The Best Pumpkin Bread is full of pure pumpkin puree to keep it soft, loaded with just enough warm spices, and a crisp topper to invoke that comforting feeling of Fall.
Since it’s October, we can officially break out All of the Pumpkin Spice Things. While I tend to bake with pumpkin all year long, it seems odd to be posting pumpkin recipes in August when it’s still sweltering outdoors.
Now that the weather is consistently cooler here Up North, I can share the recipe for The Best Pumpkin Bread that I’ve been making on-the-regular for the past year. I see no signs of that ending any time soon because it’s just. that. good.
I stumbled across this recipe from Deb/Smitten Kitchen when I was up to my elbows in homemade pumpkin puree in need of a mission in life. Sure, I could make pumpkin churro waffles, pumpkin cranberry muffins, or pumpkin chocolate kiss cookies. But to be honest, I sometimes I want to spend 15 minutes or less on prep and get down to baking. Enter Smitten Kitchen’s pumpkin bread.
Simple ingredients. One bowl. One whisk. Done.
See, Deb does something brilliant with her pumpkin bread–she uses an entire standard can of pumpkin! A whole can. Not most of a can with a little smidgen leftover that you feel guilty about throwing away, so you save it in the fridge and forget about it until it colonizes in the back corner. Nope. She uses all 15 ounces of that can. Brilliant!
The batter fills almost the entire loaf pan, which feels kind of wrong, as if it will overflow in the oven. Believe me friends, that full pan is oh-so-right. The resulting loaf is monstrous in proportions in the very best way.
The batter is then topped with cinnamon sugar for added crunch in the end game. I tweaked the recipe to use half white whole wheat flour to give it an earthier flavor and texture. Doing so makes the bread more muffin-like than cake-like, but still retains the moisture.
[bctt tweet=”Food Dork Trivia: Quick breads should rise rapidly in the oven, baking from the outside in. As the quick bread”crusts” on the outside, the interior batter continues to expand as it bakes, causing the telltale crack on the top of the bread. ” username=”@comfortdomestic”]
I give the batter a quick slash so that I can guide the inevitable cracking that happens with quick breads. It’ll taste the same either way, but I like the aesthetics of the little S-curve baked into the top.
The Best Pumpkin Bread is soft and perfectly spiced with a pleasantly crunch on top. I doubled the original recipe because one loaf of The Best Pumpkin Bread is usually gone before it cools. Besides, after one bite, you’ll be glad to have a spare loaf waiting for you.
The Best Pumpkin Bread also freezes beautifully, so bake up a batch today!
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Kirsten Kubert adaptation from Smitten Kitchen https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/10/pumpkin-bread/
Yields 2 loaves (24 slices)
The Best Pumpkin Bread is full of pure pumpkin puree to keep it soft, loaded with just enough warm spices, and a crisp topper to invoke that comforting feeling of Fall.
20 minPrep Time
1 hrCook Time
1 hr, 20 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ C. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 C. white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 (15-ounce each) cans (3 ½ C.) 100% pumpkin puree or use homemade pumpkin puree
- 1 C. canola oil
- 6 large eggs
- 2 1/3 C. granulated sugar
- 1 Tbs. cinnamon sugar, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9”x5”x4” loaf pans with non-stick baking spray, or lightly coat with homemade baking pan lube. Set the pans aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Add the pumpkin puree, canola oil, eggs, and sugar to the bowl. Gently whisk until batter comes together and is relatively smooth. Be careful not to over-mix or bread may be tough. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans. Smooth the tops of the batter to level. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar over the top of each loaf. Use a knife to slash the top of the batter to allow for expansion in the oven.
- Bake the pumpkin bread at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, with only a crumb or two attached. Allow the bread to cool in the loaf pans set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the loaves from the pans and allow to cool completely on the wire rack before slicing to serve.
Notes
The Best Pumpkin Bread keeps well at room temperature for up to 3 days. Simply place the bread into a paper bag or wrap loosely in plastic wrap. This bread also freezes beautifully when frozen in a zippered freezer bag or air-tight freezer container. Please note that the crisp topping will soften in the freezer. The recipe is easily halved to make a single loaf.
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