Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Bread with Canned Pumpkin
Simple Pumpkin Bread Recipe – Dairy Free & Gluten Free Friendly!
When pumpkin season rolls around, it helps to have an easy pumpkin bread recipe on hand. And this is my absolute favorite! Sweet, moist, and perfectly flavorful thanks to the canned pumpkin. Plus, it’s dairy free and can be made gluten free, too! I promise, once you give this simple pumpkin bread recipe a try, you’ll want to make it again and again.
For me, pumpkin bread is a must-bake fall-time treat, and sometimes a great excuse for me to eat dessert for breakfast. It’s comforting, subtly spiced, and I just love the creamy, sweet pumpkin-y flavor. It’s like everything wonderful about fall, baked into a fluffy loaf! Best of all, it’s a simple baked good that always turns out delicious.
Now, I’ve made gluten free, paleo, and even low carb pumpkin breads in the past. But this year, I wanted to bake a classic loaf, while keeping the recipe as simple and fool-proof as possible. So, I’ve used all-purpose flour for this simple pumpkin bread recipe, but it will also work with a 1-to-1 gluten free flour if that suits your needs.
Once you make the base batter, it’s easy to jazz up with your favorite mix-ins like nuts or even chocolate chips. Personally, I prefer this easy pumpkin bread with just a sprinkle of coarse sparkling sugar on top! Seriously, that sugar adds a crave-ably crisp, caramelized layer on top of the loaf and I highly recommend giving it a try.
Easy Pumpkin Bread Ingredients
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup milk, dairy or non-
1½ cups flour (all-purpose, wheat or gluten-free)
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Mix-Ins & Toppings:
¾ cup chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc.
1-2 Tbsp coarse sparkling sugar, for topping
Substitutions
- Oils: Be sure to use a high smoke point oil with a neutral flavor, like avocado oil or light or extra light olive oil. (Extra-virgin has a low smoke point, so do not use for cooking!)
- Sugars: I find that granulated white sugar and brown sugar work best in this recipe. Or, you can also replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar instead if preferred.
- Eggs: I haven’t found a suitable substitute for the eggs in this recipe, and I haven’t personally tried making it with a vegan egg substitute!
- Pumpkin: Well, no sense making this easy pumpkin bread if you don’t want the pumpkin! But, if you wanted to make a different loaf like a banana bread, you could try replacing the pumpkin with mashed banana.
- Milk: Any milk will work in this recipe, dairy or non-dairy.
- Flour: All-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or a 1-to-1 gluten free flour are all suitable options for this recipe. Oat flour can work, but your loaf likely won’t set as well. My personal favorite 1-to-1 gluten free flour is Cup 4 Cup’s gluten free multipurpose flour! If you do plan on keeping this recipe gluten free, consider baking your loaf for an extra minute or a few to ensure it’s cooked through. (If it’s underdone, it may crumble!)
- Mix-Ins & Toppings: Feel free to customize your loaf with any mix-ins you like—chopped nuts or seeds, raisins, or even chocolate chips! For me, this simple pumpkin bread recipe is perfect with just a bit of coarse sparkling sugar on top.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Canned Pumpkin
First, prepare an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan. The size just depends on whether you prefer a shorter loaf that rises more, or a longer loaf with less rise. (Keep in mind, I used a metal loaf pan, and glass will bake a bit differently!) I prefer to line my pan with parchment and spray it down with cooking spray for easy removal.
Next, beat together the wet ingredients using a hand mixer. I prefer to make this easy pumpkin bread with canned pumpkin, or you can make homemade pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Finally, add the dry mixture into the wet and mix well to combine. And that’s literally it!
Now is the time to stir in any desired mix-ins, and then simply pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Finish with coarse sparkling sugar or any toppings that you’d like, and then pop it in to bake at 350°F (180°C) for 60 minutes. When a wooden toothpick or skewer comes out clean, it’s done! (Make sure you check all the way in the middle of the loaf.)
For best results, allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing. Then, store in an airtight container or sealed bag at room temperature. Or, you can even wrap it up in plastic or foil and FREEZE it for up to 3 months! And, if you’re looking for some more pumpkin-y goodness, check out my pumpkin banana bread recipe or my pumpkin cream cheese bread recipe.
Check out my 3 Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipes video for more fun flavor ideas!
Easy Pumpkin Bread with Canned Pumpkin
Ingredients
- ½ cup avocado oil, or light/extra light olive oil
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup milk, dairy or non
- 1½ cups flour, all-purpose, wheat or gluten-free*
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Mix-Ins & Toppings:
- ¾ cup chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc.
- 1-2 Tbsp coarse sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare 8.5×4.5” or 9×5” loaf pan. (I prefer to line my loaf pan with parchment & spray with cooking spray.)
- Beat together oil, sugars, eggs, pumpkin, milk, and vanilla.
- Separately, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add dry to wet and mix to combine.
- Add any mix-ins if desired.
- Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle top with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
- Bake 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle of the loaf.
- Cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.
Storage & Freezing:
- Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To freeze, make sure pumpkin bread loaf or slices are completely cooled. Wrap loaf or slices with plastic wrap or foil, then place into a freezer bag and freeze.
- When ready to enjoy from frozen, transfer to the fridge to defrost overnight or allow to defrost at room temperature for a few hours. Feel free to reheat in the toaster oven or microwave!
4 Comments on “Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe”
I made this recipe for my family last year for Thanksgiving, and it came out great! I’m a little tiny loaves with cream cheese frosting. Gonna do it again this year!!
So glad this pumpkin bread recipe has turned out well for you! The ultimate compliment is knowing you wanted to make it again. Cream cheese frosting sounds amazing!! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe and sharing your kind comment – we appreciate you 🙂
The taste of fall!
Agreed! Thanks for giving this easy pumpkin bread a try 🙂