There are several recipes in my repertoire that have been gifted to me by friends. This amazingly simple and delicious pumpkin bread recipe is one of them.
Long ago, when my boys were little, we were part of a playgroup through the mom’s group at church. My friend, Beth, would make this pumpkin bread for snack time when we met at her house. Beth’s two boys were just about the same age as my boys and she was one of the very first friends I made when we moved to Jacksonville. There’s just something to be said for good memories and good food, you know?
What I Love About This Recipe
I mean, really. What’s not to love?
- This is a one-bowl operation.
- Seriously, it couldn’t be simpler! Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and stir.
- My youngest daughter calls it my “best bread.” And, according to my 13 year-old, it “makes the top two” (second only to this banana bread).
- It’s not overly sweet. I know the recipe looks like it calls for a lot of sugar, but I actually cut what the original recipe called for.
- You just can’t get more “fall breakfast” than a slice of pumpkin bread with some scrambled eggs and sausage.
What’s in it?
3 ½ c. all-purpose flour
2 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
Just a couple notes about these ingredients: First, you can use up to about 3 cups of sugar if you’d like it a little sweeter. Second, I have the best results with Trader Joe’s organic canned pumpkin, but I’ve used Libby’s and Publix brand with great results, too. Last, if you’d like to add a cup and a half of chocolate chips or chopped pecans, feel free!
How do you make it?
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a really large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Beat until smooth. (At this point, if you want to add in 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips or chopped pecans, that would be delicious!)
Pour evenly into 2 well-greased loaf pans (any extra batter can be made into muffins). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you’re making muffins, those will need to come out sooner.
Let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. You may want to take that 10 minutes to clean up the mess you made. Or you might not. You do you, friend.
And, honestly, that’s it! You want simple, delicious baked goods…well, I’m your girl. And I’ll be forever grateful to my friend Beth. Not only for the amazing recipe, but for the years of friendship and a shared love of goofy little boys.
Here’s that printable PDF! Pumpkin Bread
Enjoy! And don’t forget to let me know if you try it!
