October rolls around, and I start craving pumpkin bread like crazy. Not the dry, flavorless stuff from the store. I’m talking about the real deal – moist, spiced perfectly, and so good you’ll eat half the loaf before it cools.

I’ve been making this recipe for eight years now. Started when my kids were little and we’d come home from the pumpkin patch with way too many pumpkins. Now it’s tradition. The smell alone makes our house feel like home.

Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Is Different

Most pumpkin bread recipes are either too sweet or too bland. This one hits the sweet spot. The spices don’t overpower the pumpkin flavor. And it stays moist for days, which is rare for homemade bread.

I use oil instead of butter. Sounds weird, but trust me on this. Oil keeps the bread tender longer. Butter can make it dense and dry by day two.

The secret ingredient? Brown sugar. Just a quarter cup mixed with regular sugar. It adds moisture and this deep, caramel-like flavor that makes people ask what’s different about your recipe.

What You Need

For the bread:

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
⅓ cup water

Optional add-ins:

½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup mini marshmallows
½ cup dried cranberries

Nothing fancy here. You probably have most of this stuff already.

The Method That Actually Works

Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Don’t skip this step. I learned the hard way when half my loaf stuck to the pan.

Mix all the dry ingredients first. Flour, both sugars, baking soda, salt, and all those spices. Use a whisk to break up any lumps. This step matters more than you think. Getting the spices evenly distributed means every bite tastes the same.

In another bowl, beat the eggs until they’re smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, and water. Mix until everything’s combined. The mixture should look smooth and orange.

Here’s where people mess up. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Stir just until you can’t see dry flour anymore. Don’t beat it. Don’t mix until smooth. Lumps are totally fine. Overmixing makes tough, chewy bread.

If you’re adding chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in now. Use a spatula and be gentle.

Scrape all that batter into your greased pan. Give the pan a light tap on the counter to settle everything.

Bake for 60-65 minutes. Start checking at 60 minutes with a toothpick stuck right in the center. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If it’s covered in wet batter, give it another 5 minutes.

Let the bread cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes. Any longer and it might stick. Any shorter and it might fall apart. Then turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

My Hard-Learned Tips

Use real pumpkin puree. Not pumpkin pie filling. I made that mistake once. The pie filling already has spices and sugar added, so your bread ends up tasting like sweet soup in loaf form.

Room temperature eggs mix better. If you forget to take them out early, put them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.

Don’t open the oven door for the first 45 minutes. I know it’s tempting, but opening the door drops the temperature and can make your bread sink in the middle.

This bread actually tastes better the next day. Something about letting it sit overnight makes the flavors blend together. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and be patient.

Storage and Serving Ideas

Keep it wrapped on the counter for up to four days. In the fridge, it lasts a week but gets a bit dense. For longer storage, slice the whole loaf and freeze individual pieces. They thaw in about 20 minutes on the counter.

My family eats this for breakfast with butter and coffee. It’s also great toasted with cream cheese. Or cut thick slices and make French toast with it. Kids love it plain as an after-school snack.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

If your bread comes out dry, you probably overbaked it or used too much flour. Pumpkin bread should feel slightly heavy and moist.

If it’s too dense, you might have overmixed the batter or your baking soda is old. Baking soda loses its power after about six months.

If the top cracks (which isn’t necessarily bad), your oven might run hot. Try reducing the temperature by 25 degrees next time.

Why This Recipe Works Every Time

The oil keeps it moist. The combination of spices tastes like fall without being overwhelming. The brown sugar adds depth. And the simple method means less room for error.

I’ve shared this recipe with neighbors, coworkers, and family. Everyone says it’s the best pumpkin bread they’ve ever had. Not because I’m some amazing baker, but because the recipe is just solid.

My kids request this every October. My husband takes slices to work and comes home with empty containers. Even my picky mother-in-law asks for the recipe every year (and promptly loses it).

Homemade Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Course: Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Calories

185

kcal

Total time

hour

minutes

This is the pumpkin bread that’ll make your kitchen smell like fall and your neighbors knock on your door asking for the recipe. It’s incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, and stays fresh for days. The secret is using oil instead of butter and adding just a touch of brown sugar for depth. Simple ingredients, foolproof method, and results that beat any bakery loaf. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or wrapped up as gifts.

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
WET INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
⅓ cup water
OPTIONAL ADD-INS (choose one or mix)
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup mini marshmallows
½ cup dried cranberries

Directions

PREP

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Grease 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray
MIX DRY INGREDIENTS
Combine flour, both sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in large bowl
Whisk until evenly mixed and no lumps remain
MIX WET INGREDIENTS
Beat eggs in separate bowl until smooth
Add pumpkin puree, oil, and water to eggs
Mix until completely combined and smooth
COMBINE & BAKE
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients
Stir just until no dry flour shows (lumps are okay – don’t overmix!)
Fold in any add-ins if using
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan
Bake 60-65 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs
COOL & SERVE
Cool in pan for 10 minutes
Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely
Wrap and let sit overnight for best flavor

Notes

STORAGE: Keep wrapped at room temperature for 4 days, refrigerate for 1 week, or freeze slices up to 3 months
MAKE AHEAD: Bread improves overnight – wrap tightly in plastic wrap
SUBSTITUTIONS:
Can use melted butter instead of oil (bread may be slightly denser)
Maple syrup can replace ¼ cup of sugar (reduce water to 2 tbsp)
TROUBLESHOOTING:
Dry bread: Overbaked or too much flour
Dense bread: Overmixed batter or old baking soda
Sunken center: Oven door opened too early