This Easy Pumpkin Bread is a quick bread recipe made with convenient canned pumpkin. Super moist and flavored with delicious spices, it's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert!
An Easy Quick Bread Recipe
One of my favorite quick bread recipes is this easy pumpkin bread. It's made with pantry staple canned pumpkin, so it takes no time at all to whip up the batter and bake.
In just over an hour, you can be sitting down and enjoying warm, fresh pumpkin bread with a cup of coffee, tea, or milk!
How To Make Pumpkin Bread
This bread recipe is super moist and is the perfect blend of pumpkin and spices.
When making the bread, do these two things:
- always mix the dry and wet ingredients separately
- gradually mix the dry into the wet ingredients
Mixing the dry ingredients in a separate bowl ensures the baking powder and soda/spices/etc are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Mixing the wet ingredients together separately makes sure everything is thoroughly combined before the dry mix is added.
These mixing principles are used to avoid over-working the batter so gluten doesn't develop in the bread dough.
Preventing Gluten Formation
Gluten is the enemy to quick breads. You want a little, but not a lot.
Quick breads should have a small, even crumb, just like a cake.
Overworking the batter causes too much gluten to form and that will make the bread's texture dense.
So, instead of a moist and tender sweet bread, it will be tough and chewy.
Prevent gluten from forming by mixing the batter as little as possible and just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Best Pan For Baking
What is the best pan for baking quick breads? My preference is a heavy duty, non stick, durable steel construction loaf pan.
The type of pan I always use is similar to this one below:
It makes perfectly browned and evenly cooked moist little loaves. I prefer the mini loaf pan because everyone can have their own individual bread loaves.
I love wrapping up the mini loaves and giving them away as hostess or holiday gifts.
No one's going to turn down homemade moist pumpkin bread!!
You can make a regular sized loaf or muffins with this recipe too. Baking instructions for all sizes are found below in the recipe card.
Storing Quick Breads
- Store completely cooled leftover bread in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days
- For longer storage, place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- For even LONGER storage, freeze bread for up to 3 months in a freezer proof container or bag
Ways To Eat Pumpkin Bread:
- Serve warm with butter
- Spread with cream cheese
- Make a pumpkin bread peanut butter sandwich (can also use almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter)
- Toast it and serve with Corned Beef Hash and Eggs or Roast Beef Hash
- Top with whipped heavy cream and fresh fruit for an easy dessert or snack
- Make french toast out of it with homemade breakfast sausage patties
- Enjoy a cup of Irish Coffee with your little loaf or slice(s)
Hope you enjoy making this easy pumpkin bread and please let me know me know in the comments how you liked it!
Easy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup plain pureed pumpkin, canned
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, fresh grated
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
optional: ½ cup each of chopped nuts & raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/176C degrees. If using a dark pan, lower temperature to 325F/163C.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 cup pumpkin, ½ cup oil, ½ cup water, and 2 large eggs and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir well.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. **Gently stir in optional ½ cup each of nuts and raisins, if desired.
- Pour into well greased 9X5 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from the pan and serve warm or place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Can also make into mini-loaves or muffins! Just bake in a well greased mini loaf pan or muffin pan and adjust the cooking time to 18-23 minutes
- Store completely cooled leftover bread in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- Can freeze bread for up to 3 months in a freezer proof container or bag
TJ OReilly
Eating this all day... Brought this into work and all my coworkers have been commenting how good it is. Thanks for the great recipe.
[email protected]
Thank you TJ for trying the recipe. So happy everyone enjoyed it!