Moist Pumpkin Bread Loaf (Printable)

A moist, spiced pumpkin loaf that's perfect for breakfast or as a comforting snack. Easy to make and wonderfully aromatic.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ 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 - 1½ cups pumpkin purée
10 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
11 - ½ cup packed brown sugar
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 oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
04 - Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and gently fold together until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - If desired, fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips into the batter.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface evenly.
07 - Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
08 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is incredibly moist without being heavy, and it stays that way for days.
  • It uses simple pantry spices but tastes like you spent hours perfecting it.
  • You can make it your own with chocolate chips, nuts, or neither, and it still works beautifully.
  • It freezes like a dream, so you can pull out a slice whenever the craving hits.
02 -
  • Do not skip lining the pan with parchment, even a greased pan can cause the loaf to stick and tear when you try to remove it.
  • Check your baking soda and powder for freshness, expired leavening agents will result in a flat, dense loaf that never rises properly.
  • If the top starts browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
03 -
  • Use canned pumpkin puree, not homemade, unless you're confident in its moisture content, too much water will ruin the texture.
  • Let the loaf cool completely before slicing, it firms up as it cools and will slice cleanly instead of crumbling.
  • If you want a deeper spice flavor, toast your cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding them to the batter.
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