Beth’s Extra Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Name: Beth's Extra Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 eggs; 1 ½ cups (300 g) of sugar; 1 (15-oz can) (424 g) of pure pumpkin puree (about 1 3/4 cup); 1 cup (240 ml) of vegetable oil; 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water; 3 ½ cups (420 g) of flour; 3 tsp (45 g) of pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp ground ginger); 2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking soda; 1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) salt; 1 cup (240 ml) of raisins or chocolate chips; 1 cup (240 ml) of walnuts; 1 cup (240 ml) of Pepitas (Toasted Pumpkin Seeds)

byBeth Le Manach Published:September 21, 2020March 25, 2025 Updated:March 25, 2025

37 Comments

September 21, 2020March 25, 2025 byBeth Le Manach

37 Comments

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If you have been searching for the perfect pumpkin bread recipe, I must admit, this one is to-die-for! It’s so light and fluffy and extra moist! It’s definitely one of my favorite quick bread recipes!

It’s similar in texture to the Starbucks Pumpkin Bread recipe but WAY less sweet! But if you have a sweet tooth, and like your pumpkin bread on the sweet side, this recipe is easily adaptable by adding more sugar in 1/4 cup increments to get the sweetness to your liking. But try it this way first, I find the sweetness is perfect, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

This pumpkin bread is extra moist thanks to the use of oil over butter (more on that below!)
It’s flavored with just the right amount of pumpkin pie spice to give it a beautiful fall flavor
It uses pantry staples most of which you probably already have on hand
You can whip it up with just 2 bowls and a whisk, no need to drag out the electric mixer!
It makes two loaves, which you can either freeze the second or gift it as a holiday food gift.
Pair this pumpkin bread with my Baked Chocolate Donut Recipe for a fun Halloween Themed Dessert Buffet.

More quick bread recipes!

If you have leftover pumpkin puree try my Spiced Zucchini Bread Recipe.
Ripe bananas? Try my Ultimate Banana Bread Recipe or the even more decadent Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe!
And for a Christmas-themed quick bread, try my Pain d’Epices!

Use the Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin bread is best made with canned pumpkin otherwise labeled as “pumpkin puree”. It’s just pure pumpkin. Stay away from “Pumpkin Pie Filling” which has added sugar and spices mixed into it.
The benefit of using canned pumpkin is that you do not have to let it dry out before using it for pumpkin bread. It’s already a thickly, condensed puree and ready to use for baking.
If you have extra pumpkin puree try it in my Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Loaf or my Pumpkin Spiced Waffles.

Butter vs. Oil

This recipe calls for vegetable oil. I like to use oil, over butter because oil is pure fat and will create a lighter, more moist bread.
Butter is only about 80% fat, 16 % water, and 4% milk solids.
I’ve found the milk solids weigh down your bread and will create a denser, heavier bread.

Pumpkin Pie Spice is Key

Pumpkin Pie Spice is a combination of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. If you live outside the United States and can’t get Pumpkin Pie Spice, not to worry you can make your own!
Try my recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice. It really adds all the flavor and feels like a taste of fall in every little bite!
It only takes a few ingredients you probably already have in your spice cabinet.
You can then store it in a small mason jar and place it in your cabinet to use for all your holiday baking.

The Toppings

Pumpkin Bread is pretty versatile and you can use a variety of toppings or mix-ins to add great flavor and texture to your bread.
I like to use walnuts for one loaf and pumpkin seeds for the other. But you could also use these ideas too either as a topping or mixed into the batter!
chocolate chips
dried cranberries
pecans
sunflower seeds
granola
coconut flakes
raisins

Baking Time

Pumpkin Bread takes a fair amount of time to bake, mostly because loaf pans are narrow and deep.
For this recipe, you should allow at least 40-50 minutes for both loaves to bake in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. But it could take up to 1 hour depending on your oven.
Be sure a long toothpick is inserted to make sure your bread is fully baked in the middle. It’s really hard to rebake it after the fact!

Making Pumpkin Muffins

You can also use this batter for pumpkin muffins as well, depending upon the size of your muffin tin, you could create 12-24 muffins.
Which also freeze well too! Just wrap tightly in a ziplock bag and freeze.
Then microwave for :45-1:00 to reheat.

Great for Gifting

This recipe makes two loaves, which makes it great for keeping one and gifting the other!
Package it up in a plastic loaf sleeve, tie some raffia and faux berries around it.
Then place it in a basket lined with burlap, add some coffee, and jams to create a thoughtful breakfast basket.

Assembling a Breakfast Basket

I like to include store-bought Bonne Maman jams because they already come in cute vintage-inspired jelly jars.
To continue the old-world charm, cut some linen fabric squares with pinking shears to create a decorative edge, then affix it to the jars with raffia for a homemade look.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

It will create a wonderful basket of treats to bring to a neighbor or friend or to present as a hostess gift during the holidays.
Your guests can dig into it the next day and be reminded of your thoughtfulness as they nibble on it throughout the week!
You can also switch up the bread and add my Spiced Pear Cake or my Banana Bread as well. Two other great recipes for gifting!

Storing the Bread After It’s Baked

Allow the pumpkin bread to fully cool, and then wrap it tightly in tin foil and refrigerate.
It will last longer in the refrigerator and stay fresher than way too.

Freezing The Bread

This bread freezes beautifully.
If you decide to freeze it for individual portions it’s best to slice it ahead of time wrap it in wax paper and then place the slices in a large freezer-safe container of Ziploc Bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Alternatively, you could wrap the entire loaf in wax paper, then foil and freeze for up to 2 months.
The day before serving, defrost the loaf in the refrigerator overnight, and then slice and serve.
To reheat, remove the wax paper, re-wrap in the foil and reheat in a 300F oven for 20-25 minutes

More Pumpkin Recipes!

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