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This pumpkin bread recipe is the best! It’s fast and easy, made with just one bowl and bakes up into moist, cozy-spiced slices.
A good pumpkin bread recipe is an essential for any home cook, and here’s our favorite one. The scent wafting through your kitchen transports you to an autumn paradise, and the loaf falls just so into deliciously cozy-spiced slices. It’s tender and moist, but not too fluffy or too dense. The best part? It’s simple to whip up: one bowl, no special equipment; just dump and stir! Top it with a sweet maple glaze to take it over the top. This quick bread never goes out of style!
Ingredients in this pumpkin bread recipe
There are many ways to make a great pumpkin bread recipe, and every cook or chef has their own own secrets. This one is ultra moist, with the perfect sweet, cozy spiced flavor and soft, tender crumb. The best part is there’s no need for a mixer or waiting for butter to come to room temperature. You can mix it all up in one bowl! Here’s what’s in our best pumpkin bread recipe:
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned or homemade; the most consistent brand we’ve found is Libby’s (we’re not affiliated).
- Granulated sugar
- Neutral oil: Oil makes a moister quick bread than butter! This also allows the recipe to be made in a bowl with no stand mixer.
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (or ginger, allspice, and nutmeg): Individual spices make the boldest flavor, but you can also use pumpkin pie spice.
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder and baking soda
- All purpose flour
Tips for baking pumpkin bread
This pumpkin bread recipe is easier than most: no need for a stand mixer or two loaf pans. It’s straightforward and made in one bowl! There are a few things to keep in mind for baking success:
- Use an aluminum baking pan for best results (9 x 5-inch). Ceramic and glass pans don’t cook as evenly. Use aluminum if you can! This recipe is optimized for a 9 x 5 inch pan, and it bakes up to just the right tall loaf.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing a quick bread leads to holes in the texture of the crumb. This is most important when mixing in the flour. Mix until just combined and there are no dry spots remaining.
- Let it cool fully before serving: and leftovers taste even better! This bread has an even more developed flavor once it is fully cooled: eating it after 2 hours is ideal. It tastes even better as leftovers the next day.
Top with a glaze (optional)
This pumpkin bread is delicious plain, but it’s even tastier with a glaze topping! This maple glaze is simple to whip up and has a sweet, maple-forward flavor. Here are a few notes:
- The maple glaze has a cozy, developed fall flavor. All you’ll need is powdered sugar, butter, maple syrup, salt and milk. It also calls for maple extract, which is optional but adds just the right pop of maple-forward flavor. It’s worth buying for fun, but the glaze tastes delicious without it.
- Want even simpler options? You can also use this 1-Minute Powdered Sugar Icing or Vanilla Glaze for topping.
- Keep in mind: butter is helpful for storage. One advantage of the maple glaze is that the butter helps to make for a more solidified glaze that holds up better over time.
- Want a solid glaze? Make double the glaze recipe below and glaze the cooled bread in the pan (so the glaze doesn’t run down the sides).
Variations and mix-ins
There are lots of ways to riff on this pumpkin bread recipe, as you well know! Here are a few ideas for adding to the top or inside this bread:
- Chocolate chips: Make chocolate chip pumpkin bread by folding in 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips into the dough. Go to Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.
- Nuts: Top the bread with ⅓ cup chopped pecans or walnuts. Toast the pecans or walnuts to bring out the flavor!
- Icing: Add ½ recipe of this Cream Cheese Frosting to the top of the bread.
- Drizzle: Drizzle this bread with Powdered Sugar Icing.
- Banana: Got bananas? Make Pumpkin Banana Bread instead.
Want more ideas? See all our favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipes!
Diet adaptations
Do you have a vegan or gluten-free diet? Don’t worry: you can still make pumpkin bread! Head to these recipes instead:
- Vegan: Go to Vegan Pumpkin Bread (a family fave!)
- Gluten Free: Go to Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread (uses oats instead of all purpose flour!)
Pumpkin bread storage
This pumpkin bread recipe tastes even better the next day, because it picks up moisture during storage. Here are a few tips for storage of this quick bread:
- Stores at room temperature for 4 days, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil.
- Stores refrigerated for 10 days. Cold temperatures can make it taste dryer, so bring to room temperature before serving.
- Stores frozen for up to 3 months. Slice the bread and freeze it in slices for up to 3 months.
More pumpkin recipes
When it’s pumpkin season, you’ve got to taste test them all! Here are a few tasty pumpkin recipes you might enjoy:
- Go for our Best Pumpkin Cookies or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Try Pumpkin Bread Pudding or Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Make the best Perfect Pumpkin Cake
- Try Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread or Pumpkin Muffins instead
- Grab Pumpkin French Toast, Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal, or Pumpkin Pancakes
- Go savory with Pumpkin Chili
This pumpkin bread recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegan, go to Vegan Pumpkin Bread. For gluten-free, go to Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Print
Pumpkin Bread Recipe (1 Bowl!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Description
This pumpkin bread recipe is the best! It’s fast and easy, made with just one bowl and bakes up into moist, cozy-spiced slices.
Ingredients
For the pumpkin bread
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups [210 g] all-purpose flour
For the glaze (optional*)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 drops maple extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon milk, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch aluminum bread pan, then add parchment paper cut so that it fits the width and extends on both long sides, to easily remove the bread once its baked.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
- Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Then whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle in the flour, half at a time, and mix with a spatula until just combined and there are no more dry bits (don’t over-stir).
- Pour the batter into the bread pan.
- Bake 60 to 65 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with a few clinging crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and pull up on the parchment paper to remove the bread. Allow to cool to room temperature if glazing.
- If making the glaze, heat the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan until the butter melts. In a medium bowl, slowly whisk the powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup, salt and maple extract until a thick glaze forms. Gradually add the milk to make a smooth, pourable glaze. If the glaze is too sticky, add a teaspoon more milk until it comes to a smooth, thick consistency. Use a fork to drizzle across the bread.
- Slice into pieces and serve. Stores for 4 days at room temperature wrapped in foil, 10 days in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before serving), or freeze in slices for a few months (freezing works best without the glaze).
Notes
*You can also use this 1-Minute Powdered Sugar Icing or Vanilla Glaze for topping.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Baked
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Pumpkin bread recipe, pumpkin bread
The best pumpkin bread! Thank you
★★★★★
Delicious and so easy to make. Taught my grandkids how to make it today! Everything was in the pantry!
Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
Amazing I used home grown pumpkins for mine and spices best recipe ever!!!
★★★★★
I don’t seem to get sick of pumpkin flavor, typically in savory stuff but baking too, and pumpkin puree based bread works for me too, so thank you
★★★★★