Homemade pumpkin bread is a favorite fall recipe packed with cinnamon spice and tons of pumpkin flavor. Extra moist and easy to make, this recipe has been a fan favorite since 2014. You don’t even need a mixer! The days of bland pumpkin bread are behind us.
Reader Laura says: “Wanted to say this bread is really good! And last year when I took some of my farmers markets breads to our county fair, this is one of the breads I entered for judging, got a blue ribbon, 1st place, for it! Very good!”
When September rolls around, I have the sudden urge to make every quick bread recipe under the sun. Some of my favorites are banana bread, apple cinnamon bread, and this orange beauty: the BEST pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. This is a favorite pumpkin bread recipe because each slice is incredibly moist and the process is very straightforward. There are no dry crumbs here! This pumpkin bread is also packed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavors. I’m telling you… this is some good stuff.
Perfecting This Pumpkin Bread Recipe
When I was testing this pumpkin bread recipe, it took me about 6 or 7 tries to get it just right. After plenty of sunken, soggy, and flavorless loaves, I finally mastered what ingredients and how much of each to use, and the result is pumpkin perfection. The recipe is a lot like these pumpkin muffins.
Here are the key ingredients you need & why:
- Pumpkin: There’s a lot of pumpkin in this recipe because it not only adds flavor, but moisture as well. I always bake with canned pumpkin, but homemade pumpkin puree works too. If you’re interested, here’s how to make pumpkin puree. Make sure you blot your homemade pumpkin puree to rid some of the moisture (not necessary if using canned pumpkin). Simply measure your homemade pumpkin puree, then squeeze out some of the moisture with a paper towel.
- Oil: Adds incredible moisture and lightens up the crumb. Vegetable oil is best, but you can substitute melted coconut oil instead.
- Favorite Fall Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves… the gang’s all here! These 4 spices complement the pumpkin flavor wonderfully (and are often found together in pumpkin pie and many other pumpkin recipes). You could also use pumpkin pie spice—see my recipe Note below.
- Orange Juice: I know orange juice seems strange here, but don’t be nervous. This bread will NOT taste like oranges. I use orange juice because a little liquid keeps the bread from tasting too dense. Milk works too if you don’t have orange juice, but the subtle orange flavor is like magic in this bread. It just works.
- Chocolate Chips: Optional, but if you’re a chocolate lover, pumpkin + chocolate is always a good idea.
Here’s the batter and a couple pictures of the bread without chocolate chips:
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bread Recipe:
- Delicious in the fall
- Smells wonderful while it bakes
- Easy to make—no mixer required
- Extra moist
- Tons of pumpkin flavor
- Loaded with warm spices
- Adaptable—studded with chocolate chips, or use chopped pecans, or leave plain
- Similar to banana bread, it tastes even better on day 2 (if it lasts that long!)
I love this pumpkin bread recipe so much that I included it in my first cookbook, Sally’s Baking Addiction. It’s always a hit, especially when pumpkin spice season picks up!
But after 1 taste, you might not want to limit this quick bread to the fall season. 🙂
Another reader, Liz, says: “This is by far the best pumpkin bread recipe I have made… It’s moist and loaded with flavor. I love the orange juice that adds a fresh flavor to it. I add some orange zest that kicks up the orange flavor a bit. It goes well with the chocolate chips too.”
More Perfect Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Muffins & Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies & Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Roll
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Recipes to Make With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ favorite pumpkin dessert recipes.
PrintMy Best Pumpkin Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade pumpkin bread is a favorite fall recipe packed with sweet cinnamon spice, tons of pumpkin flavor, and optional chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger*
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice*
- 2/3 cup (120g) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not over-mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if including.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.
- Cover and store leftover pumpkin bread at room temperature for up to 3–4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Baked pumpkin bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Spices: You can use 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice instead of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Be sure to still add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the batter.
- Oil: Oil is a better choice than melted butter in this recipe. The bread is not as moist and soft if using butter.
