This easy pumpkin bread recipe is moist, tender, and bursting with warm fall spices. Made with a whole can of pumpkin, this one-bowl pumpkin loaf is ready to go in the oven in just 10 minutes! With a rich pumpkin flavor and a perfectly soft crumb, it’s a must-bake for pumpkin lovers.
I pride myself on being an expert on all things pumpkin. After lots of delicious taste tests over the years, all of my family and friends agree that this really is the best pumpkin bread recipe they’ve ever tried!
Using one whole can of pumpkin, this bread is super soft, moist, and packed with pumpkin flavor. With classic pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, it also has tons of cozy fall flavor.
Thankfully, it’s an easy pumpkin bread recipe that comes together in just 10 minutes, with no mixer required. Served warm with butter, room temperature, or even chilled, it’s insanely delicious all three ways. Plus, it travels easily and stays delicious for days, making it a great homemade gift.
“I have made many loaves of this pumpkin bread recipe for my family and it always turns out perfect! Plus, it couldn’t be any easier to make. It is super dense and moist, just like we like it. I sometimes add chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, or even chocolate chips or dried cranberries… but it really is perfect just as it is!” — Maria, abuela of six that loves from-scratch recipes.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for this easy pumpkin bread recipe. Visit the printable recipe card below for the full ingredient list and amounts.
- Flour: I used regular all-purpose flour. Make sure to fluff the flour, then measure it by spooning it into a measuring cup. Don’t dip the cup straight into a packed bag of flour – that results in using too much flour and will create an overly dense bread.
- Pumpkin: I use a 15 oz can of pumpkin. Make sure it is pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which is already sweetened and spiced.
- Sugar: This recipe uses both granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds caramel notes and moisture, but can be swapped for all granulated sugar if that is all you have on hand.
- Vegetable Oil: You can use any neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil, or coconut oil is a great alternative. You can use melted and slightly cooled butter, if you prefer, but your pumpkin bread will not be as moist.
- Pumpkin Spice: To make your own, combine 4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp allspice. If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, you can also use just cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg instead!
- Baking Soda: Since there’s enough acidity in the recipe to fully activate the baking soda, there’s no need for baking powder. Using baking powder could actually lead to too much leavening and a bitter aftertaste.
Want to save this recipe?
Email this recipe to yourself for easy access later!
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
I love a quick bread recipe that’s super simple to make like this easy pumpkin bread recipe. Just whisk the batter together and into the oven it goes! Below is a quick recipe overview and some helpful tips for success. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full instructions.
For the best results with this pumpkin bread, be careful not to over-mix the batter. Stir just until the lumps are gone as over-mixing can lead to a dense or tough texture.
To prevent sticking, grease your loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides. This makes it super easy to lift the bread out after baking.
Because this is a very moist and dense loaf, the center takes longer to cook than the edges. To keep the top from over-browning, loosely cover it with foil halfway through baking.
Start checking the bread around the 55-minute mark, but don’t be surprised if it takes closer to 70 minutes. Every oven is different, and this bread is thick!
Because the loaf is dense and moist, a toothpick might not reach deep enough. Use a long wooden skewer or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf. When it comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs, it’s done.
While it’s tempting to slice into the warm loaf, try to resist! Cooling allows the bread to finish setting and makes slicing easier without the bread crumbling.
See What Our Readers Are Saying
Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice, or cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (see below)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Want to save this recipe?
Email this recipe to yourself for easy access later!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper (where it hangs over the edges) for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In large bowl, whisk to combine the pumpkin, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Around the 30 minute mark, lightly cover the top of the bread with foil, to make sure the top does not overly brown.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the baking pan, then remove the bread from the pan by lifting up the sides of the parchment paper. Slice and serve warm, or allow bread to cool completely before storing.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Categories:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and if you sprinkle pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on top before baking, it becomes a fantastic copycat of Starbucks’ pumpkin loaf. Except it’s moister, fresher, and more affordable. Plus, you’ll get a whole loaf for the price of one slice at the coffee shop!
Absolutely! Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or walnuts for added flavor and texture. Pumpkin chocolate chip bread is always a favorite in our house, as well as this pumpkin cranberry bread!
Yes! This batter works beautifully for pumpkin muffins. Just scoop it into a standard muffin tin and bake at the same temperature for about 18 minutes. You can even top them with a cinnamon streusel crumb for pumpkin streusel muffins.
Definitely, my pumpkin cream cheese muffins are one of my most popular every year! Swirling in a sweetened cream cheese mixture creates a gorgeous and delicious pumpkin cream cheese bread. It adds a rich, tangy contrast that pairs perfectly with the warm spices.
