Pumpkin Bread

If you love pumpkin, you HAVE to try this easy pumpkin bread recipe! Moist, warmly spiced, and filled with pumpkin flavor, it's the perfect fall treat.

Pumpkin Bread

Once I tried this pumpkin bread recipe, I finally understood what all the fall pumpkin hype was about. To be honest, I didn’t get it for a long time. Why go crazy for pumpkin when apples, sweet potatoes, and hundreds of amazing types of squash (spaghetti, delicata, acorn, and butternut, to name a few) are in peak season too? Enter: this pumpkin bread recipe. Super moist, warmly spiced, and filled with delicious pumpkin flavor, it totally won me over to team pumpkin.

I typically crave pumpkin bread at two times of day: in the morning for breakfast or in the afternoon with a coffee or tea. Because I wanted this recipe to be one I could feel good about enjoying first thing in the morning, I made it on the healthy side. Honestly, it’s the best pumpkin bread I’ve had! It’s lightly sweet, so the bold, spiced flavors really shine through. And though it’s wonderfully moist, it’s not too rich, so I have no problem polishing off a generous slice (or two). If pumpkin season means having this recipe on repeat for a while, I’m 100% on board.

Pumpkin bread recipe ingredients

Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy pumpkin bread recipe:

  • Pumpkin, of course! My loaf uses a full cup of pumpkin puree, which gives it the perfect moist texture and adds delicious pumpkin flavor.
  • All-purpose flour and whole wheat flour Spoon and level them to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
  • Vegetable oil – For moisture and richness. Another neutral oil, such as avocado or canola oil, would work here too!
  • Almond milk – Or whatever type of milk you keep on hand. Regular milk and my homemade oat milk are both great choices.
  • Baking powder, baking soda, and eggs – They help the loaf puff up as it bakes.
  • Cane sugar – For sweetness.
  • Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice – For warm, cozy fall flavor.
  • Vanilla extract – It enhances the spices’ warm flavor.
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Hand pouring almond milk into bowl of wet ingredients for pumpkin bread recipe

How to Make Pumpkin Bread

This pumpkin bread recipe is so easy to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the batter. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another.

Hand whisking wet ingredients in a mixing bowl

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix, or the pumpkin bread will be dense.

Adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mixing bowl

Then, bake. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Hand using spatula to stir batter for healthy pumpkin bread recipe

Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Finally, enjoy! Devour a slice plain, or slather it with butter, honey butter, or almond butter. Leftover pumpkin bread will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, wrap slices in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the slices to thaw at room temperature, or unwrap and defrost them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Pouring pumpkin bread batter into loaf pan

Pumpkin Bread Recipe Variations

Do you like nuts, fruit, or chocolate in your pumpkin bread? Feel free to adapt this recipe to suit your tastes. Here are a few fun ways to change it up:

  • Add some crunch. Stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite chopped nuts, and sprinkle some on top. Chopped pecans or walnuts would be especially good!
  • Make it fruity. Fold 1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, raisins, or chopped dates into the batter.
  • Go the chocolate route. Fold 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips into the batter. Scatter more on top for good measure!
  • Swap the spices. I love the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in this pumpkin bread recipe, but other warming spices would be wonderful here too. Substitute ground cloves for the allspice, add a dash of ground ginger, or replace the individual spices with a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice!
  • Frost it. Craving a more decadent treat? Slather this loaf with my tangy cream cheese frosting!
  • Make it vegan. Substitute 4 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons warm water for the eggs. This version isn’t quite as puffy, but it’s still delicious.

Let me know what variations you try!

And if you have pumpkin puree leftover, use it to make pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin waffles, or a pumpkin spice latte!

Pumpkin bread recipe

More Favorite Easy Baking Recipes

If you love this homemade pumpkin bread, try one of these easy baking recipes next:

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Pumpkin Bread

rate this recipe:
4.94 from 163 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Serves 8
The BEST pumpkin bread recipe! A delicious fall treat, it's super moist and warmly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, almond milk, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Notes

*Alternatively, replace both flours with whole wheat pastry flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill.
**Make this recipe vegan: In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until thickened, and use in place of the eggs.

 

226 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Rinell Clow
    02.12.2024

    Can this be made into muffins instead?

  2. Shannon
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    I don’t pride myself on my baking skills, but this recipe is very simple to follow and turned out delicious exactly as written. I will definitely be making again and may experiment next time with increasing the spices for a bolder flavor and/or adding chopped walnuts or pecans for more texture.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Shannon, I’m glad you loved making it!

  3. Ashley
    12.22.2023

    Sounds delicious.

    Question: how can this be modified for a mini loaf pan (5×3)? Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.22.2023

      Hi Ashley, it should work if you half the recipe (or make 2 minis). They’ll bake for a shorter time, so I’d just start checking early.

  4. Maria Myers
    12.14.2023

    5 stars
    I made this exactly as posted. It is delicious! I would love to have the nutritional information.

  5. 1Crmlhny
    12.12.2023

    4 stars
    Delious! Easy and quick to make. I used cloves instead of allspice. Loved it!

    • 1Crmlhny
      12.12.2023

      Oops! Meant to give 5 stars. I also added cinnamon sugar and pecans on top!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        12.13.2023

        I’m so glad you loved it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.