This easy pumpkin bread recipe is super moist and delicious — and requires no mixer at all. Passed down to my Mom from my now 96-year-old Granny, this pumpkin bread is still one of my all-time favorite fall and Thanksgiving desserts to make.
This post is dedicated to my Granny L. who raised 8 kids (who all turned out to be excellent bakers and cooks) and somehow still managed to make countless meals from her garden, deep freezer, and pantry like a total pro — 365 days a year. Thank you for the endless Sunday lunches and all of your delicious food and recipes that I’m still making today. I Love you♡
This is a recipe that has been in our family for who knows how long. My sister Lori would use it to make Granny’s Pecan Roll (still one of the best desserts ever) and it’s been a staple in our family for as long as I can remember. Granny’s original recipe calls for cinnamon, a little pre-ground nutmeg, Libby’s canned pumpkin, and pecans from her tree. I’ve updated her recipe just a bit to include a quick 20-minute homemade pumpkin purée, freshly ground nutmeg, vanilla, and pumpkin seeds (because I was out of pecans♡). If you use Libby’s, Whole Foods 365, or Trader Joe’s pumpkin purée this quick bread will still be extra delicious and moist, but this homemade pumpkin purée puts it over the top.
Why You’ll Love This Vintage Pumpkin Bread Recipe:
- My Granny made it (and everything she ever made in her life is/was 100% delicious♡)
- No mixer required
- It’s super moist
- It’s really quick to mix up
- It has loads of fresh pumpkin flavor
- Easy to make (especially for kiddos)
- It’s perfectly spiced
- It’s flecked with toasted pumpkin seeds (or even better, pecans )
- It’s even better on day 2
- You can use this recipe to make pumpkin muffins
Why is My Pumpkin Bread Dry or Dense?
Avoid dry or dense pumpkin bread by following the tips and techniques below. It all comes down to a few simple but important rules of thumb when you’re making this quick bread (or any quick bread for that matter). Below are a couple of common mistakes people make and how you can avoid them.
Here are a couple of ways you can ensure your homemade pumpkin bread is always moist.
- Always thoroughly whisk the dry ingredients together before adding any liquid (i.e. flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg). This helps ensure the leavening agent (baking soda in this case) is evenly distributed and therefore enables the pumpkin bread to properly (and evenly) rise which gives you a moist (not dense) loaf.
- Do not over-mix the pumpkin bread batter. When adding the wet ingredients (i.e. eggs, oil, vanilla, and water) to the dry ingredients don’t over-mix. If you mix too vigorously, or for too long, you’ll further activate the gluten in the flour and end up with dense pumpkin bread instead of a light, moist pumpkin bread (similar to cake).
Super Moist Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
You just need a handful of ingredients to make this delicious pumpkin bread. Substitute homemade pumpkin purée for Libby’s, Whole Foods 365, or Trader Joe’s pumpkin purée which will speed up the recipe and still taste great. Use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract if you have that on hand.
Easy Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
- pumpkin purée
- all-purpose flour (or 00 flour)
- sugar
- baking soda
- cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
- nutmeg, freshly grated
- salt
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- water
- pumpkin seeds (or pecans, walnuts, etc.)
How to Make the Very Best Pumpkin Bread (from Scratch)
My now 96 (almost 97-year-old) Granny is a superior cook and baker. She and my Papa raised 9 children (who all happen to also be really great bakers and cooks), so you can be sure that this recipe is a good one. It’s not only super easy to make, but everyone (including kids and adults) loves it.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C + Prep the baking pans. Turn on the oven and generously butter or oil two 9×9-inch loaf pans (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Add about 1/2 cup of flour to one pan and turn the pan while tapping it to ensure the flour coats every surface well. Tap out the excess flour into the second loaf pan and repeat. Tap both pans well to remove excess flour; set aside.
- Measure + combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the oil, eggs, water, vanilla, and pumpkin purée and mix just until smooth. Add the pumpkin seeds (or pecans) and stir them into the batter just until combined. *Do not overmix.
- Bake the pumpkin bread. Divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges to help it release. Carefully remove the pumpkin loaf from the pan and allow to finish cooling on the wire rack until completely cooled. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Bread Tips & Tricks
Can I Freeze Homemade Pumpkin Bread?
Yes, pumpkin bread freezes really well. Always allow any baked good to completely cool to room temperature before wrapping it with parchment and then sustainable cling film. Place the wrapped loaves into an airtight freezer bag or another container and freeze. Defrost pumpkin bread in the refrigerator overnight, or on the countertop for a couple of hours. You can also portion, and freeze individual slices which make great mid-week breakfasts or afternoon snacks.
Can I Use Baking Powder Instead of Baking Soda in Pumpkin Bread?
Yes, you can use baking powder instead of baking soda in this pumpkin bread recipe. The rule of thumb for substituting baking powder with baking soda is to use 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour called for in the recipe. I haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know in the comments how it worked out for you.
Why Did My Pumpkin Bread Collapse, Fall, or Sink in the Middle?
Typically the collapse of quick breads and cakes happens for a number of reasons:
- Underbaking pumpkin bread can cause it to be too moist on the inside and not adequately set up. As it cools, the “wet” middle will sink. Always make sure a toothpick or cake tester poked into the middle of the pumpkin bread comes out clean before removing it from the oven.
