Perfect Pumpkin Bread (Soft + Moist)
Soft and moist pumpkin bread spiced with cinnamon and layered with chocolate chips—it’s the perfect fall recipe and makes for an easy and delicious breakfast!
The weather might not know it yet (it’s still almost 90 degrees in Alabama), but it’s officially fall, which means it’s time for all things pumpkin spice! If there’s even a whiff of autumn in the air, I know it’s time for Gilmore Girls and fall baking. My go-to recipe is always this classic pumpkin bread—it’s such an easy loaf to kick off baking season, and I love to warm up a slice in the morning for a quick breakfast or snack!
Ingredients in Pumpkin Bread
Most ingredients in pumpkin bread are pantry staples, but some parts—the pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon—might need a quick trip to the grocery store! Here’s all that you’ll need:
- Vegetable oil. You can use canola or avocado oil instead—just make sure it’s neutral.
- Granulated sugar. To keep the bread sweet, soft, and moist.
- Light brown sugar. Brown sugar is made with the addition of molasses, which gives baked goods a caramel flavor and darker color. This is perfect for pumpkin bread, as it really brings out the taste of fall spices.
- Pumpkin purée. Combined with the vegetable oil, pumpkin gives the cake its super plush and soft crumb. Make sure to use a high-quality purée, NOT a pumpkin pie filling. I love to use Libby’s, but whatever brand you use, make sure the only ingredient listed is pumpkin.
- Eggs.
- Vanilla extract.
- Whole milk. To lighten the bread and help it stay moist.
- All-purpose flour.
- Ground cinnamon.
- Pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own! 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice can be substituted with a blend of ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon allspice, cloves, or nutmeg.
- Baking soda.
- Salt.
- Chocolate. Any type of chocolate will do, but semi-sweet or dark chocolate is my favorite, since they have the right amount of bitterness and sweetness to balance the pumpkin bread.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
As a quick bread—meaning it is risen by chemical leaveners (baking powder, soda, etc) instead of yeast—pumpkin bread is incredibly easy to make with only a few steps! Here’s how to make it:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Thoroughly combine the flour, spices, leaveners, and salt in a small bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla will all get mixed until smooth, then you’ll add in the flour.
- Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients. By alternating the wet and dry ingredients, you ensure that all of the ingredients are well combined without overmixing or leaving any floury streaks behind.
- Bake! Since the batter has a high moisture content, it takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to fully bake. Be sure not to overdo it, otherwise your cake will be dry!
How to Store Leftovers
Fresh pumpkin bread never lasts long in my house, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a few days before it goes stale. If you want to freeze the bread for later, wrap it with plastic wrap in a Ziploc bag before freezing. Stored this way, the bread will last for a few months—to serve, just let the bread thaw overnight at room temperature!
Pumpkin Bread Tips and Tricks
- Use only pure pumpkin purée. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, as this has unnecessary added ingredients that will mess with the recipe. The only ingredients listed on the can should be pumpkin—my favorite brand is Libby’s!
- Don’t overmix batter. This goes for any cake recipe—if you mix the batter too much, you create too much gluten in the flour. Gluten development is great for something like sourdough, but it’s not ideal for a delicate cake. Just make sure to mix until everything is just combined!
- Don’t overbake. This bread has a pretty long bake time, but don’t overdo it. The cake will be done when you can insert a toothpick into the center with only a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
- Add-in and topping variations. Don’t like chocolate chips? No problem—feel free to add whatever mix-ins or toppings you want! Here are some of my recommendations:
- Toasted pecans or pepitas. Substitute part or all of the chocolate chips with a 1:1 ratio.
- Cinnamon sugar. Generously sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the surface of the loaf before baking and you’ll have a beautiful sugar crust!
- Streusel. A simple cinnamon or oat topping will add a nice crunch and fall-spiced flavor to the loaf.
- Cream cheese glaze. Pumpkin spice and cream cheese is a match made in heaven. If you want, top the loaf with the brown butter cream cheese frosting from my carrot cake loaf recipe!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram or leave a rating below—happy fall baking! xoxo
Perfect Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée, such as Libby's
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces chopped chocolate or chocolate chips of choice, I like semi-sweet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉, then grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf tin with baking spray and parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin purée until homogeneous. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then stir until smooth.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and fold until just combined, then add in ½ of the whole milk and mix. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients in three additions, being sure to end with the dry mix.
- Right before all of the flour is incorporated, add in the chopped chocolate and fold until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with more chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on your oven. The pumpkin bread is done when the top is set and you can insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake without any wet batter sticking to it (a few moist crumbs are fine).
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before plating, slicing, and serving.
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