This Spiced Pumpkin Bread Recipe couldn’t be easier to make or more delicious to eat! All you need are two bowls, a loaf pan, and a spatula or whisk! No mixer is needed and very few dishes to clean up!
Making this PERFECT Pumpkin Bread Recipe
As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, there’s one flavor that has become synonymous with the fall season: pumpkin. Whether in the form of lattes, pies, or hearty stews, pumpkin is the ingredient that warms our hearts and fills our kitchens with the comforting aroma of autumn. One of the most beloved pumpkin recipes, and for a good reason, is spiced pumpkin bread.
This recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Bread is the perfect thing to take care of that craving! This bread is so simple to make, comes together in mere minutes, and stays fresh and moist at room temperature for several days! It even freezes beautifully so that you always have a home-baked treat on hand!
The History of Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin bread has a rich history in North America, with roots dating back to early colonial times. The Native Americans taught the European settlers how to cultivate and use pumpkins, and pumpkin bread was one of the delicious creations to emerge from this collaboration.
The original recipes often involved the combination of pumpkin, cornmeal, and various spices, which makes it a culinary reflection of the blending of Old World and New World ingredients. Over the years, this humble pumpkin bread has evolved into the delightful spiced pumpkin bread we know today.
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this Spiced Pumpkin Bread Recipe:
- A can of pumpkin puree – NOT pumpkin pie filling! You can also use homemade pumpkin puree.
- Granulated sugar or caster sugar
- Large Eggs
- Vegetable oil – you could also use coconut oil or melted butter (using butter may make a slightly drier loaf)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- A mixture of spices – I have used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves but feel free to change up the spices to suit your personal taste!
That’s it! Make sure to stock up on canned pumpkin at the store so that you can make this Spiced Pumpkin Bread Recipe any time you get a craving!
Use this Spiced Pumpkin Bread Recipe to make one Large Loaf or three Mini Loaves
This spiced pumpkin bread recipe is great whether you want to make a large 9×5 inch loaf or several smaller loaves. The only thing that you will have to adjust is the baking time.
If you use this recipe to make cupcakes, they should bake in about 20 minutes.
A true mini loaf normally measures about 2×3 inches and would bake in about 30 minutes.
Using the larger mini loaf pans that I use, the baking time will be about 40 minutes.
A large loaf will need much longer – probably 55 to 70 minutes!
All ovens are different! Get to know yours!
The reason that all of these times are approximate is that every oven is different. This will have a huge impact on how your bread and other baked goods are baked. It is important to get to know your oven and to use a thermometer to ensure that your oven heats properly.
Metal baking pans are preferable because they conduct heat better than glass. They also cool off faster after baking and provide more even browning. Also, glass is not as tolerant to high heat or temperature changes as metal and therefore is at risk of cracking under certain conditions.
Choosing metal pans for baking is the best choice. Which metal is best for baking this pumpkin bread recipe and other baked goods? Dark metal absorbs more heat and promotes the over-browning of baked goods. Light-colored metal pans, especially those with a shiny finish, bounce heat away. This promotes circulation of the heat and even baking and browning.
Making Mini Spiced Pumpkin Loaves
I love this MINI LOAF PAN for several reasons.
First, it isn’t a true MINI loaf pan. The loaves in this four-loaf pan are about 3×6 inches. These are smaller than a full-size loaf but they aren’t those little two-bite loaves that hold about the same amount of batter as a cupcake.
These sort-of mini-loaves are big enough to give you a few servings but not so small that you want to eat two (or three!).
Another reason that I love this mini-loaf pan is that it really is completely non-stick. I have four of them and use them every single week when I am baking for the Farmer’s Market. I have never once had any batter stick to them at all.
I use a parchment paper sling under each loaf. This is more to make it super easy to remove the loaves without squeezing them or denting them.
Using Metric Weights instead of Volume in Baking
You’ll notice that my recipes are written in metric weights. There is a converter if you are more comfortable with cups.
The reason for this is that measuring your ingredients in either grams or ounces is the best way to bake.
Now I know you may have learned to bake or cook using cups! But please just hear me out! When you measure with cups, the amount in that cup can and WILL be different depending on the person and the day the recipe is prepared!
Some people may pack more flour into a cup than others causing a very dry baked item. Others may aerate their flour more than others causing an item to not have enough structure.
Even the weather can affect volume measurements. Flour on a dry day will be lighter and more aerated than flour on a humid day. So even if the same person prepares the recipe, the results will be different.
How Do You Get Consistent Measurements?
The ONLY way to ensure consistency is to weigh your ingredients on a scale! There is a little bit of a learning curve when you begin baking with a scale. You won’t remember how much a cup of flour or a cup of sugar weighs right away. But you can print a cheat sheet and keep it in your kitchen until you get them down pat!
This is the scale that I use daily. It is also the only scale that is used at Kitchen Conservatory where I teach classes. So it is trusted by chefs!
Spiced pumpkin bread is not just a seasonal treat; it’s a slice of comfort and the delicious essence of fall. The blend of pumpkin and spices creates a symphony of flavors that warms your soul on a cool autumn day. So, this fall, embrace the tradition and make a batch of spiced pumpkin bread for yourself and your loved ones. Whether enjoyed with a cup of tea, a dollop of butter, or just as it is, you’re sure to fall in love with this seasonal classic.
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Other recipes to try:
Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Streusel Topping
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree NOT pie filling!
- 120 mL vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 330 grams granulated sugar
- 300 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Optional Mix-ins
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 5×9 loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans with baking spray and then line with parchment paper. I like to make 'slings' to make it easy to remove the bread from the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and lightly beaten eggs until smooth and incorporated.
- In another medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk or stir until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until just incorporated. I use a whisk which helps to keep the mixing to a minimum. Scoop the batter into prepared pan/s and spread out slightly.
- Bake a large loaf for 55 to 70 minutes or smaller loaves for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack until completely cool.
- Pumpkin bread keeps well at room temperature for several days when wrapped in cling film. To freeze, double wrap the bread and freeze for up to 3 months.