- Adding too much baking soda and/or baking powder causes too many (and too large) air bubbles to form (from the carbon dioxide that’s produced when the leavening agent and liquid are combined). The bubbles grow too large and then deflate onto and into themselves causing cakes and quick-breads to collapse in the center.
- Adding too much pumpkin or liquid to the batter can also make your pumpkin bread sink in the middle. If the batter has too much moisture, the air bubbles created by the leavening agent (baking soda in this case) will never be enough to help create and set the air pockets that give it the desired crumb (texture).
Need a Few More Quick Bread Recipes?
You may want to try out one of our delicious banana bread recipes (photographed above).
- Best Ever Strawberry Banana Bread Bread Cake
- Best Ever Classic Banana Bread Bread Cake
- Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake
- Easy and Moist Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread
Looking For More Pumpkin Recipes?
If you’re looking for a little pumpkin recipe inspiration, above are a few more of our favorites you might also enjoy.
- Easy Homemade Pumpkin Purée (100% from Scratch in just 20 minutes)
- No-yeast Easy Skillet Pumpkin Flatbread (recipe coming this week)
- Easy Pumpkin Focaccia Bread (Focaccia alla Zucca)
- Super Moist Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread w/Toasted Pumpkin Seed Crunch
- Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Chestnut Graham Cracker Layer
- All-Natural Kabocha Pumpkin Pie Tart w/Pecan Crunch (no canned pumpkin)
Let’s get started! ever
Print
Granny’s Super Moist Pumpkin Bread w/Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (a Vintage Recipe)
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 Pumpkin Bread Loaves 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy vintage pumpkin bread recipe is super moist and delicious — and requires no mixer at all. Passed down to my Mom from my now 96-year-old Granny, this pumpkin bread is still one of my all-time favorite fall and Thanksgiving desserts to make. Kids and adults alike love this pumpkin bread.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
- 15 ounces homemade pumpkin purée or 1 can storebought (425g)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (480g)*see notes for correctly measuring flour below
- 3 cups granulated sugar (595g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda (10g)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt) (8g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste (2g)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or more to taste (1g)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (227g)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature (200g)
- 2/3 cup water (140g)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8g)
- 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, pecans, or walnuts (140g)
*I use 00 flour when I’m in Italy, and the weight of different flours varies based on the humidity content and absorption potential of the flour you’re working with. Just be sure to use the ‘scoop and level’ method to measure your flour into measuring cups and spoons and the recipe works perfectly every time.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C + Prep the baking pans. Turn on the oven and generously butter two 9×9-inch loaf pans (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Add about 1/2 cup of flour to one pan and turn the pan while tapping it to ensure the flour coats every surface well. Tap out the excess flour into the second loaf pan and repeat. Tap both pans well to remove excess flour; set aside.
- Measure + combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the oil, eggs, water, vanilla, and pumpkin purée and mix just until smooth. Add the pumpkin seeds (or pecans) and stir them into the batter just until combined. *Do not overmix.
- Bake the pumpkin bread. Divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges to help it release. Carefully remove the pumpkin loaf from the pan and allow to finish cooling on the wire rack until completely cooled. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use this recipe to make 30 pumpkin muffins instead. Line muffin tins with paper or foil liners and fill 3/4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove them from the pan to finish cooling on the racks. Store muffins in an airtight container, or freeze them for easy weekday breakfast, or lunch box deserts.
- If you want slightly less sweet pumpkin bread, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup (50 to 100g) less sugar. This is a dessert bread after all, but it’s also really tasty without as much sugar (not to mention healthier too). If you cut out too much sugar you run the risk of the recipe failing.
- Substitute orange juice for the water called for in the recipe for a little bit of citrus flavor, but you don’t need to use it to make the pumpkin bread any moister because this is by far the moistest pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever eaten. It’s not overpowering by any means, and I typically don’t use it, but it’s still a tasty substitution.
Half Batch Pumpkin Bread Batter Ingredients (MAKES 1 LOAF)
- 7 1/2 ounces homemade pumpkin purée (1/2 can store-bought) (212g)
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (240g)*see notes for correctly measuring flour below
- 1 1/2 cups pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar) (295g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoons table salt) (4.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste (1g)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or more to taste (0.5g)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (113g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (100g)
- 1/3 cup water (70g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4g)
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, pecans, or walnuts (70g)
*I use 00 flour when I’m in Italy, and the weight of different flours varies based on the humidity content and absorption potential of the flour you’re working with. Just be sure to use the ‘scoop and level’ method to measure your flour into measuring cups and spoons and the recipe works perfectly every time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: Cakes + Tortes
- Method: Oven Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
Keywords: pumpkin bread, easy pumpkin bread recipe, pumpkin cinnamon bread, pumpkin bread recipe moist, super moist pumpkin bread recipe, pumpkin seeds, homemade pumpkin purée, libby's canned pumpkin, pumpkin desserts, pumpkin bread from scratch, pumpkin bread with canned pumpkin, trader joe's pumpkin purée, whole foods 365 pumpkin puree, libby's pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice pumpkin bread, pumpkin spiced bread,
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Bread step-by-step recipe photos
For the homemade pumpkin purée (from scratch).
For the homemade pumpkin bread (you may sub canned pumpkin purée for this recipe).
