This easy pumpkin bread recipe is moist, tender and has all the fall flavors you love!
This quick bread recipe is the best! We've been making this easy pumpkin bread for over 15 years and never get tired of it. This is one of the first fall recipes I make every year because my whole family loves it.
Gifting
This pumpkin bread is such an easy option for gifting! We often bake it into miniature loaves using a mini loaf pan and add them to our Christmas boxes, along with pizzelle, homemade vanilla, and Christmas cookies.
Looking for pumpkin muffins? Use this recipe.
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
(full printable recipe at end of post)
We make recipes with simple ingredients from our pantry. This recipe includes staple baking ingredients with a few fall spices.
Here's what you need:
- Granulated sugar -- There is quite a bit of sugar in this recipe, it's old school.
- Vegetable oil -- You can also sub with canola oil.
- Eggs -- 4 large eggs.
- All-purpose flour -- Don't forget to fluff the flour before scooping and measuring.
- Pumpkin puree -- You need a can of pure pumpkin puree, NOT the already spiced pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin spices -- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Water -- Surely you have this on hand.
- Baking soda and salt
There is no pure vanilla extract in this basic recipe, but once in a while we'll sprinkle a little in for depth of flavor. It doesn't need it, but it's fun to mix it up!
Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
We love so many things about this pumpkin bread. Scroll to the end of this post for the full recipe, the general steps are as follows:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two medium loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil. Mix in eggs one at a time.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
- With mixer on low speed, mix half of the dry ingredients to the bowl with wet ingredients, then add half of the water.
- Mix in the other half of dry ingredients then the rest of the water until combined.
- Mix in the pumpkin.
- Divide batter evenly into both pans. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until passes toothpick test.
Storage
I recommend wrapping each loaf in aluminum foil or plastic wrap once it's completely cooled. This keeps it super moist.
Once cooled, you can keep this bread at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or, store a loaf in the freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag, for up to 1 month. I would suggest freezing individual slices, if you plan to eat a slice every so often instead of using up the entire loaf.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Bread
Cool completely.
After removing bread from the oven, allow it to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. It is important to let the bread completely cool to room temperature before slicing it.
Pumpkin spice.
For this recipe, we use ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. If I have it on hand, sometimes I"ll use pumpkin pie spice instead. Or, add in a little ground ginger and ground cloves to the pumpkin mixture.
Nuts.
My mom hates nuts in any baked good, but I love it! If we have pecans or walnuts in the pantry, I sometimes chop up a few and stir it in to the batter.
Another idea is to top the bread with pumpkin seeds before baking. This adds a beautiful crunch to the top crust.
Chocolate Chips.
Feel free to stir in some semi-sweet chocolate chips for a chocolate chip pumpkin bread loaf. SO good!
More Quick Bread Recipes
If you love quick breads, try these other favorite recipes:
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This recipe was originally published December 2007 and updated July 2022 with new photos and recipe tips.
Recipe Card
Easy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅔ cup water
- 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and ½ inch up sides of two medium loaf pans
- In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well; set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately add flour mixture and water to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Add pumpkin and mix. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake on center rack for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely on wire racks before slicing.
Notes
- Store at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or foil.
- Freezer friendly.
- For variations, stir in chocolate chips, or walnuts, or both.
- You can use this recipe to make miniature loaves. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Looking for pumpkin muffins? Use this recipe.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only.
