Breads & Doughs, Gemma's Best Recipes

Gemma’s Best Ever Pumpkin Bread

4.59 from 343 votes
My Best Ever Pumpkin Bread recipe is packed full of aromatic spices and warm Fall flavors making it a must for your fall and holiday baking.
This is the Best Ever Pumpkin Bread recipe, with pumpkins in the background.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

As the nights start to feel a little crisper and the leaves begin to change their coloring, all I can think about is my pumpkin bread recipe. It’s one of my favorite quick bread recipes because my best pumpkin bread is full of my favorite fall spices and flavors, and so incredibly moist. 

This recipe also uses my Homemade Pumpkin Puree, but you can use canned pumpkin in this pumpkin bread. With this puree, plus the oil and milk this recipe calls for, you are guaranteed to have a loaf of perfectly moist pumpkin bread. 

Can you believe that even after being a professional chef in Ireland, I had never had pumpkin bread before as it’s more of an American treat? After moving to California, I fell in love with the pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin spice is now essential to my and my family’s fall traditions. I couldn’t help but create my Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and single-serving pumpkin desserts like my Pumpkin Mug Cake

But the icing on top of the cake (or should I say the icing on top of this bread?) is a fabulous brown butter and maple glaze. Pumpkin bread is good, but pumpkin bread with maple glaze? It’s a must for your fall and holiday baking!

Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Puree VS. Canned Pumpkin

Here’s the thing. If you take a spoonful of pumpkin puree and a spoonful of canned pumpkin puree, you’ll come to one ultimate conclusion: pumpkin tastes like pumpkin. You really can’t tell the difference between the two until you add some sugar and bake with it. 

Sliced pumpkin bread with a glaze on top.

What’s better: fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin?

The answer is — it really depends! Canned pumpkin is very convenient, all you have to do is crack open a can, and you’re good to go. Homemade pumpkin puree is also very simple, but there are a few more steps. (It’s very similar to roasting a typical squash. Here’s my recipe.)

The big difference between canned and fresh pumpkin puree is texture. I find homemade pumpkin puree to be more velvety, but both work wonderfully in this recipe. 

What You Need To Make Pumpkin Bread

How To Make Pumpkin Bread With Maple Glaze

This delicious bread and maple glaze come together in about an hour, and most of it is spent hands-off in the oven. Here’s how you make it(and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, milk, and eggs until well combined.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients of flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well and then gradually pour this mixture into your mixture of wet ingredients. Stir until combined completely. 
  3. Pour the mixture into a prepared buttered and parchment paper-lined 9″x5″ loaf pan.
  4. Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 55-65 minutes. You will know the pumpkin bread is done by inserting a toothpick into the center, and it comes out clean.

You can start to make the maple glaze as the bread cools.

  1. In a small saucepan or the microwave, gently melt your butter.
  2. Remove butter from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Then, stir in the powdered sugar and maple syrup until the glaze has formed. If it is too thick, thin it out with a little milk. 
  3. Once the loaf has cooled, but still warm in the pan, pour the glaze over it and let it set for about 30 minutes. 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Pumpkin Bread

  • Use my Homemade Pumpkin Puree to ensure a great pumpkin flavor and moist pumpkin bread!
  • DON’T over mix your batter. You want it to be just combined, otherwise, the bread will be too dense. 
  • Let your eggs, butter, and pumpkin puree come to room temperature before using. It will ensure your bread is light and prevent the batter from forming clumps. 
  • Instead of white sugar, use brown sugar. This will make the bread taste more caramel-y.
  • You can replace the eggs in this recipe by following my Egg Substitutes Chart.
  • For an added treat, add mini bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped nuts. Instead of the maple glaze in this recipe, try topping pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.

My easy pumpkin bread is the best-ever, and this picture shows a loaf sliced and ready to serve.

How To Store Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the pumpkin bread, without the glaze, in plastic wrap and a ziplock bag. Allow it to thaw on the counter for at least 2 hours before serving.

Get More Recipes!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Watch The Recipe Video!

