This truly is the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe. I’ve baked all varieties of pumpkin bread, and this one has been my favorite pumpkin bread recipe for over forty years.
What makes this the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe?
This pumpkin bread turns out perfectly moist and tender every time. There are a lot of spices added in to the ingredients in this bread. Plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves round out the spicy flavor of the pumpkin bread. The recipe makes two loaves. It’s the perfect snack!
My best pumpkin bread recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of oil. That’s the original recipe that I started with so many years ago. Nowadays, I reduce the sugar to 2 cups and I use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. It still turns out so good with these modifications!
Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe for Gifting:
I’ve used this recipe for gifting for as long as I can remember. It’s the perfect hostess gift for fall parties and holiday gatherings. And when I’m feeling generous, I’ll bake a dozen pumpkin bread loaves and deliver them to neighbors “just because.”
I wrap the pumpkin bread directly in foil, and then I slip it into a gift bag and tie a cute ribbon to close it up. Homemade pumpkin bread makes the perfect gift, and everyone always appreciates the gesture of a gift that’s homemade.
Does this Best Pumpkin Bread recipe freeze well?
This pumpkin bread definitely freezes well. In fact, I always double the recipe when I make it… and then I have one loaf for my family to eat and three loaves to wrap and put in the freezer.
Just wrap the extras directly in foil and keep them in the freezer. When you’re going somewhere special, need to gift a sick friend, or surprise a neighbor with something yummy… you have pumpkin bread that you can take out of your freezer, and it’s ready to gift to someone!
Let this be your go-to favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe to make all year long, but especially in the fall months. You’ll enjoy it for breakfast and snacks and holidays. And everyone else will be able to enjoy it with you.
If you’re looking for more pumpkin themed recipes, you might also enjoy my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares or these Pumpkin Cake Pops. Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars, Pumpkin Fudge, and Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bundt Cake are also good pumpkin treats to try!
Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups granulated white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil (can sub 1/2 unsweetened applesauce)
- 2 cups pure, unsweetened pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour two 9×5-inch loaf pans. You can use 8×5 pans too, but they'll rise quite high while baking.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, baking powder and salt.
- In large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add the pumpkin and water and stir until combined.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It could take an extra 15 minutes, depending on the type of pan you’re using.
Notes
- *If you reduce the sugar to 2 cups and sub 1/2 of the oil for unsweetened applesauce, here is how the nutritional information changes per slice: 274 calories, 46 carb, 4 protein, 8 fat, 1 fiber.
- *Since this recipe yields two loaves, make several batches and deliver them to your neighbors as a fall holiday treat!
- *You may also use 8 mini loaf pans- bake 45 minutes to an hour.
- *This bread freezes well. When cooled, cover with plastic wrap, then foil and freeze until ready to eat. It should keep well in the freezer for several weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I baked this recipe today with excellent results. I cut back the sugar to 1 cup granulated + 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar. I substituted 2 tablespoons of butter for some of the veg. oil, for flavor, and used the unsweetened applesauce. I substituted nonfat buttermilk for the water and added 2 tsp pure vanilla extract. I baked 2 each 4×8 loaves plus 8 each hamster-shaped muffins.
The texture is nice and light with a delicate crumb and gentle spring to it. The flavor is quite nice with a good balance of spices. The bread is nice and moist straight from the oven.
I appreciate that this recipe is lower in fat and sugar than a lot of the recipes on the web for moist pumpkin bread.
I don’t usually leave reviews for recipes, but this one is definitely worth earmarked for anyone looking for a recipe that isn’t just another oil and sugar bomb.
When you decrease the sugar to 2 cups, are you also decreasing the amount of wet ingedients? Seems like water should be decreased to keep wet and dry ingredients balanced.
I do not change anything else. Turns out perfect!
This looks like the recipe I use. This year I changed it up slightly by putting one half of the batter in the bottom of my loaf pan, then put a little bit of
Philadelphia cheesecake filling in the middle and then poured the rest of the batter on top. Let it cool completely before cutting. It was delicious.
This is still the best pumpkin bread recipe of all time. I’ve been referring back to this recipe since 2014 and it’s now 2024. It’s my 10 year anniversary of making this recipe and in honor of it and it’s author I’m creating a youtube video in honor of it @Dloveslife 😊💯❤
I’d like greatly to cook this bread but the author provided ingredients in old fashioned manner only – ounces and cups. I.will be greatful for modern unit system – grams and milliliters.
So sorry- this website is based in the USA, so I’m using USA measurements. There are converters online you can use!
Delicious! Made with sorghum flour, replaced oil with homemade apple sauce, 2TBSP ground flaxseed, and added 1C coconut sugar and 1C stevia. Turned out moist, sweet and delicious. Next time decreasing stevia to 1/2C. Thank you for the recipe!
I have been making this recipe for57 years. The only difference is in the spices, ours uses just 1tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg. We cut back on the sugar after the first time we made it, so most of us in the family use 2-21/4 cups. It is still delicious and people always ask for the recipe. I think I will try adding a bit of allspice:)
Made this recipe tonight. It is so delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe.