Pumpkin Bread Recipe (2024)

This pumpkin bread is moist and packed with flavor. It’s based on the recipe my mom and I used to bake together when I was a kid. One of my earliest memories is the smell of fall spices in the kitchen as the pumpkin bread was baking. The original recipe was given to my mom by a neighbour when we first moved to America. My addition is an irresistible crumble topping.

If you have kids or grand kids, this is a great recipe to get them involved with. All that’s needed is a bit of mixing of ingredients. Then you pop it in the oven. An hour later, you’ll have some delicious pumpkin bread. And your kitchen, like mine, will be filled with the smell of warming, sweet autumnal spices.

How do I store pumpkin bread?

When cool, store the pumpkin bread in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze pumpkin bread?

Yes, pumpkin bread freezes beautifully. Once its cool, to freeze, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Is canned pumpkin puree just pumpkin?

Yes, canned pumpkin purée is pure pumpkin. Usually, it’s a particular of variety of pumpkin called a ‘Dickinson’ pumpkin. There should be no additives such as sugar or spices, unless it says so on the label.

Why does my pumpkin bread taste bland?

Make sure to follow the recipe exactly. That means—don’t leave out the salt, don’t cut the amount of sugar, and use the specified amount of cinnamon. This is important because flour is what I like to call a “flavor thief”— it sucks the flavor out of ingredients. So, if you don’t follow the recipe as specified, you risk a bland tasting pumpkin bread.

How do I prevent my pumpkin bread from getting a soggy bottom?

Preventing your pumpkin bread from having a soggy bottom is all about how you let it cool. When it comes out of the oven, let the loaf sit in the pan for a 5 minutes. Then, and here’s the secret, turn it out upside down onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper, and allow it to cool completely. This stops the bottom from getting soggy, and prevents a gummy layer forming at the base of the loaf.

Why did my pumpkin bread come out dry?

There are a number of reasons your pumpkin bread came out dry. It’s possible the particular flour you used was extra “thirsty” for liquid. Try cutting the amount of flour, or adding more milk. It’s also possible your oven was too hot, or you baked the pumpkin bread for too long. Try reducing the oven temperature and cutting the baking time.

What can I use instead of pumpkin purée?

If you don’t want to use pumpkin purée, you can grate fresh pumpkin into the batter, like you might do for a carrot cake. If you don’t want to use pumpkin at all, you can substitute it with carrot purée or sweet potato purée. Both will yield a delicious result.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you put too much pumpkin in pumpkin bread? ›

You might think you could overcome the lack of flavor by adding more pumpkin purée to your recipe, but you'd be mistaken: By the time you've added enough purée to taste it, your baked good would have a soggy texture on account of all that moisture.

Why is my pumpkin bread not moist? ›

There are a number of reasons your pumpkin bread came out dry. It's possible the particular flour you used was extra “thirsty” for liquid. Try cutting the amount of flour, or adding more milk. It's also possible your oven was too hot, or you baked the pumpkin bread for too long.

Why did my pumpkin bread come out gummy? ›

If your pumpkin spice bread is gummy or undercooked in the center, it's typically because it either 1) needed more time to bake in the oven or 2) the batter was too wet, which led the bread to collapse in on itself a bit (this happens if you measure ingredients by volume, rather than by weight: it's easy to ...

Why is my pumpkin bread so dense? ›

Why is My Pumpkin Bread So Dense? Pumpkin bread can become dense if there is not enough hydration or wet ingredients in the recipe. Another cause is overcooking the bread which can cause it to dry out.

Is heavy cream or evaporated milk better for pumpkin pie? ›

During my testing of pumpkin pies, I tried lots of different milk options – heavy whipping cream, regular milk (I used 2% in my testing), sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Ultimately, I found heavy whipping cream to be the best. It produced the creamiest pie in my opinion.

What happens if you use too much baking soda in pumpkin bread? ›

It's important not to use too much baking soda in recipes, as it can result in a metallic, soapy flavor. It is much more powerful than baking powder – you only need about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour to leaven baked goods.

How can I make my bread more moist? ›

Some alternative ingredients can help give your bread added moisture. One such ingredient is milk, which has a high-fat content and can add a delightfully creamy flavor when baking. Additionally, adding mashed potatoes or cooked grains can help keep the crumb soft and tender for days after baking.

Why is my pumpkin bread still raw in the middle? ›

When the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, bake 5-10 minutes longer and recheck. PRO-Tip: Do not pull the loaves out without doing a toothpick check. If you remove the loaf too early, the middle will be raw.

How do I keep my pumpkin bread from sinking in the middle? ›

If your oven isn't up to temperature consistently during the baking time, you may experience sunken cakes or loaves. Use an oven thermometer to gauge the accuracy of your oven. At the very least, try waiting 10 minutes after the oven has beeped to signify it has preheated before actually baking anything.

How to tell if pumpkin bread is done baking? ›

So, to know when pumpkin bread is done, look for the crack on the top of the bread, which is a tell-tale sign it's either done or close to being done. Then stick a skewer or toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.

How to fix undercooked pumpkin bread overnight? ›

In most situations, an undercooked loaf of bread can be fixed by returning it to the oven for a few more minutes. This is true for loaves where the outside of your bread may look fully set, but the inside of the bread is still gummy. Place the loaf back in a preheated oven at 350° F for 10-20 minutes.

Why did my pumpkin bread split on top? ›

The thick, rough crack is a sure sign of insufficient steam. The crust wasn't moist enough to be flexible, so it hardened and set before the loaf was done expanding. Another possible reason is that your baking temperature was too high, resulting in the same effect.

How can I make my bread lighter and fluffy? ›

All it takes is a small amount of dough enhancer per loaf to create a much lighter and fluffier result. Using a dough enhancer like Vital Wheat Gluten works to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough and elongate the strands of gluten. Doing so allows more room for the gas in the dough to develop and rise.

What ingredient makes bread heavy? ›

Strong flour has more protein and gluten and gives an overall heavier feel to the bread, both in weight and texture/taste. If you are already using strong flour consider using less yeast, this will cause the bread to rise less and be heavier, but this may make the taste and texture less pleasant.

What makes bread fluffy vs dense? ›

Well it's simple, bread flour has an increased amount of protein or more gluten which results in a lighter, fluffier dough which produces a less dense finished product. All-purpose flour can be used for bread but bread flour is always better if your goal is a “fluffier” bread.

What are the side effects of too much pumpkin? ›

When taken by mouth: Pumpkin is likely safe when eaten in foods. It is possibly safe to take pumpkin seed or pumpkin seed oil in medicinal amounts. Side effects from pumpkin products are rare, but might include stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and nausea.

Why is my pumpkin bread undercooked? ›

When the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, bake 5-10 minutes longer and recheck. PRO-Tip: Do not pull the loaves out without doing a toothpick check. If you remove the loaf too early, the middle will be raw.

What do I do if my pumpkin is too runny? ›

How to fix watery pumpkin puree
  1. Prepare a strainer or sieve over a bowl.
  2. Line it with a cheesecloth or a few sheets of paper towel.
  3. Transfer the puree to the assembly and let it drain for 30 mins to 1 hour.
Oct 8, 2022

What happens if you put too much evaporated milk in a pumpkin pie? ›

Pies with too much evaporated milk formed blisters on top.

Though the interior of the filling had a great, creamy texture. The flavor was ever-so-slightly muted and had a hint of milkiness to it.

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