Is there any better gift to share during the beautiful fall and holiday season than a loaf of warm, fragrant, and incredibly moist homemade pumpkin bread? This foolproof, from-scratch recipe is your ultimate guide to creating the most delicious, tender, and perfectly spiced pumpkin bread you’ve ever had. And the best part? It makes two beautiful loaves—one to keep for your family and one to share as a wonderful, heartfelt gift for friends, neighbors, or coworkers.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to creating the quintessential taste of autumn. We’ll show you the simple secrets to an impossibly moist crumb that stays fresh for days (hint: it’s the oil!) and a perfectly balanced, robust spice flavor that will fill your entire home with the most incredible, cozy aroma. This is the only pumpkin bread recipe you’ll ever need.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Shareable Fall Bake
What makes this Pumpkin Bread recipe truly “the best” is its incredible, long-lasting moistness and its deep, authentic pumpkin spice flavor. The recipe uses a simple, classic “quick bread” method that is foolproof for bakers of all skill levels. By using vegetable oil instead of butter, we guarantee a bread with a super tender, moist crumb that stays perfectly fresh and delicious for days, making it the ideal choice for making ahead, sharing, and holiday gifting.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 25 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 2 loaves (about 12 slices each) |
The Essential Ingredients for the Most Moist Pumpkin Bread
This recipe uses a handful of simple pantry staples to create a truly spectacular result.
- The Moisture Secrets (Oil & Pumpkin): This is the key to a tender, never-dry crumb.
- Vegetable Oil: Using a neutral-flavored oil like vegetable or canola oil instead of butter is the number one secret to an incredibly moist quick bread that stays tender for days.
- Pure Pumpkin Purée: It is absolutely essential to use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pure pumpkin provides a wonderful, natural sweetness, a beautiful orange color, and a huge amount of moisture.
- The Warm Spice Blend: We create a perfect, robust pumpkin spice flavor from scratch with a classic, aromatic blend of ground nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Using fresh spices will make a huge difference in the final flavor.
- The Leaveners (Baking Soda & Baking Powder): This recipe smartly uses both baking soda and baking powder. This combination provides the perfect amount of lift, ensuring your loaves bake up with a beautiful, domed top.
- All-Purpose Flour, Sugar, Eggs & Water: These simple pantry staples provide the structure, sweetness, and binding for our bread.
Step-by-Step to the Best Pumpkin Bread
This recipe uses a classic, easy quick-bread method. The most important rule is to not overmix!
Step 1: Prepare the Pans and Mix the Dry Ingredients
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter and flour two 9×5-inch loaf pans.
Pro Tip: For a guaranteed perfect release, you can line the bottom and the two long sides of your pans with a “sling” of parchment paper after you have buttered them.
In a medium bowl, combine the 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, the 2 teaspoons of fine salt, the 2 teaspoons of baking soda, the 1 teaspoon of baking powder, the 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, the 1 teaspoon of ground allspice, the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. Whisk everything together until it is thoroughly combined and uniform in color. This step is crucial for ensuring the leaveners and spices are evenly distributed.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the 3 cups of sugar and the 1 cup of vegetable oil until they are well combined.
Whisk in the 4 lightly beaten large eggs and the 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin purée until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3: Combine the Batter (Don’t Overmix!)
Now, we will add the dry ingredients and the water to the wet ingredients in alternating additions. This classic technique is the secret to a tender, not tough, quick bread.
Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir with a spatula until it is just combined.
Add half of the water (1/3 cup) and stir to combine.
Repeat the process with the remaining half of the flour mixture and the remaining half of the water.
Crucial Pro Tip: The most important rule for a tender quick bread is to not overmix the batter. Mix only until you no longer see large streaks of dry flour. A few small lumps are perfectly fine! Overmixing will develop the gluten and result in a dense, tough, and dry loaf.
Step 4: Bake to Moist Perfection
Divide the finished batter evenly between your two prepared loaf pans.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester or a long wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. The loaves should be a beautiful deep golden brown and will have a wonderful, crackly top.
Let the loaves cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully run a knife around the edges and invert the loaves onto the wire rack to let them cool completely, which will take about 1 hour.
The Best Moist Pumpkin Bread (Perfect for Gifting!)
A classic recipe for a moist and flavorful pumpkin quick bread. The simple batter is made by whisking together pumpkin puree with sugar, oil, and eggs, and then alternating the addition of a flour mixture, which is heavily spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. The recipe makes two full loaves which are baked for about an hour until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 2 loaves (16-20 slices) 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for the pans
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and then the pumpkin puree until combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Whisk until well combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
- Add half of the water and stir to combine.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining water.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
- Bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the loaves are golden brown.
- Let the loaves cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely on the wire rack, for about 1 more hour.
Notes
- Cook’s Note: When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.
- The recipe makes two loaves, perfect for sharing or freezing one for later.
- The method of alternating additions of dry ingredients and water helps to ensure the batter is mixed evenly without being overworked.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380-450
- Sugar: 35-45 g
- Sodium: 350-450 mg
- Fat: 18-24 g
- Saturated Fat: 2-4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50-60 g
- Fiber: 2-3 g
- Protein: 4-6 g
- Cholesterol: 35-50 mg
The Ultimate Gifting Guide for Your Pumpkin Bread
A loaf of homemade pumpkin bread is a wonderful gift. Here are a few simple ways to make it extra special:
- The Classic Wrap: Let the loaf cool completely. Wrap it in a piece of parchment paper and tie it with a beautiful piece of baker’s twine or a festive ribbon.
- The Cello Bag: Place the cooled loaf in a large, clear cellophane bag and tie it at the top with a beautiful ribbon and a handwritten gift tag.
- The Gift Pan: Bake the bread in an inexpensive, disposable foil loaf pan or a beautiful, reusable ceramic loaf pan that becomes part of the gift itself!
Storage and Freezing Tips
Thanks to its oil base, this pumpkin bread stays wonderfully moist for days and freezes beautifully.
- Storage: Store the completely cooled loaves, well-wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This recipe is perfect for freezing! Let the loaves cool completely, then wrap them tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. You can freeze the loaves whole or as individual slices. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight at room temperature.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This classic pumpkin bread recipe is a wonderful base for your own delicious and creative additions.
- Add a Classic Mix-In: For a wonderful textural and flavor twist, you can gently fold 1 to 2 cups of your favorite mix-ins into the finished batter at the very end. Some classic choices include semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts, or sweet-tart dried cranberries.
- Add a Tangy Cream Cheese Swirl: For a stunning and delicious “cheesecake” version, you can create a simple cream cheese filling. In a separate bowl, beat together 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 egg, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into your loaf pans, add a layer of the cream cheese filling, and then top with the remaining pumpkin batter. Use a knife to gently swirl the layers together before baking.
- Add a Beautiful Glaze: For a sweet, gift-worthy finish, you can drizzle the cooled loaves with a simple maple glaze (1 cup of powdered sugar whisked with 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup) or a tangy cream cheese glaze (4 ounces of softened cream cheese beaten with 1 cup of powdered sugar and a splash of milk).
Enjoy The Ultimate Taste of Fall!
You’ve just created a truly special, from-scratch bake that is the very definition of autumn comfort. This classic, homemade Pumpkin Bread is a perfect harmony of warm spices and sweet pumpkin, with an unbelievably moist and tender crumb. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a staple in your fall baking repertoire for both enjoying and sharing.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious slice!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves to bake for the fall season!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute secret to a super moist pumpkin bread?
The secret is using oil instead of butter as the primary fat. While butter provides a wonderful flavor, oil is 100% fat (whereas butter contains water and milk solids). This results in a quick bread with a much moister, softer, and more tender crumb that stays incredibly fresh for several days.
Q2: What is the “spoon and level” method for measuring flour, and is it important?
Yes, it’s very important for accurate baking! As the Cook’s Note mentions, scooping your measuring cup directly into the bag of flour can compact the flour, causing you to use up to 25% more flour than the recipe calls for, which results in dry, dense baked goods. The correct method is to use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag, then spoon it lightly into your dry measuring cup until it is overflowing, and finally, use the back of a knife to level it off.
Q3: Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of 100% pure pumpkin purée?
No, you should not use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling is a pre-made product that already contains sugar, spices, and other ingredients, which will throw off the balance of this recipe and make your bread overly sweet and improperly spiced.
Q4: Can I make this recipe in a Bundt pan or as muffins?
Yes, absolutely! For a beautiful Bundt cake, simply pour all the batter into a well-greased and floured 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan. You will need to increase the baking time to about 60-75 minutes. For muffins, divide the batter among a standard 24-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners. Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Q5: Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe?
This recipe is for a classic, sweet, cake-like pumpkin bread. While you can reduce the sugar slightly (perhaps down to 2 or 2 1/2 cups), keep in mind that sugar does more than just add sweetness; it is also crucial for the bread’s moist texture and its ability to stay fresh.