This easy pumpkin bread recipe makes a moist, homemade bread loaf with a creamy and mildly sweet cream cheese frosting and crunchy roasted salted pepitas. It’s better than Starbucks’! Be sure to also try our pumpkin spice pull-apart bread and flourless pumpkin coconut muffins.
Prepare yourself to fall in love with this moist pumpkin bread with a creamy cream cheese frosting and crunchy salted pepitas.
It is more delicious than Starbuck’s pumpkin bread and costs much less. Smiling? Me too!
Reasons to love this easy pumpkin bread recipe
- Our recipe is better than Trader Joe’s, Libby’s, or Starbucks Pumpkin Bread. Why? Besides being tastier and having contrasting texture (moist bread, creamy frosting, and crunchy pepitas, it costs a fraction of the price compared to the others above.
- Versatile: This Pumpkin Bread makes the perfect treat for a snack or even for breakfast or any time of day. You just can’t get enough of it.
- This easy pumpkin bread recipe makes a dense and tall bread loaf, yielding 8 to 12 slices.
Origin
Pumpkin bread is a type of quick bread (using no yeast) made with pumpkin puree and spices. Some variations include nuts, chocolate chips, or raisins.
It’s often baked in a bread loaf pan. It is very popular in the Fall season when fresh pumpkins are available, although most recipes call for canned pumpkin, resulting in a stronger pumpkin taste.
Although pumpkin recipes such as pumpkin bread are related to American cuisine, these recipes have a long pre-Columbian history in North America. Many Native American tribes created their own pumpkin recipes prior to the arrival of European settlers.
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). If needed, check out temperature conversion and print chart. Liberally grease an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and cover bottom with parchment paper, hanging it over the sides if desired. This will make removing the loaf from the pan easier.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs just until combined. Then combined the pumpkin puree and spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lastly the flour. SEE PIC. 1 Do not overmix; otherwise, the bread will be tough.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. SEE PIC. 2 Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (or with moist-- not wet -- crumbs).
- Let it cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan and enjoy warm, or allow bread loaf to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy, about 30-60 seconds. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat at low speed until homogeneous and without lumps. SEE PIC. 3
- Spread over cool easy pumpkin bread and add salted pumpkin seeds to the top. SEE PIC. 4
Substitutions
- To make a keto pumpkin bread, replace all-purpose flour with blanched almond flour (same amount) and also brown sugar for golden monk fruit (about 1 ½ cups).
- For making gluten-free pumpkin bread, simply use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- To make healthy pumpkin bread, replace sugar with honey. For each cup of sugar, use ¾ cup of honey. Use oil instead of butter (same amount). If needed, check out how many sticks of butter in a cup. Use half of the amount of whole wheat flour and half of the all-purpose flour. Our recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour so use ¾ cup of whole wheat and ¾ cup of all-purpose flour. Check out other baking substitutions!
- If you prefer to use fresh pumpkin purée instead of canned, this quick guide on how peeling pumpkin easily will help you a lot.
Variations
- Nuts: Add 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter or simply sprinkle on top.
- Chocolate chips: To make a pumpkin chocolate chip bread, simply fold in about 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter right before pouring it into the pan.
- Other chips: You can change it up and use cinnamon chips, butterscotch, caramel chips, or white chocolate chips.
- Raisins: Fold in about 1 cup of raisins into the batter right before pouring into the pan.
- Streusel topping: You may add a streusel topping right before baking.
Baking Tips
- To mix the batter, either use a mixer or mix by hand.
- Use either canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix), or cook and peel pumpkin, then mashed it.
- To measure the flour, stir to break it up, then spoon into measuring cup and level.
- If using a 9-inch loaf pan (instead of an 8-inch one), adjust the baking time. It may take about 5 minutes less to be ready.
- Do not overmix the batter because bread may become tough!
- Use always room temp eggs.
- Make sure butter is softened before beating with the sugar otherwise it will be full of curdles of butter.
- Bread must be cool before frosting.
- Use softened cream cheese and butter to make the frosting.
- Make sure to incorporate powdered sugar into the frosting until no longer lumpy.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
To make your own pumpkin pie spice blend, combine 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon ground allspice. See? It is simple!
How To Store Homemade Pumpkin Bread
Store this pumpkin loaf in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for longer.
How Long Will this Quick Bread Keep?
This bread will stay fresh for about 2-3 days at room temperature and for 3-4 days in the fridge.
How to Freeze
Let this simple pumpkin bread cool, wrap tightly in parchment paper or foil, and place in a resealable freezer bag. Then freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to let it come to room temp before frosting or slicing!
Other pumpkin recipes:
- Coconut Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Flan
- Healthy Pumpkin Soup
- Pumpkin Salsa
- Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
PIN & ENJOY!
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Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
- bowl
- spatula
Ingredients
For the bread batter:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt optional
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoon roasted salted pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Liberally grease an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and cover bottom with parchment paper hanging on the sides if desired. This will remove the loaf easier from the pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs just until combined. Then combined the pumpkin puree and spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lastly the flour. Do not overmix; otherwise, the bread will be tough.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (or with moist, not wet crumbs).
- Let it cool for 15- 20 minutes before removing from the pan and enjoy warm, or allow bread loaf to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy, about 30-60 seconds. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat at low speed until homogeneous and without lumps. Spread over cool easy pumpkin bread and add salted pumpkin seeds to the top.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Aarthi | Prepbowls says
Right in time to celebrate the fall, love the bread color , looks luscious! I have never heard of salted pepita, looks like pumpkin seeds to me. You made me crave for some warm bread with my coffee, great recipe , and thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend, Denise!
Aarthi says
Hi Denise, I tried this Pumpkin Bread over the weekend, it came out good , it was soft and everyone in my family liked it.
Denise Browning says
I am glad that your family enjoyed my pumpkin bread. As you can see, it is easy and my family awaits every Fall for it.
2pots2cook says
Totally pinning, sharing and enjoying ....
Denise Browning says
So glad you enjoyed our easy pumpkin bread. It is so moist yet the best pumpkin bread I have ever eaten so far. Better than Starbucks' honestly!
Josiah - DIY Thrill says
This pumpkin bread looks so yummy, thanks for sharing!
Raymund says
That indeed looks easy! Definitely making it this coming weekend
Kim Guzman says
I had been wanting to try this ever since seeing it and I was finally able to make it this morning. Absolutely delicious!
Jacqueline Smith- Marsala says
Why or how can pumpkin pie filling be used if pumpkin puree is unavailable?
Denise Browning says
You can use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree to make this bread. But be aware pumpkin pie filling has added sugar so it is much sweeter than pumpkin puree. My advice is to add less sugar to the bread batter than stated in the recipe. Then you taste the batter (about 1/2 tsp) before baking to check if you can add more sugar or not.