More Pumpkin Recipes To Try
Looking for more pumpkin recipes to celebrate fall? Here are a few more of our must-try favorites:
- You won’t be able to resist this stunning layered pumpkin cake!
- This pumpkin cobbler with caramel and pecans is a show stopper.
- Try our easy pumpkin pancakes made with pancake mix.
- Soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are a must for fall!
- Pumpkin oatmeal muffins have the perfect chewy texture.
- These pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are a reader favorite.
- Looking for a no-bake dessert? Try this easy pumpkin dip!
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
After trying 6 recipes, this pumpkin bread recipe beat the others hands down. It was easy to prepare, and came out of the oven exactly at times given. I used a glass loaf pan at 375. Definitely cover half way through cooking. This pumpkin bread is now a fam favorite!
Hi Kristi! So glad to hear you love it as much as we do! 😉
Easy! Delicious! No matter what dish I bake it in it always needs more time but It’s my ALL TIME favorite FALL recipe.
I added a bag of the Heath toffee chips. Divine!
I have made this several times, turns out lovely. As other have mentioned, I do have to cook it quite a bit longer than the recipe states but that’s just fine 🙂
So far I have been cooking it an extra 24 mins and it isn’t done. I think where I’ve messed up is I forgot to foil it until the last 13 mins I added out of the 24, which fixed it
Wonderful flavor, easy, moist and Delicious!!
Excellent! Different from other Pumpkin Breads I make. Dense & delicious!
Made three mini loaves. Cooked uncovered 20 mins then covered 20 mins.
Came out perfect!
No troubles as others have stating uncooked.
Love this recipe!!
I made this today it’s delicious. I doubled the recipe and added a cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and o my goodness it’s great. I will be making this again my husband loved it too
Ohh, I’ll have to try the maple syrup addition with my next batch! Glad you enjoyed it Christa!
I halved this recipe in order to use seven grams of leftover pumpkin puree. I added half a mashed banana to the wet ingredients (to make up for the missing pumpkin puree), decreased the white sugar by twenty grams, and it made three mini loaves that were delicious, moist, and perfect for fall! I also sprinkled chopped almonds and dark chocolate chips on top, thinking that they would sink down into the bread, but they stayed on top and made the loaves look festive!
I’m just wondering could you make this in a bundt pan?
Sure! To fill a standard sized bundt pan though you will likely need to make a double batch. Or at least one and a half batches. It will also take longer to bake, so make sure to cover the top with foil!
Used this recipe today. I tweaked a couple of things. It turned out amazing! You must try it!!! Super easy and delish!!
This was delicious. My husban, who normally doesn’t care for pumpkin, loved this.
I made 8 mini loaves and cooked it for 30 minutes. I covered it with foil for 20 minutes. They turned out perfect and tasted delicious.
Thank you for the recipe.
Easy and best pumpkin bread. I reduced the sugar by 1/4 c and greased my loaf pan without using parchment paper and it doesn’t stick.
Baked this for Thanksgiving. It did take longer (15 mins) in the oven to get done but it was definitely the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever tasted. Even my brother who never cared for pumpkin bread put in a request for me to always have this every Thanksgiving –that says a lot for the flavor. This is a keeper.
Really good! I used butter instead of oil and it came out so delicious! Thank you for the recipe
Wow! SO good! Dense and moist! Just FYI— I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I also used organic, unbleached flour and organic cane sugar. Probably the BEST pumpkin bread I’ve ever made (and tasted)! Perfect! Thank you!
Better than Starbucks
Turned out great even though I screwed up! First time I made it I completely forgot to add the oil. Didn’t realize it until already in the oven. To my surprise it turned out perfect! Still very nice and moist. Got rave reviews from my husband and his friend. Second time I made it I purposely left out the oil. Rave reviews from friends. So I honestly don’t know what the purpose of the oil is, but I’ll continue to omit it. Only other changes I made was to use cinnamon and add raisins. I baked as three smaller loaves for about 45-50 mins. Best pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever tried!
This is the best recipe!!! My cooking time is more like 1 1/2 hours no problem just continue to check every 10 minutes. Thanks
This was a hit! My family and friends loved it so much that I definitely need to make it at our thanksgiving dinner party celebration, it was so deliciously tasty and moist! I wouldn’t change a thing
Thank you so much for sharing!❤️
I doubled the recipe and substituted butter for the oil…. Amazing!!!
Is it a 1/2 cup for oil or melted butter? I like that I can use butter as I don’t usually have veg oil on hand!
Yes, you can use 1/2 cup melted butter instead!