Spiced Pumpkin Bread
This spiced pumpkin bread is fall in a loaf pan. Moist, tender crumb, deep pumpkin flavor, and a warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves — with a crackly, lightly sugared top that gives way to a soft, fragrant interior. It takes ten minutes to mix, bakes while the house fills with the smell of the holidays, and slices beautifully for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or the Thanksgiving dessert table.
The secret is using real pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced), measuring the spices generously, and not overmixing the batter — a few streaks of flour are fine and keep the crumb tender.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 60 minutes Servings: 10 slices
What You’ll Need
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Wire cooling rack
For accurate baking, see our best kitchen scales for baking guide — weighing the flour is the surest way to a tender, never-dry loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then whisk in the milk and vanilla.
- Combine — don’t overmix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until no dry flour remains. A few small lumps are fine; overmixing makes the bread tough.
- Pan and top. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using — it bakes into a lightly crackly crust.
- Bake. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool before slicing. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour, before slicing. Cutting while warm is tempting, but the crumb needs time to set.
Tips for the Best Spiced Pumpkin Bread
- Use pumpkin purée, not pie filling. Canned pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced, which throws off the balance of this recipe. Plain pumpkin purée gives you full control of the sugar and spice.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and turns a tender loaf dense and tough.
- Weigh the flour if you can. A cup of flour can vary by 30 grams depending on how it’s scooped, and too much flour is the most common cause of dry pumpkin bread. Weighing is the surest fix.
- It keeps and freezes well. Wrapped tightly, the loaf keeps 3 days at room temperature or a week in the fridge, and slices freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.
Moist, warmly spiced, and smelling like the holidays — this spiced pumpkin bread is the loaf to bake all fall long.
