I have baked a lot of pumpkin flavored things in my 15 years of food blogging and I am here to tell you that the pumpkin bread recipe that I am sharing today might just take the number one spot. Once it cooled enough for me to slice off my favorite piece – that super crusty, right out of the oven end piece that’s only good the day you bake it – I think I said “oh my god’ out loud to no one. And while I thought this pumpkin bread was delicious the night I baked it – it was next level the next day. Promise me you’ll bake this recipe!
BEST EVER PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE
I tried another very popular pumpkin bread recipe a few weeks before baking this and found it to be…just okay. This recipe absolutely blew that one out of the water. I couldn’t stop cutting off small slivers morning, noon and night. It’s a perfect breakfast, snack and dessert.
What makes this pumpkin bread recipe so magical?
- TEXTURE! It’s both dense in the best way and insanely moist.
- Stays fresh for days – even without warming it up!
- Olive oil is used as the oil/fat and the richness/flavor of it pairs so well with the pumpkin. Do not be scared of the olive oil!
- Spices and flavoring are where it’s at with pumpkin bread and this one uses fresh ginger instead of ground. GAME CHANGER!
- Just the right amount of sweetness that is perfectly complemented by the salty pepitas in the topping.
- It’s impressively tall, very pretty and great for gifting and sharing. I shared with a neighbor friend and my son’s preschool teachers.
PUMPKIN BREAD INGREDIENTS
- All-purpose flour – I am a huge fan of King Arthur flours for baking
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves – for that perfect warm pumpkin spice flavor profile
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Eggs – large at room temp
- Pumpkin puree – I used canned pumpkin but I bought a pie pumpkin to roast to make this recipe soon with fresh roasted pumpkin. Will report back!
- Fresh ginger – promise me that you’ll use fresh ginger in this recipe. I think the ginger, olive oil and salted pepitas are what make this recipe really special.
- Olive oil
- Brown and white sugar
- Roasted, salted pumpkin seeds – I typically keep my pantry stocked with pre-roasted and salted pumpkin seeds from Aldi.
MY FAVORITE BAKING EQUIPMENT FOR PUMPKIN BREAD
This pumpkin bread recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and get into the oven but the baking time is long at a lower temperature. I baked my pumpkin bread in my favorite Emile Henry loaf pan at 325 for almost 90 minutes.
Pro tip: line your loaf pan with parchment paper for easy lifting of the bread out of the pan so that it can cool on a wire rack.
I love my long hollow edge Wusthof carving knife to seamlessly slice even, smooth slices of pumpkin bread.
And here’s the best pumpkin bread recipe!
Print
Best Ever Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: On 9x5 loaf 1x
Description
The best ever pumpkin bread recipe! A magical combination of warm pumpkin spice, fresh ginger, olive oil and salted pepitas for a truly special and sharable pumpkin bread!
Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves (can omit if you don’t have)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 15-oz. can pumpkin purée
1 generous tablespoon of grated fresh ginger (from about one 3″ piece fresh ginger)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds/pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment, leaving a generous overhang on both long sides.
- Whisk flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk eggs, pumpkin purée, ginger, vanilla extract, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar together in a separate bowl. Stream in oil, whisking constantly until mixture is homogeneous. Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into egg mixture until no dry spots remain. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients, stirring to combine but being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan; smooth top with a spatula. Scatter pumpkin seeds over batter, pressing lightly to adhere. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon white sugar.
- Bake bread, rotating pan once halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 80–90 minutes. Baking time will depend on your oven. Quick breads are done when their internal temperature reaches 200-205 degrees. I prefer this measure with a quick read thermometer over a toothpick inserted and coming out clean.
- Let cool slightly, then run a knife or small offset spatula around pan to help loosen bread. Using overhang, transfer bread to a wire rack and let cool.
Notes
- Bread keeps well stored wrapped at room temperature for 4-5 days.
- It also freezes well. I recommend either freezing the whole loaf and defrosting all at once or cutting the bread into slices and wrapping them in plastic wrap to freeze individually.
- This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit – one of my fave sources of recipe inspiration!
PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE PINNABLE
MORE DELICOUS PUMPKIN RECIPES
Pumpkin Spice Banana Muffins
Pumpkin Banana Baked Oatmeal
Soft and Caky Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Pumpkin Apple Bread
Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal
