Moist Pumpkin Bread Loaf (Printable)

A moist pumpkin loaf featuring warm spices and optional nuts or chocolate chips for added texture and flavor.

# Components:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
03 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
06 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
10 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted unsalted butter)
14 - 1/4 cup milk
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

16 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
17 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined; avoid overmixing.
05 - If desired, fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips evenly through the batter.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
07 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's foolproof enough for beginners but genuinely delicious, so you won't feel like you're settling.
  • One loaf feeds a crowd or stretches across several breakfast mornings without getting boring.
  • The spices are balanced so nothing overwhelms—it tastes warm and intentional, not cloying.
02 -
  • Don't use pumpkin pie filling by mistake—it already has sugar and spices, and your bread will be sickeningly sweet and confusing.
  • If your pumpkin purée seems really wet, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve for 10 minutes to remove excess moisture, which can make the crumb gummy.
  • The toothpick test is real; overbaking makes it dry, and underbaking leaves it gummy in the middle, so check right at that 55-minute window.
03 -
  • Let your spices warm up in a dry pan for 30 seconds before measuring to wake up their fragrance—you'll notice a difference in how alive the bread tastes.
  • Cool the loaf completely before wrapping it for storage, even if it feels like forever; a warm loaf trapped in plastic will steam and get soggy.
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