We love this super moist and flavorful bread with a nice dose of healthy pumpkin puree, warm spices and oil. It comes together quickly, keeps well for days, and can be frozen. Spice it up according to your taste and eat it plain or glazed, with the walnuts on top or in the batter. It's outstanding either way!
A classic with a crunchy twist
This is the first homemade pumpkin bread recipe I baked, and it's still my favorite. The addition of walnuts makes it even better.
I think us bakers who bake a lot have difficulty naming favorites. But sometimes recipes stand out by themselves time and time again. When the fall season starts, this moist pumpkin loaf immediately appears.
This bread is moist, spiced and wonderful toasted in the morning or as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. It's a wonderful fall recipe, perfect for pumpkin season and the holidays.
Let me tell you that this pumpkin bread with walnuts probably trumps my favorite carrot cake. Sometimes, it even trumps my favorite banana bread recipe. I know. I can't believe I just wrote that, but I did.
Ingredient list
- Pumpkin purée: you can use fresh or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). Or butternut squash. They all work wonderfully. I use homemade pumpkin puree.
- Vegetable oil: use a neutral type, like sunflower oil or canola oil. For a healthier variation, coconut oil works too.
- Egg: fresh, large.
- Pumpkin spice: I usually make my own (see Notes in the recipe card), but use a store-bought one or your own mix.
- Sugar: using brown sugar gives it an extra layer of caramel flavor that works great with pumpkin's natural sweetness. You can use white sugar if that's all you have.
- Vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking soda: is used as leavener to help the scones rise, so make sure it isn't expired.
- Walnuts: you can use them whole or chopped, in the batter or on top.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
- Butternut squash puree: use it instead of the pumpkin. It has a brighter color and can be sweeter when in season.
- Nuts: use pecans, almonds or hazelnuts.
- Other add-ins: instead of walnuts, add semisweet chocolate chips (or white for a sweeter flavor) and/or raisins. Or sprinkle with pumpkin seeds before baking for a crunchier top.
Tips to make pumpkin bread
- Equipment: Use a large bowl and an electric mixer. A stand mixer can also be used but I find it's not a large amount of batter, so I'd rather do it by hand.
- Pumpkin: use the canned puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)or homemade pumpkin puree like I do.
- Walnuts:
In the batter. You can add the chopped walnuts to the pumpkin batter together with the flour.
As a topping, sprinkle or place whole or chopped walnuts on the pumpkin batter before baking. This way, you'll have crunchy nuts and a solid bite of pumpkin bread.
- Flavorings: adjust to your taste. Maybe you like more cinnamon, maybe less cloves (me). Find your spice spot.
- Sifting: it's important to sift the dry ingredients before adding them. I have them measured and sift them directly over the pumpkin batter. But you can do it in a separate bowl if it's easier.
- Lining the pan: use a greased loaf pan lined with a strip of parchment paper to help remove the pumpkin bread when baked.
- Filling and baking: ideally, you never fill a loaf pan more than ⅔ of its capacity; ¾ at the most. It needs space to grow and bake properly.
⭐️ Vintage Kitchen Tip
After adding the flour, mix *just* until integrated, but don't overdo it, as it will toughen the bread. We want it soft and spongy. Use the electric mixer on low speed or a spatula to avoid overbeating.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pumpkin: if you opt for homemade fresh pumpkin puree, it must be on the dry side and not have excess water. Drain it if that's the case.
- Spices: find your favorite blend and adjust this recipe. Or use store-bought pumpkin pie spice. You can also use just one or two, like ground cinnamon and ginger.
- Pans: I like to make one large loaf, but you can gift smaller loaf pans or maybe eat one and freeze the others for another time. Use muffin tins to make pumpkin bread muffins.
- Storing: keep it covered in plastic wrap or under a cake dome at room temperature for a day or two, and then refrigerate or freeze (first plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or in an airtight container).
Freezing
Once the pumpkin bread is completely cooled, it can be frozen.
I like to slice it first because I toast it and eat it with cream cheese in the morning, but you can freeze it whole. Wrap it well in plastic wrap first and then aluminum foil.
If whole, defrost at room temperature, still wrapped, until it's cold. Then unwrap completely and wait until it comes to room temperature.
Before eating, you can warm individual slices directly from the freezer in a medium/low oven.
Related recipes you might like:
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Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, homemade or store-bought (see Notes, below)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, I use sunflower
- 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash puree, fresh or canned
- ¾ cup walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter or use baking spray on an 8x4-inch loaf pan. You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two short sides. The two long sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the cake from the pan.
- Coarsely chop the walnuts and reserve.
- Beat the eggs, sugar, and oil in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
- Add the pumpkin puree and mix well.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. You can also have them measured and sift them directly over the pumpkin mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate, don't overmix. If adding the nuts to the batter, do so now and mix lightly.
- Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared pans and, if sprinkling the nuts on top, do so now.
- Bake for about 55-60 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. It can take a while to fully bake.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack, and remove from the pan with the help of the paper.
- Keep well wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, and then refrigerate.
Notes
Adapted from Cakes, by Maida Heatter
Caroline says
Made this bread today and added pecans to the batter and it exceeded my expectations. Super yummy! I might double the recipe next time! Love love love your recipes ❤️
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks so much for your comment Caroline! Happy to hear you loved it. Have a great week!
Tonia says
I love your receipes. I have a question about convection or conventional oven Temps...are your Temps for convection oven or conventional?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Tonia, I use convection, which has a fan that distrubutes the heat differently. But all ovens are different and I think the most important thing is to know YOUR oven, and that is by baking and using it.
angiesrecipes says
The bread looks fantastic! I am happy that pumpkin season finally arrives!
Jora says
I'm so jealous of your discipline! It's so hard for me to bake things without at least tasting them, and my thighs certainly have suffered... 🙂
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, wonderful warm colors and a great recipe for a delicious looking Pumpkin Walnut Loaf Cake!
Medeja says
Looks so yummy! Soft but not dry!
Lizzy Do says
Looks delectable! I've never seen candied pumpkin, but I'd love to sample it (and your bread!). My yeast bread for Tuesday was a bit of a flop...still wondering if I should post it...no time to make it again :/
wp_vknotes_admin says
Mine too! I finished it today and is not what I was expecting. Don´t know if the yeast failed or what. But if yours failed too, maybe it´s the recipe. I can make it again if I make the effort, but I don´t see how it can be better the second time...
yummychunklet says
Love that candied topping!
Guru Uru says
Maple glaze and walnuts and pumpkin = perfect! 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Laura Dembowski says
I love roasting my own pumpkin and pureeing it to make pumpkin to use in any baked good. It's so much better and healthier than the canned stuff. But candied pumpkin is the best idea ever! I seriously wish I would have thought of that 🙂 It's nice to know I'm not the only blogger out there buying pie pumpkins to bake with. It's also great shredded in muffins and cupcakes (I have a pumpkin muffin recipe on my blog that's to die for: http://piesandplots.net/fresh-pumpkin-muffins/)!
Marissa says
Looks incredible! I've never heard of candied pumpkin, but what a great idea.
Emily Dicks says
This looks amazing! I just recently fell in love with pumpkin bread.
Amy says
This bread looks delicious! No canned pumpkin?! How sad... But, these candied pumpkin pieces look great! I've never seen those and I bet they are fantastic.