A wonderful friend of mine, Laury, has been begging for this Harvest Pumpkin Bread recipe for a long time. Well Laury, today is your lucky day! Here is the pumpkin bread recipe that wins a blue ribbon every time I enter it in baking contests.
This bread is so good, I have a hard time not returning time after time for another slice! Some people like to glaze their pumpkin breads, but this is sweet enough on its own. But if you need to glaze it, feel free.
My version of this bread has changed over the years as I’ve tweaked it. I found the original recipe years ago in the “Fanny Farmer Baking Book” by Marion Cunningham, a delightful woman who became known across the country when she worked as James Beard’s assistant for his cooking classes.
She was an unassuming, down to earth woman who believed that less is more. Her recipes are deceptively simple, but the trick is to use the highest quality ingredients you can and let their beauty shine.
Pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling!) is naturally fat free, low in sodium and a great source of Vitamins A and C. Because pumpkin is a vegetable, one slice of this bread can count toward the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, right?! This is a great way to sneak something moderately healthy into your child’s snacks and meals. LOL!
It is so easy to make this from scratch and much better tasting and healthier, so I urge you to make your own.
This bread is one of my favorite hostess gifts to take to friends. It is a great option for the holidays, and because it is not as sweet as all the other treats people will be receiving, it will be enthusiastically welcomed!
If you are new to baking, this is a great recipe to start with. It is very forgiving and a wonderful way to build your baking confidence. Smelling these loaves baking, seeing them rising in the oven and coming out golden brown, will make everyone happy and feel like a success.
This is one of those foods that tastes better on the day after it is baked. It can be made up to three days ahead of time, making it perfect for those times when you have overnight or weekend guests. Served alongside some eggs and fresh fruit, you’ll have a nutritious breakfast that is quick and easy to get on the table when your hungry family is clamoring for food!
For self-service, once the loaves are cooled you can slice them and wrap each piece individually with plastic wrap. Stack them in the refrigerator and your family can grab one for a snack any time of the day or night! If you like muffins, you can also bake this batter in muffin tins and stack them in baskets for gifts.
Whether you serve this Harvest Pumpkin Bread sliced and eaten plain, or lightly toasted with a little butter, I hope that it will become one of your favorite recipes, splattered and stained from years of use. I am happy to share one of my family’s favorite traditions – maybe it will be the beginning of a new one for your family too!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Harvest Pumpkin Bread:
- Gluten-Free flour blend or all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder,
- Salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, butter, pumpkin puree, eggs
- Sugar, milk, golden raisins, chopped and whole pecan halves
PRO Tip:
This is one bread that improves with time so you can make it a day or two in advance, cool and wrap it in plastic and store it either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Then when you’re ready, just slice and serve it for an instant treat!
PRO Tip:
Another way of serving this is to lightly toast individual slices and butter them. They are wonderful and will disappear quickly!
How to make Harvest Pumpkin Bread:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl; in another bowl whisk together the butter, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, milk, raisins, and nuts
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until just blended; there should be no lumps of flour, but there will be small pieces of butter that disappear while baking
- Divide the batter equally between two buttered and floured loaf pans, smooth the tops and bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely; when cool wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator, and they also freeze well when wrapped in plastic and then foil
PRO Tip:
This recipe makes two loaves, so plan ahead to enjoy one and share the love with a friend or neighbor!
PRO Tip:
If you are using pecans or other nuts in these loaves, it is helpful to others if you decorate the tops with pecan halves. It lets them know that there are nuts in there and to avoid them if they have an allergy.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Loaf pans
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Wire cooling rack
Gluten-Free Tips:
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Harvest Pumpkin Bread (Gluten Free)
This Harvest Pumpkin Bread recipe wins a blue ribbon every time I enter it in contests. It is rich with spices that perfectly blend with the pumpkin. This recipe makes two loaves so you have one to share with a friend or neighbor!
Ingredients
- 3-1/3 cups (400g) gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace, optional
- 2/3 cup (76g) cool not cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 (16 oz; 454g) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 large eggs (200g), lightly beaten
- 2-2/3 cup (467g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (151g) whole milk
- 1 cup (149g) golden raisins, optional
- 1 cup (114g) chopped pecans or other nuts, optional
- Pecan halves, for decorating the top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) with a rack in the center. Butter and flour two 9-inch loaf pans (be sure to use gluten-free flour if needed). Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.
- In another large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, milk, raisins, and nuts. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spoon or on the low speed of your mixer just until batter is blended. The batter should show no lumps of flour, but there will be small pieces of butter that will disappear in baking. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans, smoothing the tops. If desired, arrange pecan halves on the top. The loaves will rise into a dome with a split down the center like the San Andreas fault.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If the tops start to get too brown before they are done, lightly tent with foil. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The flavor and texture of these loaves improve with time so make them a day ahead.
- When completely cool, you can wrap the loaves in plastic. Store in the refrigerator. These also freeze well. Wrap tightly in plastic and then in foil before freezing.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
My loaf pans are 9x4x4 with taller sides and are designed specifically for gluten-free baking. You can find them on King Arthur Flour’s website. They comfortably hold any recipe designed for a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Modified version of a Marion Cunningham recipe from The Fanny Farmer Baking Book.
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with a straightedge, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 292mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Nov 2011. The article was updated in 2022.
Christy
This turned out scrumptious. Thanks for sharing your secrets.
La Diva Cucina
Thank you or a fabulous recipe, Jane, I can’t wait to try this! And I loves me some buttah on freshly baked breads like this! Divine! Thank you!
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
Thanks Diva! Welcome to the Heritage Cook Family!!
Katrina
Yum–that looks perfectly moist!
And I fully agree with you about butter–in taste and in baking!
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
I never understand when people diss butter and choose margarine in baking…
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
Great tip to freeze individual slices. Love all the different glazes. They all sound delicious!