- Orange Juice: You can substitute milk (any kind) for orange juice.
- Chocolate Chips: If desired, try using milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, or even chopped pecans/walnuts instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can leave the pumpkin bread plain, too.
- Pumpkin Muffins: This recipe makes 15–18 pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes at the same oven temperature, or try this similar pumpkin muffins recipe.
- Bundt Cake: Simply make this pumpkin Bundt cake (pretty much this exact recipe) and leave out the cream cheese filling. Add 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips if desired. About 1 hour bake time.
An absolute win. Great flavor and pleasantly moist. Already have requests for another loaf. We’ve tried many of your recipes and they’re always fantastic. Keep up the great work.
i made these the other day and made them vegan by replacing the two eggs with bob’s red mill egg replacer: they turned out perfect! i loved that this recipe used orange juice instead of milk, too!
i pulled them (i made muffins) out of the oven while my housemates were having a kickback: they were an instant hit. i was sending the recipe around like crazy! SO yummy, SO easy, and i loved that it was such an easy vegan substitution!! will definitely be making at least six more times before the season is over! hahaha
Should I use fresh orange juice? 🙂
Hi Aira, you can use fresh or carton orange juice — either works!
What’s the alternative for egg.without egg it will moist?
Hi Geeyes, we haven’t tried this recipe with an egg substitution, but let us know if you give anything a try. We don’t recommend leaving it out completely.
This is seriously some of the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever made! I had most of the ingredients already on hand and just subbed the juice for milk. It was quick, easy, and the best. I made it into muffins! My go-to pumpkin bread recipe now!
I cant wait to try this recipe- it looks so yummy! Quick question, do you have any adjustments for high altitude? Baking in the Rocky Mountains can definitely be tricky!
Hi! We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. We know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Thanks! I ended up adding 2tbs extra flour and used an instant read thermometer to check when the middle was cooked (took a while longer)… but it turned out AMAZING! Probably the best I have ever had!!!
Really good recipe!!! I had to triple it, since I have a big family and one loaf is not enough.
Always add dry to wet, not wet to dry.
The texture is incredible, and it was super easy to make! BUT it was very bland and I’m not sure why? I even used extra seasonings that were brand new:( I ended up making a glaze with pumpkin spice in it to try to enhance the flavour
Made this yesterday and it was perfect! Moist and delicious as promised. Thank you for what might possibly be the best recipe for pumpkin bread on earth!
I’ve been making this pumpkin bread for a few years. I try others but keep coming back to this one. If you follow the recipe it’s perfectly moist and delicious. I often omit the chocolate chips, I’ve substituted milk and almond milk for the OJ. I’ve cut the oil by half, I’ve done half whole wheat flour, I’ve even sub’d apple sauce for the oil. With the substitutions it still works out well but for the best result I follow the recipe.
Hi Sally. I just put olive oil in my batter for pumpkin bread instead of vegetable oil. I had both on the counter and grabbed the wrong one. Will it ruin the bread? Its not pure virgin olive oil.
Thanks
Colleen
Hi Colleen, the bread may have a slight olive oil taste, but it’s worth baking it up to see. Hope you enjoy it!
Hello,
Can I use a different flour like almond flour to reduce the gluten?
Thank you
Hi Sandra, We don’t recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not always a 1:1 swap. We haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you!
Yum!! I just made these in muffin form and they turned out so good. I halved the recipe and made 8 regular sized muffins, baked for 22 minutes. I used “NotMilk” plant based milk instead of orange juice. Everything else was the same. These super tender and delicious! Definitely bookmarking this recipe to make again.
I can hardly wait to try this pumpkin bread recipe! Can I substitute avocado oil or butter for the vegetable oil?
Hi Annette, Melted butter won’t create the same moist texture and any butter flavor will be overpowered by the pumpkin and spices, and avocado oil tends to have a slight taste to it that might not pair well with this recipe. We recommend sticking with the recipe for best results.
