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Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread with a domed, crackly sugar top and a moist orange crumb. Made by whisking dry ingredients, stirring wet ingredients until smooth, then baking in a greased loaf pan until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 292
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar For topping (in addition to the 1/2 cup).

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 loaf pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and oven
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan, then set aside.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. In a bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon until evenly combined. Stop when no spice clumps remain.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy. Whisking should remove any sugar graininess.
Combine and fill the pan
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix—lumps are okay.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the top. The sugar should form a light, even dusting.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 55-65 minutes at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should look domed and set with a slight crack.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack before slicing. Let it cool enough to hold its shape when cut.

Notes

For the moistest slice, mix only until the flour streaks disappear—overmixing can make pumpkin bread tough. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze baked slices for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a dairy-light option, use your preferred lactose-free milk substitute in the same amount.