Are you ready for pumpkin spice everything? This recipe will put you in the mood for steaming coffee, cozy flannel shirts, and glorious autumn colors.
And you can munch away on it while you're fixing everyone's favorite potato soup for dinner!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
A generous amount of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger plus a little power-up from a pinch of chipotle brings the fall flavor alive in this easy pumpkin spice loaf.
Instructions for both canned and homemade pumpkin puree included.
🧾 Ingredients
- The chipotle is totally optional. It brings a spicy, smoky flavor to the pumpkin bread.
- If you don't want to use bourbon substitute all buttermilk.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and chipotle (if you're using it) together and set aside.
- Add the oil, sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of you mixer and beat on medium speed until the sugar starts to dissolve.
- Beat in the eggs, buttermilk, and bourbon.
- Stir in the pumpkin until well blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir to blend.
- Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Add to two loaf pans that have been greased and floured or lined with parchment.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean - about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Start checking at 55 minutes.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Just don't use the pumpkin pie filling that has all of the sugar and stuff in it. You want pure pumpkin puree.
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of the spices in this recipe.
- Let cool completely before storing.
- This can be made ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.
- To make muffins or mini-loaves bake for 20 minutes and then check every 5 minutes until done.
- The bread is done when the interior registers 200F on an instaread thermometer stuck in the center OR a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
- It's better the second day.
🎃 Using 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.
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.
📖 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 buttermilk, water, or apple juice.
- Hubbard squash or sweet potato is a fantastic substitute for the pumpkin. Mash it before using.
- Walnuts can be used in place of the pecans.
- ½ 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.
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours here leave a comment below or email me - I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
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.
Make the recipe as directed. Grease and flour the mini loaf pans. Fill ⅔ 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.
Wrap it tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days... after that you'll probably want to freeze it.
📚 Related recipes
What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
I love the idea of curling up on a gray, chilly day with a quilt, a thick slice of spicy pumpkin bread, 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.
It takes copious amounts of pumpkin spice everything to soften the blow.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooking oil, be sure to use a light flavored oil such as peanut oil (if there are no allergies) or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup bourbon, or substitute an equal amount of water or buttermilk.
- 2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin, about 1 15-ounce can or equivalent in homemade puree (about 2 cups)
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon chipotle, optional
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup confecioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, or enough to make a thick glaze. You can use cream if you want to.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Set aside.
- Add the cooking oil, brown sugar, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat on medium until well mixed and the sugar starts to dissolve.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and bourbon.
- Beat on medium until very smooth.
- Stir in the pumpkin.
- Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients quickly, just until blended. Don't overmix.
- Fold in the pecans.
- Spoon into the prepared loaf pans and bak for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Glaze while slightly warm if desired.
Glaze
- Mix the bourbon and the confectioner's sugar until smooth, adding the bourbon a little at a time.
- Spoon over pumpkin bread.
Notes
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of the spices in this recipe.
- Use whatever kind of loaf pan you have - it doesn't have to be glass.
- Let cool completely before storing.
- This can be made ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.
- To make muffins or mini-loaves bake for 20 minutes and then check every 5 minutes until done.
- The bread is done when the interior registers 200F on an instaread thermometer stuck in the center OR a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
- It's better the second day.
- Make the pumpkin spice 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.
- ½ 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.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published March 2008. Last updated September 8, 2020 to add step by step and improved images, make it easier to read, and add more information.
Keisha Thompson
Love pumpkin bread and want to try this recipe. Can I use applesauce instead of oil to still get a nice moist but healthier version? If so, how much applesauce should I put in it? Also, is there a healthier flour I can use that will give the same results?
Thanks,
Keisha T.
Marye
Hi Keisha - I've never tried with apple sauce instead of oil, nor have I used a different flour so I can't say what your results would be - sorry.
Marye Audet
You're welcome! Stop back by and let me know what you think. 🙂
Maria
This bread looks amazing! 🙂
Catherine
Dear Marye, This bread looks absolutely wonderful! What a moist and delightful fall treat. I would love a slice! xo, Catherine
Marye Audet
Thanks so much Catherine!
Beth (OMG! Yummy)
I didn't see the glaze part of the recipe but I sure want to make it! Love the idea of the bourbon instead of the vanilla. Very clever.
Marye Audet
I forgot it! I've added it back in. 🙂 Thanks!
Shawn
There is no recipe for the Pumpkin Spice Bread with Bourbon Glaze.
Marye Audet
It was accidentally deleted but I've added it back in. Thanks so much for letting me know!!!