My perfectly spiced homemade Pumpkin Bread recipe is simple to make and is topped with a simple vanilla glaze. Recipe includes a how-to video!
An Easy, No-Fail Pumpkin Bread
Those of you who’ve been following the blog for some time (👋🏻) know that I’ve never really been a big pumpkin fan myself. I’ll eat it and even enjoy it, but I’d much rather have something chocolate.
Zach, however, loves pumpkin and every year insists upon at least a few recipes (and I get a lot of requests from readers every year, too!). You have him to thank for my pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins, and he takes the responsibility of being my #1 taste-tester on all things pumpkin very, very seriously.
After begging me for weeks for a pumpkin bread, I finally caved and set to work developing the perfect recipe (by his standards, anyway!). It took nearly ten tries but here we are, and I hope you love this recipe as much as Zach does!
What You Need
Brief overview. Recipe is easy, here’s what I use.
- Pumpkin. Canned pumpkin is perfect for this recipe, but make sure you grab a can that is 100% pumpkin and not “pumpkin pie mix” which contains additives that you do not need.
- Oil & Butter. Oil adds to the moisture of the bread while butter gives us a great flavor.
- Sugar. I use both brown sugar and granulated. I like dark brown because it adds extra moisture and flavor, but light brown will work instead.
- Eggs. You will need two. I recommend large eggs but have successfully used extra large and even jumbo in this recipe.
- Buttermilk adds moisture and flavor to pumpkin bread.
- Flour. Make sure you don’t accidentally over-measure your flour! I only recommend using all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder & baking soda. The two work together to give this cake the proper lift and texture.
- Pumpkin spice & cinnamon. While pumpkin spice already contains cinnamon, I like to amp up the cinnamon tones by adding a bit extra. Don’t forget you can always make your own pumpkin spice!
- Salt & vanilla extract. For flavor.
Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk, try my easy buttermilk substitute instead! Pour ¾ teaspoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup, then add whole milk and fill to the ¼ cup line. Stir briefly and let sit for 5 minutes before using!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin bread batter couldn’t be easier to prepare:
- Whisk together your dry ingredients
- Whisk together your wet ingredients separately
- Carefully combine the two (I fold mine together with a spatula or wooden spoon — never use an electric mixer!).
- Bake batter in a bread pan
- After cooling, drizzle with my vanilla glaze.
It’s very similar to my well-loved banana bread, only there’s no banana-mashing required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Stir in 1-1 ½ cups of chocolate chips, raisins, or your favorite chopped nuts after combining the wet and dry ingredients.
Store in an airtight container (or wrapped in plastic wrap or foil) at room temperature for up to 5 days. Good luck getting it to last that long!
Yes, this bread freezes well. Allow it to cool completely and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap (and I usually wrap in foil for good measure, too). It will keep frozen for several months.
You can easily make your own using my pumpkin spice recipe!
Vanilla Glaze
I like to drizzle the top of my pumpkin bread with a vanilla glaze. This is essentially the same one I use on my bundt cake and is slightly enriched with a bit of melted butter.
You can skip this glaze and either sprinkle the batter with some granulated sugar for texture/flavor just before baking (which I did in my video) or skip it entirely.
More Recipes For The Pumpkin Lover
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (345 g) pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil (any neutral cooking oil will work in this recipe)
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled until no longer hot
- ⅔ cup (135 g) dark brown sugar¹ firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Glaze² optional
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter salted or unsalted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 teaspoons milk plus more as needed
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease and flour the bottom and 1" up the sides of a bread pan³. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, and melted butter. Stir until well-combined and then stir in sugars.1 ½ cups (345 g) pumpkin puree, ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil, ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (135 g) dark brown sugar¹, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and stir until combined.¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients to wet and gently fold together with a spatula or spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix, it will make your bread dense/dry.
- Evenly spread batter into prepared pan. If you will not be using the glaze you might wish to sprinkle the batter generously with coarse sugar.
