Pumpkin Bread

pumpkin bread in window
I love pumpkin bread and muffins any time of the year, particularly with chocolate chips in it and while sipping a cup of dark coffee, but pumpkin bread seems particularly appropriate this time of year.

This is a recipe for your standard pumpkin quick bread; yeasted pumpkin breads are rare, though not unheard of. Fresh pumpkin can be be used, though I usually take the easy way out and just use canned pumpkin puree. Whole wheat flour can also be substituted for some or all of the all-purpose flour for a change of pace.

Because the moisture content of the pumpkin can vary, as it can in the flour, the recipe recommends between 3 and 4 cups of flour. I used about 3 1/2 cups, but don't be afraid to trust your gut and adjust according to conditions.

Pumpkin Bread
Makes approximately 12 muffins, 3 small loaves, or 1 large loaf
1 3/4 cup (1 15 oz. can) pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 eggs
3-4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, and eggs and mix until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except the nuts or chocolate chips. Mix 3 cups of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then add as much of the 4th cup as necessary to achieve the proper consistency (moist, but thick enough to stand a spoon in). Add the nuts or chocolate chips and stir in.

Pour or spoon the batter into greased muffin tins or bread pans. Bake on the center rack until a toothpick poked into the center comes out dry. At sea level, muffins should take between 20 and 25 minutes to bake, small loaves between 25 and 30 minutes, and full sized loaves between 50 minutes and 1 hour.

pumpkin bread on cutting board
Autumn is here!

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Submitted by MrsRoc on October 12, 2005 - 8:02pm.

YUM!

I had tried another pumkin bread recipe last night and the result was gummy and just plain yucky. So I tired this one and was so excited that I got a light, fluffy, and delicious bread! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!

Submitted by Erithid on October 28, 2005 - 7:44am.

This recipe was excellent!

Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. It was wonderful. Light, fluffy, and delicious. ~Erithid

Submitted by pompeii on September 6, 2007 - 5:05am.

how big of a container do

how big of a container do you need to bake the large loaf - how about the small ones?

Submitted by tmfun on November 11, 2009 - 12:02pm.

How big?

I used two standard Le Cruset bread pans/dishes. Came out perfect.

Submitted by maggie21 on February 12, 2008 - 4:55pm.

Anyone know why my wheat bread flopped?

I always make home made bread for some reason today my wheat bread just flopped/

Submitted by EmmaRebecca on September 14, 2008 - 11:45am.

Mix the butter and Brown Sugar first

It is important to cream the butter and brown sugar before adding the pumpkin and eggs. Otherwise the butter won't cream.

Submitted by rainb on October 18, 2008 - 4:21pm.

gluten-soy-dairy-egg free

Thank you for this recipe. It is wonderful even in the gluten-soy-dairy-egg free variant I had to make due to my own dietary restrictions.

For those trying this recipe with a non-gluten based flour concoction or without eggs, I recommend adding a little xanthum gum to your flour mix, or your bread will be rather crumbly.

For those making this without eggs, I plan to add extra pumpkin next time (perhaps about 1/2 cup extra), as the lack of eggs does dry it out a little.

---
www.rainbreaw.com

Submitted by Magrat on November 25, 2008 - 3:13pm.

I have a recipe I use that is

I have a recipe I use that is similar, but I add butterscotch chips instead. Oh so yummi! I used to get cinnamon chips, but I can never find them in the store. Those were the best in oatmeal cookies.

Submitted by DT on December 3, 2008 - 6:09am.

These were wonderful~

I made these last night and used 2 1/2 cups of unbleaced flour and 1 cup of white whole wheat flour. My kids loved them so much they asked for one for breakfast and one in their lunch!

Submitted by deedle on January 5, 2009 - 7:38pm.

muffins are baking right now,

muffins are baking right now, and they smell delicious! I started by creaming the butter with the sugar, then incorporating eggs, then pumpkin, then spices (I added 1/8 teaspoon finely ground telicherry black pepper, to add an allspicey, nutmeggy, peppery flavor) and salt. soaked 1.5 cups raisins in hot water, then drained thoroughly. added the flour to the mixture and folded in, then added raisins and finally the baking powder. scooped it out into 12 lined muffin tin cups and looks like it will take approx 25 minutes. the mixture is light and the raw batter (salmonella? ha! I *spit* in the direction of salmonella) tasted heavenly -- like a kid, I licked the spatula, spoon and bowl. and I will find room for a muffin as well; will bring the rest in to work tomorrow.

thanks for this excellent recipe!

Submitted by ema2two on January 6, 2009 - 5:59am.

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread

FWIW, In Maggie Glezer's Blessing of Bread there is a yeasted Pumpkin bread, which has some origin's in the Spanish-Jewish (Sephardic) tradition. I haven't made it, yet, but it's on my list. It looks beautiful in her book (but then again, I think all the breads in that book look beautiful).

Submitted by zombo09 on July 8, 2009 - 10:00pm.

Yummy, pumpkin bread is right

Yummy, pumpkin bread is right after banana bread for me!

Submitted by 4shveden on July 14, 2009 - 9:58am.

HI

The best recipes only on this site, thanks

Submitted by maxfresh on August 25, 2009 - 9:56am.

Found another favorite one...

My favorite pumpkin bread recipe has been from 123recipes.com. But hey this one is also pretty good. I liked the idea of chocolate chips and it came out nice. Thanks.

Submitted by AW on October 3, 2009 - 9:32pm.

Try one from Williams-Sonoma's book too

This looks great. I make one from Williams-Sonoma's book, which incorporates walnut oil. I love it because it has incredible flavor depth and the fat content is lower. I only use half the amount of walnut oil, replacing the other half with canola oil.

Submitted by bwarminsky on October 8, 2009 - 1:03pm.

DELISH!

so i just made these, and it was a bit of an experiment by accident - thought i had pureed pumpkin in the cabinet, but after i opened it up and mixed it in i realized it was pumpkin pie mix. also i misread the recipe and used 1/2 stick butter by accident rather than a whole one, but the muffins still turned out REALLY good. i used 3 cups of whole wheat and @ 1/2 cup of regular flour (ran out of whole wheat) i think next time i may use MINI choc chips though....i guess the real verdice on them will be from the hubby & kids. gotta wait till he comes home and they wake up from naps. thanks for the great recipe!!!

Submitted by Hollistermom on October 21, 2009 - 2:56pm.

White Chocolate Chips

I used white chocolate chips and with half the batch and pecans with the other half. I did a loaf with both nuts and chips and Oh My Gosh the bread ROCKED!!! Thanks

Submitted by metropical on October 27, 2009 - 7:57am.

spice &

I add a little more spice to mine and raisins, c chips and walnuts.

Gone in 60 secs

Submitted by Calista1 on October 27, 2009 - 7:01pm.

Absolutely the best

This is the best pumpkin bread I have ever eaten, and I'm picky. Even the batter was delicious. A millon thanks for sharing.

Submitted by turosdolci on October 28, 2009 - 7:59pm.

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe looks great. The brown sugar is always a problem for me because my husband is a diabetic. I have to use sugar subsitutes when I bake. I'm going to try it but will have to change the sugar. Most of the time it works out fine, but brown sugar is always a problem. I've sent the recipe on to a few people so maybe I'll get to take it according to this recipe. I have a great diet chocolate that we get here in Switzerland so this part is not a problem. Thanks for the recipe.

Patricia Turo