Classic Pumpkin Bread

There is a scent that stops me cold every time. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, the whole warm constellation of fall spices hitting a hot oven. I do not smell it and think: pumpkin bread. I smell it and think: home. My grandmother’s kitchen in the Midwest. My mother at the counter, not rushing, just moving through the familiar steps the way you move through a place you know by heart. The women in my family baked in the fall the way other families turned up the heat or pulled out the extra blankets. It was how the season began. Every family member knew what that smell meant.

I won’t lie: I start pumpkin season earlier than most people would consider reasonable. The moment the calendar turns to September and the farm stand stacks those little sugar pie pumpkins out front, I am reaching for the canned pumpkin in the back of the pantry. The ber months arrive and something in me settles. Fall is my favorite season, has been my whole life, and pumpkin bread is where it starts. Not the variation with chocolate chips (though I love that one too), not the cinnamon swirl with the crumble topping, not the bourbon version. This one. The classic. The old-fashioned pumpkin bread that smells exactly like I remember.

I have made this classic pumpkin bread recipe so many times that I barely glance at the recipe card anymore. I taste the pumpkin bread batter and add more cinnamon if the spice is not quite right. More cloves sometimes. More nutmeg. The amount of spice on the recipe is a starting point, not a ceiling. I am a warm spice lover and I have never once regretted going a little heavier on the warm spices. If you are the same, trust your instincts. The batter will tell you.

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Why This Is the Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe

There are a lot of pumpkin bread recipes out there. I have tried many of them over the years. What makes this the best pumpkin bread recipe in my kitchen is the combination of buttermilk and a blend of oil and butter. The buttermilk keeps the crumb tender and gives it a very slight tang that balances the sweetness. Using both melted butter and vegetable oil means you get the richness of butter and the moisture that oil provides. Butter alone can make a quick bread recipe a little dry as it cools. Vegetable oil alone can make it feel flat. Together they give you a moist pumpkin bread with a soft, tender crumb that slices cleanly and stays good for days in an airtight container.

The other thing that sets this homemade pumpkin bread apart is draining the pumpkin puree before mixing. Canned pumpkin puree holds a surprising amount of moisture, and spreading it on paper towels for ten minutes pulls out the excess water. It sounds like an unnecessary step. It makes a huge difference in the final texture. The loaf bakes more evenly, the crumb is less wet at the center, and the pumpkin flavor comes through more clearly because you are not diluting it with water. I never skip it.

This is a true old-fashioned pumpkin bread in the best sense. No electric mixer, no paddle attachment, no complicated method. A large mixing bowl, a separate bowl for the dry ingredients, a rubber spatula, and forty-five minutes in the oven. An easy pumpkin bread recipe that tastes like something that took much longer.

Ingredients for Classic Pumpkin Bread

A full can of pumpkin puree (15 ounces) is exactly right for this recipe. Use homemade pumpkin puree if you have it, but plain canned pumpkin puree is what I use most of the time and it works beautifully. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. They sit next to each other on the shelf and the cans look nearly identical, but pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added and will throw off the whole recipe.

For the fat, this recipe uses both melted butter and vegetable oil in equal parts. You can substitute canola oil or avocado oil for the vegetable oil if you prefer. Olive oil works in a pinch (use a light, neutral variety rather than extra virgin, which has too strong a flavor for a sweet quick bread). The combination of butter and oil is what gives this loaf its cozy fall flavor and moist crumb.

The spice blend here is cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. These are warm fall spices in the most classic sense. Start with the amounts in the recipe card and then taste the pumpkin bread batter. If you want more warmth, add it. A teaspoon of vanilla extract is a good addition if you like a little more depth, though I do not always include it. A pinch of pumpkin pie spice in addition to the individual spices is another option some bakers use. There is no wrong answer as long as the batter smells like fall.

Brown sugar and white sugar (granulated sugar) together give you a slightly caramel depth from the molasses in the brown sugar, which plays beautifully against the warm spices. Two large eggs at room temperature, buttermilk for tenderness, and all-purpose (purpose flour) round out the full list of ingredients. If you want less sugar than the recipe calls for, you can reduce by a few tablespoons with good results, though the crumb will be slightly less tender.

How to Make Classic Pumpkin Bread

Start by draining the canned pumpkin puree. Lay four sheets of paper towels on a flat surface and fold them in half. Spread the pumpkin puree across the folded sheets and let it sit for ten minutes. You will be surprised how much moisture comes out. This is the step that makes this an easy pumpkin bread recipe to get right even the first time.

While the pumpkin drains, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the lower third. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray (Baker’s Joy works well here) and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides to create a sling for lifting the bread out of the prepared pan. This also ensures that your bread will not stick to the pan.

