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This classic pumpkin bread recipe is loaded with warm spices and full of delicious pumpkin flavor. This recipe makes two loaves and freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy one loaf now and freeze the second for later or share it with a friend.
Okay, let’s chat about this pumpkin bread. There is nothing that signifies fall for me more than this recipe. I’ve been making it for years — long before my blog, and it shows up countless times in my kitchen throughout the season.
It’s sweet, spicy and incredibly moist. I know, I know, moist is not my favorite word either, but there is really no way to adequately describe this Pumpkin Bread recipe without mentioning that word.
I have fed this bread to so many people and every one of them has declared that this recipe is the best Pumpkin Bread they have ever tasted.
This particular recipe gets better with time, so whip it up a day or so in advance before you plan on eating it or giving it away. The batter can be assembled in 20 minutes and makes 2 loaves, perfect for freezing for later or sharing with a loved one.
What readers are saying
“This is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe. I make a crumb topping for it and it’s out of this world!…The only “change” I make is I use dark brown sugar and granulated sugar and I add some extra cinnamon. Awesome!” -Paula
“I am obsessed with this recipe…I love how it tastes, how easy it is to put together, how it doesn’t take all the butter in my house to make, and also just how much everyone I share it with loves it.” -Molly
“This is my go to recipe for pumpkin bread. My family requests this every holiday, and all through the winter months. It’s so moist and taste delicious! I highly recommend.” –Laura
Jamie’s testing notes & tips
- This pumpkin bread does take about an hour to bake, but you can easily whip the batter up while your oven is preheating. You can use an electric mixer, but I often skip it and just use a whisk and spatula instead.
- This recipe is the perfect base for your family’s favorite mix-ins. We make it as written multiple times each year, but also love adding everything from chocolate chips to a streusel topping. Scroll down to “recipe variations” for some of our favorites.
- Enjoy this bread plain or toasted, add a spread of butter or cream cheese, or get a little adventurous and fry it up in a pan and make Pumpkin Bread French Toast! You can even use it to make pumpkin trifle for Thanksgiving.
A note from Jamie
2026 update: I’ve been making this pumpkin bread recipe since before I even started blogging, but I first shared the recipe here in 2011. It has been a seasonal favorite every year since. I have updated the post and photos over time to include more helpful tips and tricks, but the recipe itself remains the same. I know you’re gonna love it!
Ingredient notes
⬇️ For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below!
- Pure pumpkin puree: Make sure to buy pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin pie filling is not the same thing; it has a bunch of added ingredients that we don’t need in our Pumpkin Bread.
- Large eggs: These help bind the bread, add moisture, and provide a lot of leavening power to help the loaves rise.
- Vegetable oil: Just like when we make carrot cake, oil is key to keeping the bread moist. This is because it is liquid at room temperature. If you don’t like vegetable oil, you can use any neutral-flavored oil you prefer.
- Water: Adds extra moisture to the batter without throwing off the flavor.
- Vanilla: Extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Granulated sugar: For just the right amount of sweetness in the bread.
- All-purpose flour: Make sure you know how to correctly measure flour before you start baking so your pumpkin bread turns out perfect every time.
- Baking soda: For leavening.
- Kosher salt: To round out the flavors. I have also used fine sea salt with success.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This mix contains all of the warm spices that complement the pumpkin. I like to make my homemade pumpkin pie spice, but a store-bought mix will work just fine.
While you’re at the store, grab a few extra cans because I can guarantee you’ll want to use them in Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Crunch Cake, and more.
Storage and freezing
Wrap the cooled loaves of pumpkin bread tightly in foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you’d like to freeze the bread, you can either freeze it whole or as individual slices.
To freeze the whole loaves, wrap the bread well in plastic wrap and then wrap them tightly in heavy-duty foil. To freeze slices, cut nice, thick slices and wrap them each in plastic wrap. Pop them in a zip-top freezer bag.
Freeze the bread for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, take the whole loaves out of the freezer and let them thaw on the counter overnight, or grab as many slices as you like and microwave them for 30-60 seconds to thaw and warm them through.
Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (2) 8.5 x 4 x 2.5 inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla and sugar until well blended. This can also be done by hand with a whisk if you do not have or do not wish to use an electric mixer.1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree, 4 large eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2/3 cup water, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until combined.3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Ingredients
- If you choose to use homemade pumpkin puree, keep in mind that the bread will not be as orange, since homemade puree is typically lighter in color than canned pumpkin.
- If you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can use ground cinnamon instead.
Variations
- This bread is a fantastic base for all sorts of additions. Get creative by adding in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or whatever else sounds good to you.
Yield
- Makes (2) 8.5×4-inch loaves
Storage
- Store well wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe variations
This bread is perfect as it is, but it is also a great base for adding extra flavors! Some of my favorite variations that I’ve made over the years include:
- Add chocolate chips to make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. If you’re not into chocolate, chopped nuts or dried cranberries also make great add-ins.
- Make a cream cheese filling to create Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread.
- Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze adds a sweet streusel and a seasonal glaze to this already great recipe.
- Swap the oil for brown butter to make Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread.
- Divide the batter into muffin tins and add some pumpkin seeds on top for delicious Pumpkin Muffins!
Forget that canned pumpkin. Nothing beats fresh pumpkin. I slice it into big chunks and cook it over steam until it is tender. Let the slices cool off and peel the tender pulp away.
Just cook it shortly with a little juice from the steaming and you can use a hand beater to puree it. Delicious. i portion it off for breads and soups.
I googled pumpkin bread today and came upon your website. The recipe turned out great and my girls loved it! I did add some mini chocolate chips I had in the pantry, but it would have been great even without them! Thanks so much for sharing. I will definitely be making this again.
Jen-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
This recipe looks great! Going to try it tonight!
Thanks
Just made 4 loaves for coworkers to give as Thanksgiving gifts!!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!!
Erin
rtkce.wordpress.com
Erin-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback – have a fantastic day!
-Jamie
I haven’t tried the recipe yet. However, I’m wondering how much sugar I can reduce, or what I can use instead of sugar ? Any ideas? This looks like a great recipe that I’m excited to try, but I have to be careful on the sugar.
Tracy-
I have never tried reducing the sugar in the recipe, but from what I have read you can attempt to start reducing the sugar by one fourth. You can also try replacing white suagr with a smaller amount of light brown sugar, which has a much sweeter taste. Good luck!
-Jamie
I made this tonight and it was great!
I never never have good luck baking quick breads in loaf pans: it gets too done on the ends in order for the middle to not be raw . So instead of a loaf pan, I poured the batter into a fluted bundt pan-It came out beautifully done
And easy to slice !
Thanks for a great recipe I will use from now on
Kristen-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
LOVED this recipe! I actually made it as muffins with the assistance of my three-year-old son, using the pumpkin purée we made from roasting pumpkins too! You can see us following your recipe on my blog here:
http://lostandfarm.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/pumpkin-bread-muffins/
Thank you for sharing this gem. We has breakfast for dinner today just to have an excuse to eat more pumpkin bread muffins!
How much chocolate chips do you think you should add? Has anyone tried it?
Made this last week end, plan on making more for Thanksgiving. Could I use some eggnog in place of some of the water to give it a touch of eggnog flavor?
Colette-
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. I have never tried using eggnog in place of the water, but it sounds interesting. Stop back and let me know how it turns out! Have a great day!
-Jamie
If you really like this recipe then can it. Yes, its almost exact to the one that I got out of a canning book some 26 years ago. You grease your wide mouth jars fill them half way with the batter and then bake them. When they are done take them out one by one and wipe off the rims then put on the lid and ring and tighten. CAREFUL they’re hot! Then let sit on a towl on your counter until the lid ‘pops’ as it’s cooling down. Once cooled and sealed they will last for up to one year in your pantry. I added finely chopped pecans and white chocolate chips.
Take that out of the cupboard on a cold evening, slice it thick and toast it in the oven on broil. Add butter and a hot drink and you have instant dessert in 5 minutes.
P.S. if your using fresh pumpkin then don’t use the water.
Or cook your pumpkin down in the oven on very low like you would do Apple butter so that its not so watery.