Pumpkin Bread with Bourbon Glaze

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Pumpkin bread with a sweet, bourbon glaze fairly screams fall flavors and winter holidays. As this spicy fall recipe bakes your kitchen fills with the warm, comforting aromas of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Instructions for both canned and homemade pumpkin puree included.

For this recipe you’ll need: light vegetable oil (peanut is what I use), brown sugar, sugar, eggs, bourbon, pumpkin puree (just pumpkin no other ingredients), flour, kosher salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, chipotle, pecans, confectioner’s sugar

Pumpkin Spice for Fall Flavor!

All things pumpkin spice are about to descend on us en masse. We’ll have everything from pumpkin spice lattes (yum) to pumpkin spice scented toilet paper (maybe an exaggeration) begging for our attention.

I wanted to slip this moist quick bread recipe in before the rush of pumpkin spice everything hit full force. It’s just too yummy to miss out on for another year.

Fall in North Texas

I love the idea of curling up on a gray, chilly day with a quilt and some coffee but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon. In fact, I don’t anticipate seeing autumn until sometime in November.

While Autumn strides into the Northeast like Auntie Mame it sneaks into Texas like it’s doing the walk of shame.

At some point, for about two weeks, the Dallas area will be arrayed in gorgeous red and gold. At almost exactly the two weeks mark Autumn will rolls her eyes like a bored teenager and move on to something else, leaving us with naked trees and the menopausal climate associated with winter in my area of Texas.

But In My Imagination…

I think that my imagination, much like my dear friend Anne Shirley’s imagination, tends to run away with me. So, although I am sitting in a cluttered kitchen in a tank top, in my imagination I’m in a window seat watching the rain ripple down the glass. I’m sipping a hot cup of coffee and watching the chilly breeze grasp the remaining leaves from the trees, sending them dancing merrily to the ground.

Sometimes it all gets so real that I am disappointed when I have to return to reality.

“She came out of her reverie with a deep sigh and looked at him with a dreamy gaze of a soul that had been wandering afar, star-led…” Anne of Green Gables

Being Present in Every Moment

Today I feel like grabbing summer by the edge and pulling her backwards. I’m not ready for vacation to be over and for the year to continue on. I want some time to sit here and relish all the moments that I was too distracted and too busy to enjoy when they happened the first time.

And, although I’ll promise myself to do better each month, to take some time to slow down and enjoy my life, I won’t really do it. I’ll be sitting here on the last day of 2019 saying much the same thing.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe Circa 1950

This recipe is from one of my vintage cookbooks circa 1950. I love it because it is a beautiful golden-bronze color and the warm flavor of pumpkin spice really shines.

My secret ingredient is a pinch of chipotle.

I’ve put chipotle in my pumpkin dishes for as long as I can remember but you don’t have to. Omit it if you want. I like it because it adds a smoky, spicy flavor that really pulls the other spices together.

The crumb is so melt-in-your-mouth moist that each bite sort of disappears and leaves a glorious finish of pumpkin spice twirling from one side of your mouth to the other.

The bourbon glaze is thick and sweet. If you’d prefer not to use bourbon a little vanilla extract will work just fine, although you’ll need to add a bit of milk for the extra liquid.

Using Canned or Fresh Pumpkin

When I first wrote this post on pumpkin spice bread I had made my own puree from fresh pumpkins. I used to do a lot of that kind of thing – growing, cooking, and canning – but with some pretty radical changed in my life it just doesn’t happen much anymore.

You can use fresh pumpkin if you want to but canned will work fine. Just don’t use the pumpkin pie filling that has all of the sugar and stuff in it. You want pure pumpkin.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

If you happen to be using fresh pumpkin make sure that you drain as much liquid off it as possible – let it sit in a colander overnight if you have time. Fresh pumpkin is generally more watery than the commercially canned type and can cause issues with your recipe.

• Cut a small sugar pumpkin (also called pie pumpkins) in half.
• Clean out the seeds.
• Bake, cut side down, on a greased baking sheet at 375F for about 30 minutes or until the flesh is soft and cooked.
• Let cool.
• Scoop out the pumpkin and press with a towel to get out as much moisture as possible.
• If the pumpkin seems very watery you can cook it on low heat to get some of the liquid to evaporate. Remember to stir it often.

Pumpkin Quick Bread Variations

I absolutely love this recipe as written – and so does everyone else who tries it! You might want to try one of the variations, though –

• Make the bread in mini loaf pans.
• If you don’t want to use alcohol then an equal amount of ginger ale, or apple juice will work fine.
• Rum substitutes nicely for the bourbon.
• You can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla for the bourbon and make up for the rest of the liquid in water or apple juice.
• This is not the place to use a honey bourbon or very sweet bourbon.
• Hubbard squash or sweet potato is a fantastic substitute for the pumpkin.
• Walnuts can be used in place of the pecans.
• I use light brown sugar but you could use dark brown if you prefer the darker flavor.
• 1/2 cup chopped, candied ginger can be added to the batter.
• The oil makes this pumpkin spice bread recipe extra moist – but you can substitute with melted butter or melted, browned butter if you like.
• Toasting the pecans before adding them to this recipe adds a buttery flavor and better texture.
• Add 1 cup or so of chocolate, white chocolate or toffee chips.
• If you don’t want to use the glaze dust the cooled loaf with Confectioner’s sugar.

Pumpkin Bread FAQs

This is an easy quick bread – simple enough for a beginning baker. Here are some of the questions I am asked most often about this bread.

Can you freeze pumpkin bread?

Yes, you can! It really does freeze well for up to 3 months. Just cool it thoroughly and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap – then wrap with aluminum foil. The plastic wrap gives extra protection and keep the bread from taking on an aluminum flavor.

I like to slice it and place a piece of parchment between each slice before freezing. That way I can enjoy just one slice without having to thaw the whole loaf.

You could also carefully seal it with a vacuum sealer. Don’t let it suck all the air out or your bread will be crumbs.

How do you make mini loaves of pumpkin bread?

Make the recipe as directed. Grease and flour the mini loaf pans. Fill 2/3 of the way up with the batter – then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

How do you store pumpkin bread?

Wrap it tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days… after that you’ll probably want to freeze it.

More Fall Recipes from Restless Chipotle

This is probably my favorite autumn recipe here on Restless Chipotle BUT there are SO many more delicious possibilities! Take a look!

• Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce might sound a little weird but once you taste it you are bound to be a fan! I love this over fettuccine with toasted pecans and a sprinkle of sage.
• Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe is honestly the best. I’ve tried them all, I’ve tried to improve on it, and I keep coming back to the one I was raised on and I bet you were, too!
• Pumpkin Cheesecake is a showstopper dessert for fall. It’s dense and creamy, with a sweet bourbon glaze… and yes! I like the combination of pumpkin and bourbon very much!
• Apple Whiskey Cake is a great way to use up all of the tangy apples available now. Oh, by the way? I like whiskey and apples about as much as I like bourbon and pumpkin!
• Dutch Apple Pie is a classic with tender, buttery apples and a crumbly, crispy topping.

You Might Need…

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I love giving this spicy pumpkin bread as gifts during the holidays. Rather than wrapping the loaf just bake the batter right in these cute disposable loaf pans and just wrap it all up in some pretty cellophane and put a ribbon on it.

Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe

This quick bread is both beautiful and scrumptious with its rich gold-brown color and warm autumn spice flavor. It freezes well so you might want to double or triple the recipe!

Need to adjust for high altitude? Check out the instructions from Utah State University.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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