Easy pumpkin bread

Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!

Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!


This easy pumpkin bread is one of those recipes that falls under the category of Our Kouppes, recipes that we (Helen & Billie) have either developed, tweaked or perfected over the years. In other words, our parents have never made pumpkin bread and we’re pretty sure they would be shocked to learn that you can buy pumpkin puree in a can. Any pumpkin they use in recipes is grown by them, grated by them, and turned into lovely Greek recipes like pumpkin pita, and an assortment of squash or pumpkin fritters, like these with cheese, and these without.

Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!

Autumn is a season that we both love so much. The colours (fall foliage in our beautiful province of Quebec is magnificent), the warm knit sweaters, the cool nights perfect for snuggling and sleeping…and the food! This is the season when we turn to stews and soups and baked goods loaded with apples, pears and pumpkin! The internet agrees and there are as many recipes for pumpkin bread as there are Canadian maple trees in the Laurentians. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but only a slight one.

Faced with so many choices, what is a home baker to do?! Well, we may be biased but we think that you should most definitely settle on our recipe. It’s easy, full of flavour, bakes up in a larger-than-standard loaf pan (which means a bigger pumpkin bread) and is loved by everyone who has tried it. Not convinced? Well, bake it up anyways and let us know if we oversold it!


Helpful hints

What is the difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling?

For this easy pumpkin bread recipe you will need to use pumpkin puree that you find in a can. You will likely also see pumpkin pie filling nearby – these are not the same thing. Pumpkin puree should contain pumpkin, and not much else. Brands vary and some will actually use a combination of pumpkin and other winter squash.

Pumpkin pie filling on the other hand is used to make things like pumpkin pie. Here the pureed pumpkin is already sweetened and spiced. Makes life easier if you are making a dessert pie, but not appropriate for a pumpkin bread like this one.

Can this easy pumpkin bread be baked in a standard-size loaf pan?

There is a lot of batter here so if all you have is a standard loaf pan (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches) then fill it 2/3 of the way full and use the remaining batter to make muffins. Simply adjust your cooking time; muffins will take between 18 – 22 minutes and your smaller loaf will take between 50 – 60 minutes. As always however, remember that ovens vary so check for doneness using a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it’s done!

What can I do with leftover pumpkin puree?

You can either use it to make other pumpkin recipes, or freeze it.

Is pumpkin bread healthy?

So here’s the thing. Pumpkin bread is called bread…but really, given the sugar content it is much more of a cake. The pumpkin is healthy, but the sugar content may be prohibitive to some. Still, if you’re looking for a sweet treat that packs a nutritional punch our easy pumpkin bread may be the answer. Pumpkin is high in fiber and Vitamin A, along with other lovely things while being low in calories so go ahead an indulge in a slice, or two.

How can I tell if my pumpkin bread is cooked?

Like with any baking recipe the cooking time is really meant to be used as a guide. Ovens vary and you don’t want to rely solely on the time listed in any recipe.

Our favourite way to check if a cake is ready is to stick a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, or with only a few crumbs attached to it, then it is done. If it comes out with wet batter stuck to it, it needs more time in the oven.

If the top of your pumpkin bread appears to be browned, but the center still needs some time, cover it loosely with some aluminum foil. This will prevent your cake from burning on top.

Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!
Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!

If you love this easy pumpkin bread, we think you’ll also love these recipes:

Vegan chocolate and blueberry cake

Chocolate chip banana bread

Greek mountain tea cake

We love hearing from you!  If you have made our recipes, or if you have a question or comment, or simply want to say Hi!,  please leave a comment and star rating below! Also be sure to follow along with us, on FacebookInstagram and Pinterest.  We have lots of fun over there.

Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!
Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!

Easy pumpkin bread

Our easy pumpkin bread is the ONLY recipe you will ever need!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

  • Stand mixer
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Parchment paper
  • 1 loaf pan: 9 x 5 x 2-1/2 inches

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cup (435 grams) pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil or other mild flavoured oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
  • cup (135 grams) light brown sugar
  • 2 ¼ cups (335 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • cooking spray for greasing pan or additional vegetable oil

For the topping

  • 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • ½ tsp vegetable oil or other mild flavoured oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Prepare your loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper and greasing lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
    cooking spray for greasing pan
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil and the sugars. Beat well using the paddle attachment for 6 - 8 minutes at medium speed.
    1 ¾ cup (435 grams) pumpkin puree, 3 large eggs, 1 cup (200 grams) sugar, ⅔ cup (135 grams) light brown sugar, ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
  • Combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whisk to combine.
    2 ¼ cups (335 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp salt
  • With the mixer speed set to low, add the flour mixer to the pumpkin puree mix and mix until just combined. Finish mixing by hand using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
  • Prepare your topping by combining the pumpkin seeds, maple syrup and oil. Mix well.
    3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 tsp maple syrup, ½ tsp vegetable oil
  • Transfer the batter to your loaf pan and top with your pumpkin seed topping.
  • Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 65 - 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (see Recipe Notes)
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

We like to place our loaf pan on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil to catch any spills.  This is especially important if you use the more standard  8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches loaf pan versus the larger one that we use for this recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 6755IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg

Thanks for sharing!

11 Comments

  1. greekofile says:

    Can you make this without the sugars for a more savoury/less calorific pumpkin bread? Could/should you substitute anything else?

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi there! Since this is really a sweet bread (more of a cake actually) we don’t think that omitting the sugars would work. Substitutions could be tricky too – baking is fussy that way 🙂 If you are looking for some savoury bread options, we have some lovely bread loafs on our site including a Cinnamon raisin bread that is lovely. Also, if you want something more dessert like, but want to avoid sugar, we have a vegan apple cake that is refined sugar free (uses maple syrup). Hope that helps! xoxo Helen & Billie

      1. greekofile says:

        Thanks – yes, I am wary of varying baking & cake recipes so accept what you say about leaving out sugar! I still have some pumpkin (roasted flesh in freezer) from an enormous pumpkin I was given, so it was a pumpkin bread without yeast that I was looking for (rather than a sweet cake which we don’t often eat), perhaps to go with cheese or instead of bread for mopping up other Greek dishes. Thanks anyway.

      2. Do I really need a stand up mixer? Can I get away with a hand mixer?

      3. miakouppa says:

        Oh sure! Any mixer will do…you can even do this by hand, but it will take come muscle 🙂 xoxo Helen & Billie

  2. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen says:

    The texture of this looks beautiful! Pumpkins are everywhere!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Pumpkins ARE everywhere! And with good reason – they’re awesome 🙂 Hope you try our pumpkin bread. We think you’ll love it Dorothy! xoxo Helen & Billie

      1. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen says:

        I might make it for my sister, it’s her favorite!

  3. ajeanneinthekitchen says:

    I love pumpkin everything. This looks so good. 🙂

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thank you so much!! We really hope you give it a try. We think you’ll love it! xoxo Helen & Billie

      1. ajeanneinthekitchen says:

        I am sure I will. 🙂

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