Best-Ever Pumpkin Bread Recipe

4.59 from 343 votes
My Best-Ever Pumpkin Bread recipe is packed full of aromatic spices and warm Fall flavors making it a must for your fall and holiday baking.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 1 loaf
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
My Best-Ever Pumpkin Bread recipe is packed full of aromatic spices and warm Fall flavors making it a must for your fall and holiday baking.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread

  • 1 cup (8oz/225g) pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups (12oz/340g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup (2 1/2floz/71ml) milk
  • 2 eggs*
  • 1 3/4 cups (9oz/255g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Maple Glaze

  • 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) butter
  • 1 cup (4oz/115g) powdered sugar (start with one cup and add more if the glaze is too runny)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Making The Pumpkin Bread

  • Mix pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, milk, and eggs in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
  • In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well, then gradually pour into a large bowl of the pumpkin mixture. Stir well to combine completely.
  • Butter and line a 9×5 Non-stick Loaf Pan with parchment paper. Pour mixture evenly into loaf pan.
  • Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 55 – 65 minutes, or until done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Making The Maple Glaze

  • As the bread cools, make your glaze. In a small saucepan or in the microwave gently melt the butter.
  • Remove the butter from the heat, allow to cool slightly then stir in the powdered sugar and maple syrup until the glaze has formed. If the glaze is too thick thin out with a little milk until you get your desired consistency.
  • Pour the glaze generously over the top of the pumpkin loaf and let it set, about 30 minutes to set. (I like to pour the glaze on while the bread is still warm in the pan).
  • Cut into slices and enjoy! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

Replacing Eggs: You can replace the eggs in this recipe by following my Egg Substitutes Chart for cakes.
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Carol Corden
Carol Corden
3 years ago

I made five loaves of the pumpkin bread to share with my neighbors! So moist and delicious! Also made them Portuguese Sausage Cabbage Stew so they had a good dinner. Delivered to their front door. They bring me flour, butter, fruit so I bake for them.

Alexandra Johnstone
Alexandra Johnstone
4 years ago

I’ve made this recipe several times now as muffins. The last time I substituted butternut squash for the pumpkin and ground ginger for the nutmeg because that is what I had on hand. Also used a cream cheese frosting I had leftover in the freezer. Still delicious. I added a little bit of water to the roasted squash when I pureed it as it was a bit drier than the pumpkin that I usually use. I love this recipe as the muffins rise beautifully and have a lovely texture and flavour every time.

Vinny
Vinny
4 years ago

Hi gemma
I made this recipe twice. it’s super yummy but a little too sweet for me so i reduce sugar to 300g. It still too sweet for me.
I just wanna know ,can i use brown sugar in place of white sugar. And if so , do i need to use 340g or 300g .
Sorry for my english.
Thank you

Annie
Annie
3 years ago

I have made your pumpkin bread several times now and have done porch deliveries to my children and grandchildren. I have directed others to the recipe several times too. Everybody agrees that it is fantastic! Thanks for the recipe.your cookbook has arrived. I’m so excited! I’m thinking this week’s porch delivery might be a recipe from the book. Your recipes in my porch drop- offs brighten my family’s covid isolation. Yay you!

Wit1019
3 years ago

Tastiest pumpkin bread! Best ever is a great name for it 🙂 its even better the next day! I didn’t make the frosting, but instead went with a crumble topping. Superb!

Helen Fritz
Helen Fritz
4 years ago

The bread was the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever tasted. My only question is the 4 oz butter and 1 cup powdered sugar for the glaze didn’t seem right. It was too much butter for the amount of powdered sugar.

Janet
Janet
4 years ago

This recipe turned out GREAT. I did use 1/4c less sugar and made one plain —no glaze—and one with chopped pecans. I found it just sweet enough even with less sugar. I may try the glaze the next time! I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the pumpkin flavor was not as intense as I wanted it to be…but everything else was great. Tomorrow I’m trying the blueberry muffins!

Melista
4 years ago

Super delicious and moist

Mel
Mel
4 years ago

I love it. It was delicious and super moist. Thank you!

Alex
Alex
4 years ago

Hello Gemma, I have a question about the tin because I don’t have a tin like the one you use in the video, so could I make it in a 9 inch tin cake? And if I do it I would have to change the bake time right?
Thank you for reading and for all your recipes, I have made so many of them x)

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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