- Transfer to 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (or preferably with a few moist crumbs).
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating with glaze (if using).
Glaze
- Whisk together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons milk. If glaze is too stiff, add additional milk, one teaspoon at a time, until glaze falls in a ribbon from the whisk (if glaze is too runny, add more powdered sugar).1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon melted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-4 teaspoons milk
- Drizzle over cooled bread, allow to cool and then slice and enjoy!
Notes
¹Brown sugar
You can substitute light brown sugar if needed. The dark brown gives the pumpkin bread more moisture and a deeper, richer flavor.²Glaze:
You can skip the glaze entirely or, after pouring the batter into the pan sprinkle generously with additional granulated sugar before baking.³Bread pan:
I linked to the bread pan that I used in the equipment section above. It’s slightly smaller than a standard 9×5 bread pan, but this recipe will work in either size pan.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Bread may also be tightly wrapped and frozen for several months.Gluten free:
This recipe has been successfully made using Cup4Cup flour. It was noted that the batter can become very viscous and difficult to work with, but the bread has turned out!Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Bernadine Lynch
I have used many many of your recipes and have not been disappointed. Looking forward to many more.🥰
Sherry Owens
Can avocado or Olive oil be substituted in your recipes! I try to avoid using canola or vegetable oil. Thank you, Sherry
Sam
Hi Sherry! Generally I recommend using a neutral cooking oil anyplace where I call for canola or vegetable oil. Avocado or olive oil *will* work, but they have more distinct flavors and I find that sometimes the baked goods turn out a bit heavier. That being said, I totally understand wanting to avoid canola/vegetable oil and if you personally don’t mind the flavors of avocado or olive oil you will be able to substitute them 1:1, I just want to make sure you are aware the flavor might be slightly different. Also, different recipes will fare differently when you make this substitution, for example this pumpkin bread would be a good one to try it on and I think you would be totally fine since there are so many other dominant flavors from the spices and pumpkin and there is a small amount of oil called for overall. I hope that helps!!
Jo Ann
Absolutely delicious! I’ve made this recipe four times in two weeks. Such a yummy treat on a cool afternoon with coffee or tea. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Looking forward to a few more loaves throughout November.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wow, we’re so happy you like it so much, Jo Ann! Thanks so much for your kind review and five star rating ❤️
Violeta
Another winner! I used fresh pumpkin, which I boiled, and it was still warm when I mixed it with everything. I don’t know if that is why the bread is kind of wet. But it’s still warm, maybe it will firm up. Oh, I did pull it out 15 minutes early, because it was cracked and I was afraid it was too dry. The melted butter and oil, with butter milk (sour cream substitute) is a genius technique!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Violeta! I recommend testing for doneness with a skewer before removing it from the oven. It may have been slightly under-baked.
Violeta
I want to make this today, but I don’t have enough butter. Have you tried ghee as a substitute?
Sam
Hi Violeta! I haven’t tried it but I think it could work. 🙂
Terry
If using fresh pumpkin try putting it in a colander and using a spatula to press excess liquid out. Or…put it in a double layer of cheesecloth & wring the moisture out. This way your baked goods won’t be soggy!
michelle ruggiero
Perfect just the way it is. However on my second loaf I amped up the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice a tad (personal preference only) and added golden raisins. I then made a brown sugar icing and “oh my” had to give it away because I would have eaten the entire loaf!!! Of course the recipe was requested by all three receivers!!! I provided them with original and then my second version. Thanks Sam for adelicious and easy fall treat.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Michelle! 🙂
Yasmin
Thank you so much for yet another perfect recipe. Pumpkin is not something we usually bake with in my country, but the other day I spotted a can of pumpkin puree (that is imported and super rare ) and decided to give it this bread a try. It turned out so delicious!
I am also so greatful you provided recipes for things like pumpkin spice and buttermilk which are ingredients that are not available where I live. Thanks to this, I am able to enjoy your tasty recipes.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Yasmin! 🙂
Kim
Wow! I am super impressed with this beautiful and delicious loaf. I was careful to follow your instructions and am so very happy with your recipe. It’s PERFECT.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kim!
