The Best Pumpkin Bread
I’ve been making this pumpkin bread for easily 10 years, and it is still the recipe I come back to every fall.
The original recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, and honestly, it’s just about perfect. It makes one big, beautiful loaf that is incredibly soft and moist inside, with a crisp cinnamon-sugar top that may be my favorite part. And it uses the entire can of pumpkin — which means no little container of leftover pumpkin sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be forgotten.
Over the years, I’ve made one small change: instead of using all oil or all butter, I use half of each. The oil keeps the loaf wonderfully moist, while the butter gives it a little extra richness and flavor. If you need the loaf to be dairy-free, simply use all neutral oil. It is delicious that way too.
I’ve also made this pumpkin bread gluten-free many times using King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. It works beautifully as a one-for-one replacement. The key is to let the finished batter rest for 30 minutes before baking. That gives the gluten-free flour time to fully hydrate and helps eliminate any grittiness.
This is a very large loaf, and it will take more than an hour to bake. Don’t rush it. Check the center and several other spots with a toothpick or cake tester before pulling it from the oven — pockets of underbaked batter can hide beneath that tall, craggy top.
Serve it as it is, add a swipe of salted butter, or pour yourself a cup of coffee and call it breakfast. It’s simple, dependable, and one of the very best things to bake when pumpkin season arrives.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Pumpkin Bread.
Pumpkin Bread
Yield: 1 large loaf
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus a 30-minute rest if making gluten-free
Bake time: 65–75 minutes, sometimes a little longer
Oven: 350°F
Ingredients
For the pumpkin bread
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, about 1¾ cups (not pumpkin pie filling)
¼ cup neutral oil, such as avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3 large eggs
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heaping ¼ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 pinches ground cloves
OR — drop the cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger/clove for 2 teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice (my favorite is from Trader Joe’s)
2¼ cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour
For the cinnamon-sugar topping
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a large 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick baking spray. This recipe makes a tall loaf, so use a roomy pan. If your pan is smaller, reserve a little batter and bake it separately as one or two muffins.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, melted butter, eggs, and granulated sugar until smooth and fully combined.
Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Whisk well so the leaveners and spices are thoroughly incorporated.
Add the flour and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
If using regular all-purpose flour, transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. If making the gluten-free version, let the batter rest in the bowl for 30 minutes before transferring it to the pan.
Stir together the topping sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle it evenly and generously over the batter.
Bake for 65–75 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking for even browning. Because this loaf is so large, it may need a little longer. Test it in several places, including the very center; a toothpick or cake tester should come out without wet batter. If the top is browning too quickly before the center is done, loosely tent the loaf with foil.
Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 10–15 minutes before carefully removing it. You can also let it cool completely in the pan, which helps more of the cinnamon-sugar topping stay attached. Cool before slicing for the cleanest slices.
Dairy-Free Option
Replace the melted butter with an additional ¼ cup neutral oil, using ½ cup oil total. Grease the pan with nonstick spray or additional oil.
Gluten-Free Option
Replace the all-purpose flour one-for-one with 2¼ cups King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. Once mixed, allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes before placing it in the pan and baking. This gives the flour time to hydrate and helps prevent a gritty texture.
Storage
Keep the loaf at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. To help preserve the crisp topping, store it in the loaf pan with the cut end covered while leaving the top loosely uncovered. The bread can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months; the top will soften slightly after thawing.
