Autumn Pumpkin Bread My Go-To Recipe

My long-time recipe for pumpkin bread, almost elegant in its very simplicity. The crumb is firm and moist, spiked with autumn spices and studded with seasonal nuts. Make Autumn Pumpkin Bread in traditional loaves for slicing – or use the same batter to make Pumpkin Bread Muffins!

Fresh & Seasonal, a Fall Classic. Budget-Friendly. Rave Reviews.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

Back to Baking in the Fall ...

When the weather cools down, it’s somehow automatic to crank up the oven. During hot summer days, baking is like a too-rich dessert, a treat to be consumed sparingly. But during cool autumns and down-right cold winters, a hot oven warms both house and belly.

This pumpkin bread is a long-time favorite, it goes back to the days when I had my very first kitchen. It makes up in just a few minutes, a real “quick loaf”.

Just plain and by itself, Autumn Pumpkin Bread is moist and full of spices. If there's any left after a couple of days, fry half slices in butter, it makes excellent Fry Bread. I've also made little pumpkin bread sandwiches with a smear of cream cheese or a smear of cream cheese mixed with marmalade. So good!

Two Loaves ... or Easily Halved ... or One Loaf + Some Muffins ... or ...

The recipe makes two large traditional loaves. One for a neighbor? One for the freezer? That's been my practice for many years.

But on a recent whim, I made muffins from half the batter. The result? Moist, pumpkin-flavored muffins, perfect for fall. I call them "Pumpkin Bread Muffins"!

(And hey, call me thrilled whenever a favorite recipe adapts easily. Isn't that half the definition of a favorite recipe?!)

To convert to muffins, the recipe needed no changes. I did sprinkle the unbaked muffins with a touch of raw sugar. This is such a simple technique for creating sweet, crisp, almost glittery crusts for muffins. Try it on your own muffin recipes! And hmm, I'm thinking it would be a nice touch on top of the traditional loaves of pumpkin bread, too.

Pumpkin Bread Muffins are slightly sweeter than my ever-so-adaptable Perfect Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins. But they're still muffins, not even as close to sweet as pumpkin cupcakes, say.

COMPLIMENTS!

• "Wow, this bread was awesome!" ~ viktorja

---

---

AUTUMN PUMPKIN BREAD

Makes: 2 loaves (12 slices each) or 1 loaf and 6 muffins or easily cut recipe in half for one loaf
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time-to-table: 90 minutes

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup (150g) white sugar
• 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 16 ounces (2 cups) canned 100% pumpkin purée

• 3-1/2 cups flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring or 438g
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 1-1/2 cups pecans, chopped (optional)

Heat oven to 350F/175C. Spray two 9x5 loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine the oil, buttermilk and sugars and beat until smooth and well aerated. Add the eggs and pumpkin; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Separately, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda. Add to the pumpkin mixture and combine until just blended. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the pecans. Pour evenly into two loaf pans.

Bake 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into center is removed cleanly. Remove from the oven, but let cool for five to ten minutes before removing from the pans and continuing to cool.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS Best on the first day but does keep well for several days. Do refrigerate the loaves if not eaten on the first day. Loaves of Autumn Pumpkin Bread freeze beautifully.

ALANNA's TIPS Substitute up to half the flour with whole wheat flour. The "crumb" will change to a heavier, more substantial bread, versus the almost cake-like crumb with all-purpose flour. I've also used 100% whole wheat pastry flour, it's expensive flour but turns out nearly as light as with all-purpose flour. When I make Light 'n' Fluffy Whole-Grain Bread, I use the leftover pumpkin to make a loaf of Autumn Pumpkin Bread. There's no missing the 1/3 cup used in the yeast bread. While this pumpkin loaf is delicious made with cinnamon and nutmeg from the grocery store, I’ve become partial to a product called "cake spice" from Penzeys, the Wisconsin spice people. Cake spice is a blend of China cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves. When a recipe calls for cinnamon or nutmeg, I substitute cake spice in the same amounts. Cake spice’s flavor is somehow a little sweeter, a little brighter – and gets raves. Get a catalog or place an order by calling 1-800-741-7787 or visiting www.penzeys.com.

FOR PUMPKIN BREAD MUFFINS Just scoop some batter into well-sprayed muffin tins, about half the batter makes six generous regular-size muffins. For crisp tops, sprinkle the tops with raw sugar before baking. Bake for about 25 minutes, cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins.

MORE PLAYING AROUND I've substituted eggnog for buttermilk, just be sure to add extra leavening, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Black walnuts are an excellent substitution for pecans! For Christmas, throw in a dried cranberries, chopped in the food processor to distribute fewer cranberries more evenly.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Slice, assumes 12 per loaf (with/without nuts): 179/231 Calories; 5/11g Tot Fat; 1/2g Sat Fat; 36mg Cholesterol; 221mg Sodium; 29/30g Carb; 1/2g Fiber; 14g Sugar; 4g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 5 & PointsPlus 6 & SmartPoints 9 & Freestyle 8 & myWW green 8 & blue 8 & purple 8 This recipe has been "Alanna-sized". Just FYI, years ago, I lowered the calories in Autumn Pumpkin Bread by substituting buttermilk for part of the vegetable oil, I even did a side-by-side taste test. Zero difference. You can also reduce calories by eliminating the pecans. That said? Nuts do provide a welcome crunch to a fairly dense loaf.

---

In a Baking Mood? More Quick Breads!

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more homemade bread recipes ~

~ more quick bread recipes ~

---

Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ buttermilk ~
~ pumpkin ~
~ nuts ~
~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

---

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

---

© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2002, 2007, 2015, 2016 & 2020