Pumpkin Bread

Moist, warmly spiced, and deeply fragrant — a perfectly tender pumpkin loaf packed with cozy fall spices and baked until golden with a beautiful crack down the center. The kind of bread that fills the whole house with the smell of autumn and disappears slice by slice before it even has a chance to cool.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoons nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoons ginger
• 0.25 teaspoons allspice
• 0.25 teaspoons cloves
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 0.75 cups granulated sugar
• 0.5 cups brown sugar, packed
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 0.25 cups whole milk or buttermilk
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 0.75 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• 0.5 cups chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar mixed with 0.5 teaspoons cinnamon (for topping)

STEPS

1. Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan generously with butter or cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves until evenly combined. The warm spice blend is everything in this loaf — measure carefully and do not skimp.
3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in the milk or buttermilk and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and glossy.
4. Combine: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined — stop the moment the last streak of flour disappears. Do not overmix. A few small lumps are perfectly fine. Fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips if using with just a few extra strokes.
5. Fill the pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top for a sweet, lightly spiced crust that caramelizes beautifully during baking.
6. Bake: Place in the center of the oven and bake at 350°F for 60–70 minutes until the top is deep golden brown, the loaf has cracked beautifully down the center, and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly tent loosely with foil after 45 minutes.
7. Cool and slice: Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift it out onto the rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Cutting too soon compresses the crumb and makes the interior gummy.
8. Serve: Slice into thick, generous pieces and serve as is or with a generous spread of softened butter or cream cheese.

NOTES Tips: Use pure pumpkin puree — not pumpkin pie filling which already contains sugar and spices and will throw off the balance of the recipe entirely. Vegetable oil rather than butter keeps this loaf extraordinarily moist for days — butter-based pumpkin breads dry out faster. Buttermilk instead of regular milk adds a subtle tang and extra tenderness that is well worth using if you have it. Do not overmix — fold only until the flour disappears for the most tender crumb. The cinnamon sugar topping is a small step that makes a big difference — it creates a delicately crunchy, caramelized crust on top that makes every slice even more irresistible. This loaf keeps beautifully wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 4 days, refrigerated for up to 1 week, and freezes perfectly for up to 3 months — slice before freezing for easy individual portions.