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Deliciously tender, easy pumpkin bread is topped with cinnamon and sugar for a family-favorite fall treat you can enjoy on repeat.
We Love Fall Flavors!
Our mom is known for her bread and this easy pumpkin bread is one of her adaptations. It is so good and soft and has become a fall favorite because of how simple it is and because its bursting with pumpkin flavor.
We changed it up a bit by adding some cinnamon and sugar on top which adds an extra layer of flavor and texture to the bread, making it an irresistible pumpkin recipe (like our Pumpkin Cupcakes and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies).
What’s to love:
- A sweet indulgence. Slice it up for a snack or a not-too-sweet dessert! Slather with Honey Butter or Cinnamon Butter for extra flavor.
- No rise time. One of the best parts about this pumpkin bread is that it doesn’t require any yeast!! Yay for quick bread recipes!
- Change it up. Easily adapt with various flavors and mix-ins such as chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or nuts, making it customizable to everyone’s tastes.
- Freezer-friendly. Make ahead and store in the freezer, for a pumpkin treat any time!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree – This recipe calls for a can of pumpkin puree and NOT canned pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is only pumpkin whereas the canned pie filling already has spices and other ingredients mixed into it.
- 4 whole eggs – Room temperature eggs incorporate better into the other ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup water
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – Replace the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves with an equal amount of Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Topping
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 5×9-inch loaf pans.
- BATTER. In a large bowl, mix 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, 4 eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, ⅔ cup water, 3 cups sugar until well blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 3½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ginger.
- Combine dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture and stir until just blended. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
- TOPPING. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and ½ tablespoon cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle over the top of the bread mixture in the pans before baking.
- BAKE. Tent with foil and bake for 75–80 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm, or let cool before serving.
Make Pumpkin Bread Muffins
Fill the muffin liners ⅔ full and bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Our Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are also amazing pumpkin muffin options!
More Like This
- More quick bread: Cinnamon Quick Bread, Blueberry Bread, Chocolate Bread, Banana Nut Bread
- More pumpkin bread recipes: Pumpkin Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bubble Bread, Pumpkin Streusel Bread
More collections: Quick Bread Recipes, Pumpkin Recipes, Muffin Recipes
Easy Pumpkin Bread
Deliciously tender, easy pumpkin bread is topped with cinnamon and sugar for a family-favorite fall treat.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup water
- 3 cups sugar
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Topping:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 5×9-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until well blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Combine dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture and stir until just blended. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
Topping
- Combine sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top of both loaves.
- Tent with foil and bake for 75–80 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm, or let cool before serving.
Video
Notes
Turn this recipe into muffins: Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill to 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Makes 24-30 muffins.
Add a layer of cream cheese! Mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with ⅓ cup of sugar, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon of flour. Pour half the batter into the pan, then add the cream cheese mixture in an even layer and top with the remaining batter. Bake as directed above.
Flavor variations.
- add 1 cup of chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips
- mix in chopped pecans or walnuts
- slice it up and drizzle it with maple syrup or slather on Cinnamon Butter or Honey Butter
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 284mg, Potassium: 37mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 54IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe FAQ
Does quick bread use the muffin method?
- This quick bread uses the muffin method – the dry ingredients are sifted together in a separate bowl. This ensures everything is properly distributed without overmixing the batter.
Why does pumpkin bread crack on top?
- Quick bread is famous for splitting on top. As the steam from the center pushes its way up to the top it splits the crust open in order to escape.
Additions?
- add 1 cup of chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips
- mix in chopped pecans or walnuts
- slice it up, and drizzle it with maple syrup or slather on Cinnamon Butter or Honey Butter.
How to store pumpkin bread?
- Remove the pumpkin loaf from the pan and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a Ziploc bag on the counter up to 2 days or 1 week in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze?
- Let the pumpkin bread cool. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag or wrap it again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months
For More Recipes:
NOTE: Pictures for this recipe were re-taken by Alicia of The Baker Upstairs.
I had my doubts about trying this pumpkin bread because it did not call for baking powder. Oh my! Was I wrong!!!! I politely ordered Kristyn’s cookbook after making this recipe. We all loved this bread, and it rose to a beautiful size! 😊
This is my new go to recipe for pumpkin bread. Delicious flavor of freshly puréed pumpkin is the star of the show, ensemble cast allows it to shine. Tender texture, delectable crumb. Cinnamon sugar topping is crowning glory.
Absolutely delicious! I put walnuts on top of one of the loaves. It’s amazing both ways! So moist… the perfect fall treat!
I know this recipe is getting ready reviews from everybody else but it certainly didn’t work for us.
We didn’t like the sugar cinnamon topping as a tasted a little bit burnt and the overall flavor was unimpressive.
Try try again!
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!