Mix the wet ingredients first. In a large bowl (or large mixing bowl if you prefer), whisk together the vegetable oil, cooled melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. The eggs should be at room temperature for best results. Transfer the drained pumpkin puree into the large bowl and add the buttermilk. Whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves. Add vanilla extract here if you are using it. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just incorporated. You want to see just a few streaks of flour remaining before you add anything else. Do not overmix. Overmixing develops the gluten and gives you a tough loaf instead of a tender pumpkin bread.

If you are making a chocolate chip variation, fold in one cup of chocolate chips at this point. Pour the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, checking with a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center. You want moist crumbs clinging to it, not wet batter. Tent loosely with aluminum foil if the top is browning before the center is done. Watch the oven temperature if your oven runs hot.

Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift the whole loaf out. Let it cool completely on the wire rack before slicing. Or slice it warm and eat it with butter. I have never once waited and I am not starting now. The next day it is even better: the warm spices have settled and the crumb is perfect.

Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead Tips

This moist pumpkin bread keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Refrigerated, it will last up to a week. To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil, or place slices in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Pumpkin bread freezes beautifully for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or warm unwrapped in a 300 degree oven for about twenty minutes.

If you want to bake a double batch, this recipe scales well. Use two 9×5-inch loaf pans or divide among mini loaf pans in 5-inch loaf pan size for gifting. Disposable pans work fine for giving away, and a loaf of homemade pumpkin bread wrapped in plastic wrap with a ribbon is one of the better gifts you can give someone in October.

Variations Worth Trying

This recipe is a reliable base for an amazing fall recipe in several directions. Fold in one cup of chocolate chips for a chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Swirl softened cream cheese sweetened with a little sugar through the batter for something closer to a pumpkin cream cheese loaf. Use whole wheat flour in place of half the all-purpose flour for a heartier loaf with a slightly nutty flavor. And if you need a gluten-free pumpkin bread, a good one-for-one gluten-free flour blend works reasonably well here, though the crumb will be slightly different.

Zucchini bread fans will find this recipe familiar in structure: same quick-bread method, different season. If you bake one in summer and one in fall, you will never be without a good loaf on the counter.

More Pumpkin Bread Recipes

Once pumpkin season arrives I keep this in rotation all the way through winter. If you love this classic homemade pumpkin bread, a few others worth having alongside it: the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is the one that disappears fastest. The Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread with Crumble Topping is for days when you want something a little more special. The Bourbon Pumpkin Bread with Spice Swirl is exactly what it sounds like. And the Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread is perfect if you keep a starter and want to use it well.

Every time I make this bread the house smells like everything I love about fall. The warm spices hit the air and for a few minutes I am back in my grandmother’s kitchen, not visiting it in memory but actually in it. Flour on the counter, the record player on low, Pavarotti keeping us company in the background, the cozy fall flavor of something good almost ready. That is what a recipe card cannot hold. But if you make this one enough times, it might start to carry that for you too. Your own version of the memory. Pour a cup of coffee. Wait the thirty minutes. Then cut yourself a thick slice.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below. And if you added extra cinnamon, I especially want to hear about that. Find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more seasonal recipes all fall and winter long.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread with Crumble Topping

Pumpkin Banana Bread with Cinnamon Glaze

Classic Pumpkin Bread

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A moist, old-fashioned pumpkin bread made with buttermilk, warm spices, and a butter-and-oil combination that keeps it tender for days.

• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (plus more to taste)

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (plus more to taste)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (plus more to taste)

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Drain the pumpkin: Lay 4 connected sheets of paper towels on a flat surface and fold in half. Spread the pumpkin puree across the folded sheets and set aside for 10 minutes to drain excess moisture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Transfer the drained pumpkin to the bowl. Add the buttermilk and whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla extract (if using). Taste and adjust spices to your preference.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just incorporated, with just a few streaks of flour remaining. Do not overmix.

Pour the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Tent with aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly.

Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 30 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole loaf out. Let cool completely before slicing, or eat warm with butter.

 

Notes

Spices: The amounts listed are a starting point. Taste the batter and adjust. Add more cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves to your preference. Pumpkin pie spice can be used in addition to or in place of the individual spices.

Oil substitutions: Canola oil, avocado oil, or a light olive oil can be used in place of vegetable oil.

Buttermilk substitute: Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1/3 cup of whole milk and let sit for 5 minutes.

Chocolate chip variation: Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips before pouring the batter into the prepared pan.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 7 days. The next day it is even better.

To freeze: Wrap cooled loaf in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm in a 300 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Pumpkin bread freezes beautifully.

Mini loaves: Divide batter among 5-inch loaf pans or mini loaf pans and reduce bake times accordingly.

Double batch: This recipe doubles well. Use two 9×5-inch pans or divide among mini loaf pans.

Recipe adapted from Baked by an Introvert.

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40-60 minutes
• Category: Bread
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American