Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe

When it comes to what makes the best pumpkin bread, I think we can all agree that the bread must be easy to slice, moist (not dry and crumbly) and full of delicious pumpkin spice flavor. There is nothing more disappointing than slicing into a loaf of a quick, sweet bread only for it to fall into pieces.

However, with this recipe, you can be sure that the bread will be just as good as you imagined. And there is no better time to make it than in Autumn!

When the leaves begin to fall and the weather begins to turn cooler, a slice of pumpkin bread is a welcome sight. Whether you eat it for breakfast, as a dessert, or as a quick snack in the middle of the day, it is sure to become a favorite recipe not only now, but throughout the year.

The Secret to Keeping Pumpkin Bread Moist

Pumpkin bread relies on a mixture of wet and dry ingredients to achieve the right texture. The pumpkin puree is the main source of moisture, but it’s not always enough to keep the bread soft and tender.

Other recipes might have you add more oil or even extra water to compensate, but even then, the bread can still dry out during the baking process or while it’s cooling.

So how do you solve this problem? By following a simple process that helps the bread retain moisture even after it’s baked.

The key to keeping your pumpkin bread from drying out is a technique called resting. This is a concept you might already be familiar with when you cook steak, chicken, or pork.

When you remove meat from the heat source, you often let it rest, covered or wrapped, to allow the juices to redistribute. This keeps the meat from drying out.

The same basic principle applies to pumpkin bread. After the bread is baked, you let it cool briefly before removing it from the pan. Then, while it’s still warm, you wrap it loosely in foil. This traps the moisture inside the loaf, allowing it to stay soft as it cools.

Why Resting Works

When you wrap the pumpkin bread while it’s warm, the moisture from the loaf has nowhere to go. Instead of evaporating, it stays within the bread, keeping it from drying out. By the time it cools completely, the moisture has fully set into the bread, making each slice soft and moist.

However it’s important to wrap the bread while it’s still warm, but not to wrap it too tightly. If the foil is too snug, it might stick to the bread, which could cause parts of the loaf to tear when you unwrap it.

Loosely wrapping the foil allows air to circulate, preventing this issue while still maintaining the moisture inside the bread itself.

How Long to Let the Bread Rest

After wrapping the bread in foil, let it cool completely before unwrapping it. This could take an hour or two, depending on the size of the loaf and the temperature of your kitchen.

It can be tempting to dig in as soon as the bread is out of the oven, but waiting for it to cool is worth the effort. The resting process helps keep the bread soft for days, so it’s a great method to use if you’re planning to store the bread for later.

Storing Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to four days. If you want to keep it longer, you can refrigerate the loaf for up to a week, but be sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

You can also freeze pumpkin bread for up to three months. To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw the bread at room temperature.

Making the Pumpkin Bread

Now that you know how to keep your pumpkin bread moist, it’s time to go over how to make it. This recipe uses simple ingredients, and you don’t need any special tools to prepare it. The most important thing is to follow the mixing and resting steps closely to achieve the best results.

Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup + 1½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup oil
• ⅓ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making this pumpkin bread recipe is to pre-heat the oven and prepare a 9 x 4″ loaf pan. Grease or spray the pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

If you prefer, you can line the loaf pan with parchment paper or use a silicone bread loaf pan instead of the non-stick spray.

Then In a large bowl, add the white sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Whisk the mixture together until no clumps are visible.

Set the dry ingredients aside while you combine the wet ingredients.

In another large bowl, combine the egg, pumpkin puree, oil and water. If you want this recipe to be oil-free, substitute all-natural applesauce in place of the oil.

Once the wet ingredients are mixed well, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Use a silicone spatula and mix until combined.

Then pour the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and use the spatula to evenly spread it in the pan.

Bake Time Required

Place it in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Then remove the pan from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Carefully take it out of the pan and immediately wrap the loaf in aluminum foil.

You don’t want the foil to be tightly wrapped around the bread. If you do so, the pumpkin bread may stick to the foil. Instead, loosely wrap the foil around the bread.

Let it cool off completely before removing the foil. Then store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Other Pumpkin Recipes

If love everything pumpkin this time of the year, including this pumpkin bread recipe, be sure to check out some of our other favorite pumpkin recipes below.

1. Baked Pumpkin Donuts
2. Classic Pumpkin Cookies
3. Easy Pumpkin Cookies – Just 2 Ingredients
4. Best Pumpkin Pie
5. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
6. Pumpkin Butter
7. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
8. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
9. Quick & Easy Pumpkin Dip
10. Pumpkin Spice Latte

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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