Moist Pumpkin Bread Loaf (Printer-friendly)

Moist pumpkin bread with warm spices. Ideal for breakfast or an indulgent snack. Vegetarian and easy to bake.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
03 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
04 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
05 - ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
06 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
07 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
08 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
10 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
11 - ½ cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted unsalted butter)
14 - ¼ cup milk
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

16 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
17 - ½ cup chocolate chips

# Steps:

01 - Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In another bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently fold until just combined; do not overmix.
05 - If using, fold in nuts or chocolate chips.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
07 - Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It uses one bowl for wet ingredients and one for dry, so cleanup is actually manageable.
  • The spices bloom in the oven and make your whole home smell like a candle you'd pay too much for.
  • It stays moist for days, which means you can bake it ahead and still slice into something soft and perfect.
  • You can fold in whatever you have, chocolate chips, nuts, even nothing, and it still works.
02 -
  • Make sure you're using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, or the bread will be too sweet and weirdly spiced.
  • Don't overmix the batter once the wet and dry ingredients meet, or you'll end up with a dense, chewy loaf instead of a tender one.
  • Check your baking soda and powder for freshness, if they're expired, the bread won't rise properly and you'll get a flat, heavy result.
03 -
  • Line your loaf pan with parchment paper that overhangs the sides, it makes lifting the loaf out effortless and prevents torn edges.
  • If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil halfway through baking so the inside finishes cooking without burning the crust.
  • Let the loaf cool completely before slicing, the crumb sets as it cools and you'll get cleaner, prettier slices.
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