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

Let the quick bread 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:
4.87 from 184 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.

 

279 comments

4.87 from 184 votes (122 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Stephanie
    10.21.2018

    How long should I cook the pumpkin bread if I make them cupcakes?

  2. Cyndi from momsinslippers.net
    09.16.2018

    Can coconut sugar be used?

    • Andrae
      10.10.2019

      I used coconut sugar last night and it turned out great!

  3. Sarah
    03.23.2017

    Yay! The bread came out amazing! I won’t make the same mistake again 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.23.2017

      oh yay! Do you know about how much more milk you added?

      • Sarah
        03.23.2017

        I added around 2-3 cups extra cups. I can’t believe the power of coconut flour! haha!

  4. Sarah
    03.23.2017

    This pumpkin bread looks amazing! Unfortunately, I didn’t read the comments and subbed a 1/2 cup of coconut flour. It was so dense so I ended up adding tons of milk. It’s currently in the oven, so I’ll just have to wait and see the end result.

  5. Irmy
    01.13.2016

    Could I use sweet potato flour? Also, could it be done in a bread machine?

    Looks so yummy!

    • jeanine
      01.14.2016

      I’ve never used sweet potato flour but I’m not sure it would be a 1:1 ratio. No, I would not use a bread machine – just bake it in a regular oven.

  6. KRISTINA from loveandlemons.com
    01.06.2016

    Can we use coconut flour instead of the spelt flour?

    • jeanine
      01.06.2016

      Hi Kristina, coconut flour is not a 1/1 swap – it soaks up a lot of moisture and would make this loaf really dense and dry. I would recommend searching for a recipe that specifically uses coconut flour rather than trying to sub it in here.

  7. Kimberly
    12.09.2015

    Do you have any recommendations for substitutions to make this gluten free (spelt, sadly, is not 🙁 ) as well? I’ve grown up on a recipe similar to this and would love it if I could make a version I could eat for the holidays! It looks delicious!

    • Tobius
      12.16.2015

      You can use gluten free flour, it works great…

  8. Kelley from vegetarianpdx.com
    11.02.2015

    Only half a cup of sugar! I think I can officially not feel bad about feeding my toddler a honking slice of this for a snack. (Not every day, but at least as long as the loaf lasts, which would probably not be long.)

  9. Jen
    11.02.2015

    Can regular flour be used in place of spelt?

    • jeanine
      11.02.2015

      yep, it can – or you can do a mix of white and wheat (I find spelt to be less dense than 100% whole wheat which is why I like to use it).

      • Jennifer Taschner-Blurton
        10.04.2019

        I only see whole wheat pastry flour in the recipe…where does it say spelt? Are the amounts the same?

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          10.04.2019

          Hi Jennifer, this post is an update to an older recipe where I used to use spelt. I use whole wheat pastry flour now since it’s easier for most people to find. If you wanted to use spelt, it works exactly the same! Hope that helps!

  10. Pumpkin bread will forever be one of the best fall treats out there. Your guys’ looks sensational!

  11. Ash D from Www.romancingtheonion.com
    11.01.2015

    This looks moist and delish-spot on! Can’t wait to try it:)

  12. I’m still raving about all things pumpkin, and this vegan pumpkin bread is just perfect! I love that it looks so moist and very mouthwatering indeed!

  13. bella b from xoxobella.com
    11.01.2015

    I love using pumpkin and finding a vegan recipe is always good to have! You never know when you’ll have a vegan guest to serve!

    xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com

  14. Amanda
    11.01.2015

    5 stars
    This morning I thought, what can I make with my leftover purée? A minute later, I got your email!!! So I made the loaf and it was delicious! Thank you!

    • jeanine
      11.01.2015

      Hi Amanda, I’m glad you got the email right ontime :). So glad you liked it!

  15. Allyson from consideringtheradish.wordpress.com
    11.01.2015

    Yum. I actually managed to not overload on sweets this year, so I can eagerly anticipate baking this myself.

  16. This pumpkin bread looks so delicious!! Saw it on Instagram and I had to come take a closer look. 🙂

    • Amanda Cramer
      10.09.2020

      Looks so delicious! Thanks!?
      Is there a way to make this gluten free? Do you think the Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free flour would work?

  17. This loaf looks beautiful! I will have to try this very soon. For some reason I’ve been all about the pumpkin this season!

    • Georgia
      12.28.2020

      Hi Jeanie,

      Absolutely love your blog and made many foods from your blog for Christmas lunch.

      Interested in doing this one, however I only have buckwheat flour. Would that work as a 1:1 ratio?

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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.