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Easy Pumpkin Bread
Whenever we have a company gathering, this pumpkin bread is one of the first things to disappear. Super-moist and packed with flavor, it can be made into a simple pumpkin loaf; or enhanced with chocolate chips and/or nuts. Or raisins. Or cinnamon chips. Or...
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, optional
- coarse white sugar for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans (if you're making the plain version of the bread); two 9" x 5" loaf pans (if you're adding chocolate chips and nuts); or one of each, if you're making one plain loaf, and one loaf with chips and nuts.
- In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring to combine.
- Mix in the chips and nuts, if you're using them. To make one loaf with chips/nuts, one loaf without, divide the batter in half. Leave one half plain, and add 3/4 cup chips and 1/2 cup nuts to the other half.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
- Bake the bread for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf doesn't encounter any totally unbaked batter.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving.
- Yield: 2 loaves.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 piece
- Servings Per Batch 16 per loaf
Amount Per Serving:
- Calories 240
- Calories from Fat 100
- Total Fat 12g
- Saturated Fat 2.5g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 25mg
- Sodium 125mg
- Total Carbohydrate 33g
- Dietary Fiber 1g
- Sugars 22g
- Protein 3g
* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.
Tips from our bakers
- Can you use your own homemade puréed pumpkin? Sure. Just be aware that it'll probably be thinner than canned pumpkin, so you'd want to add a bit more flour. Results may vary...
- Want to add a simple icing? Just before serving, drizzle with a mixture of 1 cup confectioners' or glazing sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 tablespoon milk.
- How about making gift loaves? This recipe makes eight 3" x 5" loaves, with the addition of the chips and nuts. Bake the loaves for about 45 to 60 minutes; start testing at 45 minutes, and remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the loaves comes out free of crumbs.
- Variation: substitute diced crystallized ginger (mini diced ginger), golden raisins, or dried cranberries for the chocolate chips and/or nuts.
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Reviews
I appreciate how flexible and reliable this recipe is. I've made it many times with various mix-ins such as dried cranberries, nuts, white or dark chocolate chips. I've also baked the dough in many sizes of pans, always with success. It really gets five stars, though, because I can make it gluten free and vegan for my friends with allergies and still have an irresistible product. KAF measure for measure flour is fantastic. I use aquafaba for the eggs and have even used coconut sugar instead of white, all with 100% success. Thanks, KAF, for a fantastic recipe.
Really easy to make and everything mixes in one bowl. Very moist and flavorful - I subbed 50g of dark rum for some of the water and added cinnamon and walnuts. It is on the sweet side for me - next time, I would reduce the sugar by up to 1/3 and I think it will be just as good.
Have made this numerous times. Delicious and always a hit (only once have I added chocolate chips and halved the amount recommended because seemed like too much)! I'd love to make in a bundt panhow would you modify the recipe? Will it all fit in one pan? How long to bake it for?Hi there, Sarah! This recipe should fit perfectly in a Bundt pan. We'd suggest baking it at 350°F for about 60 to 70 minutes. Happy baking! Morgan@KAF
While it was easy to make...I followed the directions to a T....it didn't taste like pumpkin bread but more like nutmeg bread. If I make it again I will add pumpkin spice instead of the nutmeg.
This is lovely. Rich and tender crumb, but still light. I substituted more pumpkin for the water on a weight basis and cut the sugar by about 100 grams.
Easy to make. I reduced sugar by half and it was still plenty sweet. Also used whole wheat for some of the flour. Did not use any water since I made my own pumpkin puree.
Love this recipe ! Introduced by my American fried at thanksgiving meal - ridiculously easy and easy to make modifications to chips / spices - I took into my work last week and they LOVED it - got another batch in the oven as I type this :)
Because of our guests, I needed recipes for Thanksgiving desserts without butter and wanted to make pumpkin bread. This one is okay but it is very crumbly when cut and doesn't have a lot of flavor. I used chocolate chips in it, which improved it, but I much prefer another recipe that uses butter.We're sorry this recipe didn't quite hit the mark for you! From the sound of it, your pumpkin bread may have had a bit too much flour in it, as it should result in a moist, flavorful loaf. The other possibility is that it was slightly overbaked. If you have a thermometer handy, it should bake until the center reaches 205°. This should result in a loaf that is just baked enough, without becoming crumbly or dry. Happy baking! Kat@KAF
Could I have one more star, please? This recipe is so easy and delicious. I used fresh pumpkin and rather than add flour, I cut water and it was perfect. I always thought I didn't like pumpkin but it's canned pumpkin I don't like. This recipe is a tad sweet so bear that in mind if you don't like it sweet, cut back the sugar. I added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon because we love it and I also added 1/2 cup each chopped dried cranberries and finely chopped candied ginger. I made 1 loaf and 24 mini muffins. The muffins were done in 20 minutes.
It's hard to believe something this easy to make, tastes sooooo good! I followed the recipe adding walnuts and used a heavy hand on some pumpkin spices. It smelled incredible while baking, and I couldn't wait to try it. It didn't disappoint! It rose to a nice dome, has a light fluffy texture, and taste like Thanksgiving. A bit on the sweet side for me, so I'm glad I didn't add the glaze. This will be perfect with cream cheese for breakfast or tea time. Thank You King Arthur!
