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!
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 daily have difficulty pointing out favorites. But sometimes recipes stand out by themselves, time and time again. When the fall season starts, this moist pumpkin loaf immediately appears.
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.
This bread is moist, spiced, and great 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.
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 goodness that works great with the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. You can use white if that's all you have.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- 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.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
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.
- Add-ins: instead of the 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.
How 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.
- 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 bowl if it's more comfortable for you.
The eggs are beaten with the sugar and the oil and then the pumpkin puree is added.
Pumpkin spices and vanilla (flavorings) are added next and mixed well.
The dry ingredients are added last and must be well integrated. But don't overmix the batter at this point.
Use a greased loaf pan lined with a strip of parchment paper to help remove the pumpkin bread when baked.
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.
Walnuts
- In the batter: you can mix the chopped walnuts into the pumpkin mixture.
- Topping: sprinkle or place them the whole or chopped walnuts on the pumpkin batter before popping the bread in the oven. This way you'll have the crunchy nuts and a solid bite of pumpkin bread.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, 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 you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pumpkin: if using 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
We love this super moist pumpkin nut bread. With a nice dose of healthy pumpkin puree (we make our own but canned works just as well) 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 or without the walnuts or pecans on top. It's outstanding either way!
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
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 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 eggs, sugar, and oil with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
- Add pumpkin puree and mix well.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Or have them measured and sift them directly over the pumpkin batter.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix only to incorporate.
- If adding the nuts to the batter, do so now and mix lightly.
- Pour the 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
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, 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 you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pumpkin: if using homemade fresh pumpkin puree, it needs to be on the dry side and not have excess water. Drain it if that's the case.
- Spices: make pumpkin spice blend from scratch, or find your favorite blend and adjust this recipe. Or use store-bought pumpkin pie spice. You can 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).
- Glaze: you can glaze it with a simple powdered sugar glaze. I love to use maple as the binding agent. Simply mix ¾ cup of powdered sugar until smooth with ½ tablespoon of hot water and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Pour over the cooled loaf, let it drip down the sides and let it dry before cutting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 20.4 g
- Sodium: 198.4 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.5 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 18.6 mg
Keywords: pumpkin bread with walnuts
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!