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Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Bread with walnut slices on a pink marble serving tray

Pumpkin Walnut Bread (Super Moist & No Mixer Needed)

This no-fail pumpkin walnut pumpkin bread recipe is based on my now 97-year-old Granny’s recipe which is super moist and delicious. You don’t need a mixer to make this pumpkin spiced bread — just a bowl and a fork. This bakery-style vintage pumpkin bread is perfect for fall baking including Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas because everyone loves it including kiddos. Watch the How to Make Pumpkin Walnut Bread Video below to see how easy it is to make!

My 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, homemade pumpkin pie spice, homemade vanilla extract, and walnuts (pecans are still my favorite though). 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 using homemade purée puts it over the top.

Why You’ll Love This Vintage Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

  • No mixer required
  • It’s always super moist
  • It’s super quick to make
  • It has loads of fresh pumpkin flavor
  • Easy to make (especially for kiddos)
  • It’s perfectly pumpkin-spiced
  • It’s flecked with toasted walnuts
  • It’s even better on day 2
  • Use this recipe to make pumpkin spice 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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).

Bakery-Style Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Bread Ingredients 

You just need a handful of ingredients to make pumpkin bread that’s just as good as (or better than) your local bakery. 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 and pumpkin pie spice.

Easy Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

  • pumpkin purée
  • all-purpose flour (or 00 flour)
  • sugar
  • baking soda
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • freshly ground nutmeg
  • salt
  • vegetable oil
  • vanilla extract
  • eggs
  • water
  • toasted walnuts

 

How to Make the Very Best Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Bread (from Scratch)

This bakery-style pumpkin bread is not only super easy to make, but everyone (including kids and adults) loves it.  Use my 1-Loaf recipe found in the recipe notes if you want to make only one pumpkin bread loaf, or make the full recipe and freeze it to get a headstart on your holiday baking, or give it as a gift. 

  1. 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.
  2. Measure + combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
  3. 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 toasted walnuts (or pecans) and stir them into the batter just until combined. *Do not overmix.  
  4. 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. Enjoy!

How to Make Walnut Pumpkin Bread step-by-step recipe photos 

For the homemade pumpkin purée (from scratch)

For the homemade pumpkin walnut bread (sub canned pumpkin purée for this recipe)

 

Pumpkin Walnut Bread Tips & Tricks & FAQ’s

Can I Freeze Homemade Walnut Pumpkin Bread?

Yes, pumpkin walnut 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 it 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 Walnut Bread?

Yes, you can use baking powder instead of baking soda in this walnut 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 Walnut 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 of any kind 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 walnut 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 walnut 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 Easy Quick Bread Recipes?

You may want to try out one of our delicious banana bread recipes (photographed above). 

Looking For More Pumpkin Recipes?

If you’re looking for easy pumpkin recipes, here are a few more of our favorites you might also enjoy.

Let’s get started! ev

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Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Bread with walnut slices on a pink marble serving tray

No-Fail Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Bread (w/Toasted Walnuts)


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  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Pumpkin Bread Loaves 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This easy vintage pumpkin bread recipe is the best ever. It’s based on my 96-year-old Granny’s recipe which is super moist and full of pumpkin spice flavor — and it requires no mixer at all, just a bowl and a fork. This is a really moist pumpkin bread that’s perfect for fall baking and for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Kids and adults alike love this pumpkin bread. 


Ingredients

Scale

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)*see notes for reducing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda (10g)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt) (8g)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (3-4g)
  • 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)
  • 2 cups toasted walnuts (260g)

*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.

*If you want a slightly less sweet pumpkin bread, reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup or even 1/2 cup. Removing too much sugar without replacing it with something, can negatively affect the chemistry during the baking process though, so be sure to keep that in mind.


Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Measure + combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
  3. 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 toasted walnuts (or pecans) and stir them into the batter just until combined. *Do not overmix.  
  4. 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. 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)
  • 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or more to taste (1.5g)
  • 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 walnuts, pecans, or walnuts (65g)

*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
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