Good evening! I was wondering if I could 3 times this recipe? Would love to make just one large batch all at once. Thanks!
Hi Sarah, for best results, we recommend making three separate batches. Otherwise, you run the risk of over mixing the batter which could lead to a dense bread. Hope this helps!
Has anyone tried making this recipe in a mini loaf pan? I dont want to do a large loaf but several small ones.
Yes I made 3 mini loaves from one recipe. It doesn’t bake as long, but it turned out great!
How long in time did you bake in mini loafs? Or how many grams in each loaf pan.
Yes, I make mini loaves at 45 minutes…
This is hands down the most delicious pumpkin bread I’ve ever had! I added 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It took a few extra minutes in my oven to be done. Two things really strike me with this recipe: the wonderful moistness that persists for days. It was as good on the 4th day as on the first. Maybe better. And the pleasant bite of the cinnamon. I’m definitely making this again.
Delicious! I used raisins instead of chocolate chips and will definitely make this one again!
I made this yesterday and my husband and I have managed to eat almost the entire loaf already by ourselves. I swapped the chocolate chips for walnuts so I could pretend it wasn’t as bad for me and it was very delicious even without the extra chocolate. I will absolutely make this again any time I’m craving something pumpkiny.
The batter was so runny when I poured it in the pan that I was afraid it wouldn’t work out, but it did! Definitely moist! I still found it a bit bland tho, but that could be my old spices
Always enjoy Sally’s recipes. Make minus chocolate chips and orange juice. Added milk, vanilla, baking powder, and walnuts. Serve with powdered sugar. Yum!
This is my first time ever baking something so this is going to be a dumb question but, what do you mean by cloves? All I can think of are garlic cloves
Hi Jordyn, cloves are a spice often found in baked goods with warm flavors like pumpkin bread. They’re sold in the spice aisle. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the bread!
This is a wonderful recipe. I’ve made it with dark chocolate chips and with nuts, but I think my favourite add-in is dried cranberries and some orange zest in addition to the juice. Thanks everso!
Hi, how long would I leave in if i used mini bundt pan?
Hi Emi, mini bundt pans vary in size, so we are unsure of the bake time. We would recommend watching the bread closely and testing with a toothpick. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Enjoy!
Hi Michelle, thanks for getting back to me. The pan I have is the 6 cup Heritage Bundtlette. The height is 1.6″..
I made this with dried cranberries and walnuts instead if choco chips. Also sprinkled lightly salted pumpkin seeds on top. Perfection!
This was my first time making this recipe so I followed it exactly. I’m happy to say that it came out exactly as expected. It is not just unusual but a very pleasant surprise to try a new recipe that does not require tweaking down the road.
Has anyone tried making this is a bread machine? If so what settings did you use?
Hi Debra, We don’t have a bread machine so we’ve never tested it. But some machines have a quick bread/cake cycle that just mixes and bakes (without time for rising) that you can try.
Would this recipe work if I used granulated sugar instead of brown sugar? Thanks!
Hi Lili, the brown sugar adds both moisture and a lot of flavor. For the best results, we recommend sticking to the recipe.
I’ve been using Sally’s recipes many years. This is the only pumpkin bread recipe I use! Same results every time. I prefer white chocolate chips or nuts in place of the chocolate. I also use my own pumpkin puree from my garden sugar pie pumpkins, and since it has more water, I reduce pumpkin to 300 g.
No matter what, it’s DELICIOUS. Makes beautiful mini bundts as well!
I used whole meal spelt flour and substituted cut up crystallised ginger and dried apricots for the choc chips. I added 2 tsp finely grated orange rind and extra spice, 2 tsp ginger and 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 2tbsp extra orange juice to make up for the wholemeal flour. I also sprinkled pumpkin seeds on the top for a crunch.
It is the most delicious and moist pumpkin bread I’ve ever had!!! Thankyou!!!