaf is done when a toothpick in the very centre has no wet batter on it. Pumpkin batter is dense, so check the middle, not the edge.
- 4Pumpkin bread tastes better the next day, once the spices have settled into the crumb.
Storage
Wrap the cooled loaf tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Slice and freeze it, with parchment between the slices, for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?
Yes. Roast or steam the flesh until very soft, purée it and let it drain in a sieve for 15 minutes, because fresh purée holds more water than canned and can make the loaf gummy.
Why is my pumpkin bread gummy in the middle?
Usually it needs more time or the oven runs cool. Bake until a toothpick in the centre is clean, tenting the top with foil if it browns first, and let the loaf cool before slicing.
Can I make pumpkin bread into muffins?
Yes. Fill a lined muffin tin about three-quarters full and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22–26 minutes.
