The Best Pumpkin Bread

Here’s the BEST pumpkin bread recipe. Extremely moist and tender, it’s loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and topped with a delicious cinnamon icing. A classic everyone loves for breakfast, snack or… dessert!

Pumpkin bread is the perfect cozy fall treat when it gets a little chilly outside. For some reason, I always picture myself years ago, reading a book in a small coffee shop of Chicago, with a cup of tea and a slice of pumpkin bread. But just like your favorite banana bread, you can make this pumpkin bread year-round.

If you’re a busy baker, then I’m happy to report that this pumpkin bread recipe is perfection. With very little effort, this quick and easy bread has a super moist texture (a must, in my opinion!), with just the right amount of spices. I also made it not too sweet, compared to other pumpkin bread recipes. It’s delicious with or without the icing!

What goes into this pumpkin bread?

• Pumpkin puree. Prefer canned pumpkin puree, and make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling). Also, with the shrinkflation, always check that your can of pumpkin puree is a 15 oz (425g) can.
• Spices. Cinnamon and allspice bring all the flavors to the pumpkin bread.
• Sour cream. Together with the pumpkin puree, sour cream brings all the moisture to the bread. For best results, use full-fat sour cream (stay away from low fat sour cream).
• Unsalted butter. It’s important to use it completely soften and creamy. For best results, remove it from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before baking, or longer.
• Sugar. Use granulated sugar. Other sugars wouldn’t yield the same results in terms of texture, so please stick to the recipe and do not try to use brown sugar for instance.
• Eggs. You need 3 large eggs for the recipe.
• All-purpose flour. Always make sure you measure the flour properly.
• Baking powder + baking soda. You need both to help the bread rise just as it needs.

How to make this pumpkin bread recipe?

• Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together.
• In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, sour cream and vanilla.
• In a third bowl, beat the soften butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, using a hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated.
• Add the pumpkin mixture and the flour blend in batches, until incorporated.
• Pour onto the prepared loaf pan, and bake!

The cinnamon icing

For the final touch, you can top your pumpkin bread with a cinnamon icing, consisting of milk, cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar. Pour onto the bread once it’s completely cooled. If you don’t have time for it, that’s ok, the pumpkin bread will be just as good eaten in a plain version.

Baking tips for the BEST pumpkin bread

• Canned pumpkin vs fresh pumpkin. I recommend canned pumpkin puree for this recipe, as it has just the right amount of moisture. Homemade pumpkin puree tend to be too watery sometimes, which would impact the final texture of the cake. If making homemade pumpkin puree anyway, dry it out by placing a few sheets of paper towel on top to absorb the excess of liquid.
• Cream the butter properly. Before you start the recipe, double check that your butter is at room temperature and completely softened to the touch. If still too hard or cold, the mixture will be grainy (not creamy) and the cake won’t bake properly.
• How much sugar should I use? While most pumpkin bread recipes call for 1 cup sugar or more, I found that ¾ cup (150g) sugar was jus perfect. If you are a sweet tooth, you can always go up to 1 cup of sugar.
• Sour cream substitutions. In this recipe, we use full-fat sour cream for best results. If you don’t find sour cream where you live, you can replace with crème fraîche.
• Do not overmix. To get a light and airy crumb, be sure not to over-mix the batter, or else the bread could become tough. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
• Baking tips. Every oven is different and as a result the baking time can vary. Even if the pumpkin bread has risen, it may not be completely baked through, and this would result in a runny texture in the center when slicing. To prevent this, always check after 40-45 minutes baking, by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.

Get creative

I love this pumpkin bread plain, or with a simple cinnamon icing on top. But there are many other ways to pimp up your bread. You can add some chocolate chips, pecans or walnuts in the batter. You can also top the pumpkin bread with a maple icing instead of the cinnamon one, or with a streusel topping, like in our cinnamon swirl coffee cake.

How to store this pumpkin bread?

You can store leftovers for up to 3-5 days at room temperature in the refrigerator, placed in an airtight container. To freeze, let the pumpkin bread cool completely, slice and place in a freezer bag. You can thaw at room temperature for a few hours or warm it up a few seconds in the microwave.

More pumpkin recipes you’ll love:

• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
• Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Classic American Pumpkin Pie
• Spiced Pumpkin Butter
• Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls
• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donuts
• Pumpkin Spice Madeleines

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