This recipe for one loaf pumpkin bread is easy and delicious. With the addition of buttermilk, this quick bread is soft and tender. All the fall spices of pumpkin pie, cinnamon and nutmeg make this an irresistible autumn treat.
Fall just wouldn’t be complete without a loaf of homemade pumpkin loaf. This recipe makes one loaf so this is the perfect size when you are craving something a little bit sweet but a whole lot of fall flavor!
The Most Important Ingredient
The best thing I have added to this pumpkin bread is buttermilk. It gives a nice moist crumb to this quick bread.
There was a time when I would not even bother with buttermilk but it is such a versatile staple in my kitchen now. I have discovered it’s perfect for biscuits and cakes like my southern coconut pecan bundt cake.
I also use buttermilk in my banana chocolate chip muffins. So yummy.
For one pint of buttermilk, it’s pretty inexpensive and has a long shelf life in the fridge. I highly recommend that you keep a bottle in your fridge. You will find many uses for it.
Ingredients Needed To Make This Recipe
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- I prefer to use real buttermilk but you can substitute with milk and vinegar as stated in the recipe notes.
- Pumpkin purée
- Be sure to use pure pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling which has spices and sugar already added.
- Whole egg
- Room temperature eggs mix more easily with a batter. This results in less lumps and and ensure your bread rises with a fluffy texture.
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Use a non flavored oil. I have used both vegetable oil and canola oil and haven’t noticed any differences.
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
Recipe Notes
- Storing pumpkin bread
- Place into a sealed container or plastic bag. Keep on the counter for up to four days.
- Use pure pumpkin purée not pie filling
- Make sure you are using pure pumpkin purée. Pie filling has lots of ingredients not needed for this recipe.
- Freezing pumpkin bread
- You can freeze pumpkin bread for up to two months. Wrap in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag. This will ensure there isn’t any freezer burn.
- Buttermilk substitute
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use milk and white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Simply put one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup then add enough milk to make one cup. Stir.
- Mix ins
- Add half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for some crunch.
- Half a cup of raisins or dried cranberries make a great addition.
How To Make One Loaf Pumpkin Bread
1. Sift dry ingredients. Set aside. 
2. Add wet ingredients to a separate bowl.
- Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and spices into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Set aside.
- Add the egg, buttermilk and oil to a separate bowl.
3.Whisk wet ingredients together. 
4. Add pumpkin purée. Stir till combined.
- Whisk these wet ingredients together.
- Add the pumpkin purée to this bowl. Stir till combined.
5. Stir wet and dry ingredients together. 
6. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients. Stir till just combined. Do not over mix. This could result in a tough quick bread.
- Pour the pumpkin bread batter into a greased loaf pan.
- Then bake.
What Size Loaf Pan To Use
All loaf pans are not created equal. They are in fact different sizes. Using the incorrect size for a recipe will affect the results.
I used my Nordic Ware pumpkin pan that I purchased many years ago. This pan is measured in cups not inches. This particular pan has a capacity of six cups. The volume of this pan is equal to that of an 8½x4½ inches loaf pan.
I love using this pan but quick breads dome in the middle so I have to serve the bread right side up. The bottom is a pleasant surprise.
Most loaf pans will state the dimensions on the bottom of the pan. The standard size is 9×5 or 8½x4½ inches.
This recipe uses a standard size loaf pan. To ensure your quick bread bakes correctly, check your loaf pan size.
Serve With Butter Or Cream Cheese
I didn’t add any icing to my pumpkin bread, although you certainly could. My favorite way to eat a warm slice of pumpkin bread is slathered with melted butter. Yum!
Whipped cream cheese is my second choice. The cream cheese gives just enough of a tang to balance out the sweetness.
More Fall Recipes To Love
Easy One Loaf Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- one standard size loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a standard size loaf pan with non stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Add the granulated sugar and mix well. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk egg, oil and buttermilk together. Mix in the pumpkin purée till combined. Pour this into the flour mixture.
- Stir till just combined. You do not want to over mix the batter or it could result in a tough loaf.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Place into the 350°F preheated oven. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the bread. The toothpick should come out clean when the bread is done.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for ten minutes. Then turn out onto a cooling rack. For best results, only slice after cooling completely.
Notes
- Storing pumpkin bread
- Place into a sealed container or plastic bag. Keep on the counter for up to four days.
- Use pure pumpkin purée not pie filling
- Make sure you are using pure pumpkin purée. Pie filling has lots of ingredients not needed for this recipe.
- Freezing pumpkin bread
- You can freeze pumpkin bread for up to two months. Wrap in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag. This will ensure there isn’t any freezer burn.
- Buttermilk substitute
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use milk and white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Simply put one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup then add enough milk to make one cup. Stir.
- Mix ins
- Add half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for some crunch.
- Half a cup of raisins or dried cranberries make a great addition.
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