This easy pumpkin bread recipe is a fall go-to! Not only does it taste amazing, but it also makes your house smell INCREDIBLE. Like truly, no need for a candle when you’re baking this baby! It’s moist, full of pumpkin flavor, soft, and a crowd pleaser! I personally love my pumpkin bread with chocolate chips (so I usually add for myself), but Thomas is a purist and he prefers without. You can do either, up to you! Both are fantastic! Hope this becomes a family favorite like it is ours!
What you need to make the easy pumpkin bread recipe + substitutions:
- Unsalted butter- You can use salted as well but I always go for unsalted in baking. If you use salted, you can still keep the salt ratio in this pumpkin bread the same! A neutral oil also works great as well.
- Granulated sugar- A classic in any recipe. You can use white sugar, cane sugar, whatever you prefer.
- Brown sugar- Brown sugar gives it that caramel note and adds the perfect sweetness as well as giving them that deep rich brown color.
- Eggs- The egg helps to bind the recipe and really helps give it taste and texture.
- Vanilla extract- No baked good recipe is complete without vanilla extract in my opinion. It’s key!
- Canned pumpkin- Canned pumpkin is obviously required for this one. Make sure to get pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling (although that would taste delicious too).
- All-purpose flour- I typically bake with all-purpose flour. Almond and coconut flour do not have the same measurements so they will not work in this recipe. However, gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour should work just fine. Make sure to find one with xantham gum, I love Bob’s Red Mill, but any should do.
- Pumpkin pie spice- Definitely required to give it that spice and flavor! If you don’t have any, you could always make your own at home.
- Cinnamon- The perfect extra hint of spice and warmth.
- Baking soda- Helps to produce light and perfectly cooked pumpkin bread.
- Sea salt- Salt is key in a baked good, because it really helps to bring out the flavor!
- Chocolate chips- I didn’t put chocolate chips in this particular one, but I love it with chocolate chips! They’re totally optional, but make it extra incredible!
If you love these, you may also love:
- The Easiest Apple Cobbler
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Alright, let’s get to making the recipe! Enjoy friends!
Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
This is easy pumpkin bread recipe is a fall go-to! Not only does it taste amazing, but it also makes your house smell INCREDIBLE. Like truly, no need for a candle when you're baking this baby! It's moist, full of pumpkin flavor, soft, and a crowd pleaser! I personally love my pumpkin bread with chocolate chips (so I usually add for myself), but Thomas is a purist and he prefers without. You can do either, up to you! Both are fantastic! Hope this becomes a family favorite like it is ours!
Servings 8
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted & cooled or a neutral oil works great too!
- ¾-1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 15oz can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¾-1 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the melted butter and both sugars.
- Then add in the eggs, canned pumpkin, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Next, add in the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Lastly, add in the chocolate chips and mix into the batter with a spatula until everything is combined. The batter should be thick and sticky. You can reserve a few chocolate chips for the top too make it pretty! If you choose to skip the chocolate, a sprinkle of sugar on top gives a great little addition!
- Line an 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with oil or rub with butter. Pour your batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle on a few chocolate chips and bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes.
- Around the 50 min mark, you can lay foil over the bread to make sure it doesn't brown too much but has enough time to cook in the middle. Mine took about 65 minutes.
- Let cool, slice, and ENJOY!
Notes
*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can always make your own if you have the other ingredients! HERE is a good homemade recipe!
*When it comes to canned pumpkin, I always buy the Libby’s, but I also found THIS RECIPE for homemade pumpkin puree if you’re wanting to do that!
*This recipe should also work with a gluten free 1:1 all-purpose flour (I love THIS BRAND). I haven’t personally tested it, but it typically works pretty well in my recipes! Almond, oat, or coconut flour will not work. They don’t measure/ bake the same!
UPDATE: This recipe used to use 1 cup pure canned pumpkin and 1 1/2 cups flour. I updated the recipe to now be 1 whole 15oz can of pumpkin and 1 3/4 cup flour. I prefer this version!
