Well, the fall pumpkin frenzy that abounds this time of year eventually took a firm hold of my mind, and before I knew it… Pumpkin Loaf came out of my oven!
I’ve never even made pumpkin bread before, but this recipe turned out so good, I just had to share it right away. I think it may, in fact, be even better than… dare I say it… banana bread! Yes, I said it.
This pumpkin loaf is everything a quick bread should be: delicately spiced with a lovely light pumpkin flavor, it’s mildly sweet while grounded in the earthy flavors of pumpkin and olive oil, with a dense, yet soft and delicate crumb. It’s simple to make and bakes up like a dream. 
This recipe makes two loaves. Um… that’s a lot. There is no way my hubs and I could eat it all before it gets dried out or moldy (ewww!). But, it is the perfect recipe when you need to bring something, say to an office party or a family get together, but in actuality you secretly want to just keep your lovely home-baked creation for yourself because it is so delicious! Problem solved – 1 loaf to the party, 1 loaf stays home!
And… this recipe uses up the whole can of pumpkin. That’s super nice because I hate having a half can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge that I inevitably end up tossing into the garbage 2 weeks later, because I never managed to find a way to use it. Also… this loaf freezes really well. So, you can eat one now, and save one for later.
Plus! I have included a couple different variations, so you can make each loaf a little different if you prefer. This time around, I made one plain loaf and one with chocolate chips, because me and chocolate are the bestie of besties. But in all truth, I actually like the plain pumpkin loaf better because the flavor and the texture could truly shine and are just so great on their own. I found that the chocolate chips, while undeniably delicious, overwhelmed the pumpkin flavor a bit. Mini chocolate chips may provide a better pumpkin/chocolate balance, but I have yet to try that. 
This loaf is delicately flavored – the spices are light and the pumpkin isn’t overbearing. If you prefer stronger spice flavor, I would recommend doubling the cinnamon and nutmeg (see my variation for Super Spice Pumpkin Loaf).
This pumpkin loaf is absolute perfection when lightly toasted, and topped with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey.
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 15 ounce can (2 cups) pumpkin
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup water or orange juice
- 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2-4 tbsp turbinado sugar
- Optional ingredients (see notes) - chocolate chips, walnuts, crystallized ginger (finely minced)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 8½" x 4½" loaf pans with cooking spray. (Alternatively, if you will be adding chocolate chips or nuts use two 9 x 5" loaf pans. See notes below)
- In a large bowl beat or whisk together the oils, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, milk, water and vanilla. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (through nutmeg).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
- Bake the bread for 50 minutes. Working with one loaf at a time, brush the melted butter over the top of the loaf and immediately sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp of turbinado sugar. Return loaf to the oven and bake for 10-20 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool loaf on a wire rack. Once completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
- This loaf tastes even better the next day and also freezes very well!
- Variation 1: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf - add 1½ cups chocolate chips and 1 cup of walnuts or pecans (if desired) to the batter prior to dividing into loaf pans. Be sure to use 9" x 5" loaf pans for this variation. Baking time may be slightly longer.
- Variation 2: Super Spice Pumpkin Loaf - double the cinnamon and nutmeg, and add a dash of ground ginger and ground cloves. Divide batter into 8½" x 4½" loaf pans.
- Variation 3: Ginger Pumpkin Loaf - Add 1 tsp of ground ginger and ¼ cup of finely minced crystallized ginger. Divide batter into 8½" x 4½" loaf pans.
You can try using orange juice in place of the water to add a touch of brightness to the flavor of this pumpkin loaf.
As written, this pumpkin loaf is very mildly spiced with a nice pumpkin flavor. If you prefer a lot of spice I would recommend doubling the cinnamon and nutmeg (see Super Spice Pumpkin Loaf variation!)
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe.
What is turbinado sugar? Is it found with other sugar?
Yes – it’s a coarser type of sugar that is mostly used to sprinkle on the top of things for a little sparkle and sweet crunch.
I made this bread yesterday. It turned out wonderful and is so tasty!!