Terry
Hey Sam – I love your recipes – BUT – was wondering if you could add a “Cook Mode” button above the recipe itself, like I’ve seen on a few other sites. That way the screen doesn’t black out when trying to measure ingredients. Just makes it sooo much easier!
Thanks for listening.
Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦 23°F @ 11am
Brrr!
Sam
Hi Terry! I actually do have the “cook mode” button on my website BUT unfortunately I do not yet have the technology to make it work on iPhones specifically (though it should appear on other devices). If you’re seeing a site somewhere where it works on iphone please let me know, I’d love to reach out to them and see how they are making it work because this actually is something I really want for my website. Thank you so much for the suggestion, and stay warm!!
Renee H.
This recipe is “THE BOMB” according to my Keto dieting daughter. She said, “This is SO worth the carbs.” Normally she takes one bite and says, “That’s good.” She ate a whole slice of this and asked for the recipe. If that doesn’t tell you how good this bread is…well…for me it’s a keeper. I used an 8 x 5″ pan (accidentally – my husband retrieved the pan for me) and I had to bake it longer. It turned out just fine. Next time, I will check the size first and use a 9 x 5″ pan. It made a large loaf that was very heavy. The bread is very moist. We even warmed and buttered it and toasted it in the toaster. Had to remove it from the toaster with toaster tongs so it didn’t break apart. I NEVER leave comments, but, I had to let you know this is wonderful. Thank you Sam!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Renee! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Sharon Fox
I have made this recipe twice, both were fantastic. The second time I add 1/4 teaspoon extra pumpkin pie spice and we all agreed it was our favorite. We also like it better with your cream cheese frosting. Love all your recipes Sam. Thanks so much.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed, Sharon, thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you. I really appreciate you trying my recipes! <3
Lynne
Made two loaves tonight. Absolutely scrumptious! Your recipes are always spot on, Sam. Another winner. I will be making this one over and over. I did add pecans.
Sam
I am SO happy to hear you enjoyed, Lynne! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for letting me know how it turned out for you! <3
Jackie
Hi Sam… I’m baking this now, but I have a question about the vanilla. Is it 1 tablespoon? I don’t think I have ever used this much in a recipe!
Sam
Hi Jackie! That is correct. You need a full tablespoon here. 🙂
Terry
Hi Sam! Color me 😚. Of COURSE you have the Cook Mode button. In the ONLY part of the article I didn’t read, (as I have enough kitchen equipment to start a small store). I’m just used to seeing it at the top of the recipe, as mentioned in my embarrassing 1st text.
I have an Android, but I’ll reach out to a friend with an IPhone (at a somewhat more civil hour of the a.m. lol) & see if she can use the Cook Mode on another site. I’ll get back to you with the results.
Trying to stay warm – TRYING being the operative word. It’s 30°F @ 1:30 a.m. local time. TTYL
Caryl
Sounds yummy..if I want to add nuts or raisins do I have to adjust anything else?
Sam
Hi Caryl! You can just stir them in at the end. 🙂
Gigi Colley
I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes, and this one is my favorite. My husband sliced it before I could even make the glaze! This one is definitely going into heavy rotation. Thanks you!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Gigi! My husband does the same thing, even burning himself sometimes. 🤣
lisa g.
Instructions state to add the buttermilk and then to finally stir in buttermilk. Please clarify this as its just a bit confusing. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Sam
Whoops, blaming my sleep-deprived brain on that one, so sorry for the confusion Lisa! I just updated the recipe to be more clear, thank you for bringing this to my attention!
Anna
I’m not a pumpkin lover myself, but its on my bucket list! Oh and a recipe suggestion that may please Zach, pumpkin waffles! My mom makes them occasionally and honestly its like eating pumpkin bread for breakfast!
Sam
O I better not let Zach see this comment he’ll be begging me for them! 😂