Best Ever Pumpkin Bread is a moist and flavorful bread full of pumpkin flavor that is as easy to make as it is delicious! Be sure to check out my other quick bread recipes!

Overhead of Pumpkin Bread
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Best Ever Pumpkin Bread

The fall season means pumpkin spice season, at least to a lot of people! This bread will satisfy your pumpkin spice craving, and it is so easy to make. This pumpkin bread has a fairly dense crumb and would be delicious paired with a cup of coffee or as a snack any time of the day.

Adding Pumpkin Bread Batter to Pan

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

With a few simple ingredients and spices, you can have this loaf of bread baked and ready to slice and share.

Pure Pumpkin: Make sure you are using a pure pumpkin (also known as pumpkin puree), not pumpkin pie filling.

Orange Juice: The orange juice in the bread adds a bright and refreshing flavor. You could substitute apple juice, apple cider, or water for the orange juice in a pinch, but that would affect the flavor.

Molasses: Adding molasses to the bread gives the bread a chewier texture and makes it moist. Some readers have suggested maple syrup as a substitution.

Sliced into Pumpkin Bread

Can I Use Sweet Potato?

Sure! Readers have said that this is a great substitution. You can either use a 15-ounce can of sweet potato puree (pure sweet potato) or you can make your own puree following the instructions below.

  • Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF and line a baking tray with parchment. 
  • Wash and dry 2 medium sweet potatoes. Using a fork, pierce the potatoes all over.   
  • Place in the oven and roast for around 50 mins or until the potato is wrinkled.  
  • Allow the sweet potatoes to cool for around 10 minutes, peel the potato and place the flesh in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Slices of Pumpkin Bread

How to Freeze Pumpkin Bread

You will want to make sure you allow it to cool completely. Just wrap the bread tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. If you prefer not to use foil directly on your bread, wrap it tightly with parchment paper, then place that into a sealable plastic bag. Be sure to label and date. It will last about 3 months in the freezer.

To thaw bread, take it out of the freezer and set it on the counter.  Allow it to reach room temperature before you take it out of its packaging.

More Quick Breads

5 from 20 votes

Best Ever Pumpkin Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Best Ever Pumpkin Bread is a moist and flavorful bread full of pumpkin flavor that is as easy to make as it is delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1ยพ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
  • ยผ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ยผ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ยผ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 ยฝ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • ยฝ cup (109 g) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin,
  • โ…“ cup orange juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Combine with a whisk and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, molasses, pumpkin puree, and orange juice with a hand mixer on medium-low.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient. Mix on low to medium-low just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with crumbs, but no wet batter. Cool and serve.

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Meet Amanda Rettke

Amanda Rettke is the creator of I Am Baker, and the bestselling author of Surprise Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion โ€“ With a Little Something Extra Inside.Over the course of her 15+ year blogging adventure, she has been featured in and collaborated with the Food Network, New York Times, LA Times, Country Living Magazine, People Magazine, Epicurious, Brides, Romantic Homes, life:beautiful, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Mail, Star Tribune, The Globe and Mail, DailyCandy, YumSugar, The Knot, The Kitchn, and Parade, to name a few.

Reader Comments

  1. When I make my pumpkin bread I cook my pumpkin on low with the spices after 10 min I add the brown sugar and white sugar a cook for 10 min stirring constantly. The cooked mixture enhances the flavor of the pumpkin mixture.

  2. Can I use store bought orange juice (in a carton), or should we use fresh squeezed? Thank you!! Can’t wait to try this recipe!!

  3. Thank you for Adding “gramm”to your recipe. Now i can try it out too. “Spoons” are always a miracle for me. Greetings from Germany..chris

    1. Hi, Susan! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. You could substitute water for the orange juice, but it will affect the flavor a bit. Have a great day!

  4. I squeezed fresh oranges, cooked a pumpkin and pureed it along with all the other ingredients listed. Oh! I also put in 1/4 tsp of Cardamom. This recipe was the best, I’m talking best Pumpkin Bread I ever made! I really think the game changer was the orange juice and Molasses. THANK YOU!

  5. If I can’t find pumpkin puree, can I used pumpkin pie filling and omit the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves?

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