Bake up cozy fall perfection with this Pumpkin Loaf Recipe—moist, fluffy, and packed with warm spices. The ultimate autumn treat for breakfast, dessert, or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up!
There’s nothing like the smell of pumpkin spice wafting through your kitchen on a crisp fall morning—and this Pumpkin Loaf Recipe delivers that cozy magic in every slice. Moist, fluffy, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, it’s the kind of bake that feels like a warm hug from autumn itself!
Why This Version Works (And Refuses To Be Gummy)
- Concentrated Pumpkin: You drive off excess water first. Moist, not wet—there’s a difference.
- Oil + Butter: Oil keeps it plush for days; butter brings flavor and a tender edge.
- Two Sugars: Brown sugar for moisture and depth, granulated for structure and crust.
- Hot Start, Gentle Finish: A burst of heat sets the dome; a lower bake cooks the center without drying the edges.
- Salted Just Right: Salt wakes pumpkin and reins in sweetness. You’ll taste spice, not sugar fatigue.
Ingredients (Measured For Bakery-Level Consistency)
Yield: 1 standard loaf (8½×4½″ pan) or 1 taller 9×5″ loaf
Oven: 205°C → 175°C (400°F → 350°F), rack center
Time: 15 minutes prep + 55–70 minutes bake + 20 minutes cooling
Dry Mix
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves (a firm pinch)
Wet Mix
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin purée, thickened (see Step 1)
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75 ml) neutral oil (avocado, sunflower, or grapeseed)
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk (or evaporated milk for extra richness)
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional But Wonderful Fold-Ins (Pick 1–2)
- ½ cup (80 g) mini dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- ½ cup (70 g) raisins or dried cranberries (patted dry)
Crunchy Top (Highly Recommended)
- 1 tbsp (12 g) turbinado sugar
- 10–12 raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Pumpkin Loaf Recipe
1. Concentrate The Pumpkin (Flavor Insurance)
Spread the pumpkin purée thinly on a plate. Microwave 60–90 seconds (or bake at 150°C / 300°F for 8–10 minutes) until the surface looks slightly matte and darker. Scrape into a bowl and cool 5 minutes.
Cue: A spoon dragged through leaves a line that slowly fills—perfect.
2. Prep The Pan & Heat
Grease an 8½×4½″ loaf pan; line with a long strip of parchment so you get handles. Heat oven to 205°C / 400°F. Place the empty pan on the counter so it’s ready the second the batter is.
3. Dry Team
In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until the color looks even and no spice clumps hide. This keeps the crumb spotlessly spiced.
4. Wet Team (Gloss, Not Froth)
In a large bowl whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, thickened pumpkin, eggs, oil, melted butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth and shiny. No grainy sugar sticking to the bowl—scrape it down.
5. Bring Together (Just Enough)
Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet. With a spatula, fold gently until you see the last streak of flour disappear—about 20–24 folds. If using fold-ins, add them now. Batter will be thick and ribbon-y.
6. Into The Pan (For A Center Split)
Scrape batter into the prepared pan and level the top. For that classic split, run a thin buttered knife or offset spatula in a straight line down the center ½ cm (¼″) deep. Sprinkle turbinado sugar and dot pepitas along the line.
7. Bake Hot, Then Lower
Bake at 205°C / 400°F for 10 minutes to set the dome. Without opening the door, drop to 175°C / 350°F and bake 45–60 minutes more, depending on pan size and your oven.
Cues: The crack splits wide and looks dry; edges pull slightly from the pan; a skewer at the outer crack comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Internal temp at the center hits 93–96°C / 200–205°F.
8. Rest For Structure
Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and cool on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing. The crumb finishes setting—patience equals clean slices.
Texture Dials & Flavor Tweaks
- Moister/Plusher: Swap milk for ¼ cup (60 ml) evaporated milk or stir in 2 tbsp sour cream.
- Spiced-Louder: Add ¼ tsp cardamom or ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice on top of the listed spices.
- Whole-Wheat Lift: Use 140 g AP flour + 70 g white whole wheat; add 1 tbsp milk to keep moisture equal.
- Less Sweet: Reduce granulated sugar to 70 g; keep brown sugar at 100 g for tenderness.
- Gluten-Free: Use a good 1:1 GF flour with xanthan; add 1 tbsp (7 g) almond flour for tenderness, bake to the same cues.
Two Fancy Variations (Same Batter, New Outfit)
A) Maple–Pecan Streusel Top
Mix ¼ cup (30 g) flour + 2 tbsp (25 g) brown sugar + 2 tbsp (28 g) cold butter + ⅓ cup (35 g) chopped pecans + 1 tsp maple syrup into clumpy rubble. Scatter over the batter instead of turbinado sugar; bake as directed.
B) Cream Cheese Swirl
Beat 115 g (4 oz) cream cheese + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp milk + ½ tsp vanilla until smooth. Dollop over batter in three lines, swirl with a knife, then bake. (The loaf may need 5 extra minutes; test doneness.)
Make-Ahead, Storage & Slicing Like A Pro
- Make-Ahead Batter: Mix wet and dry separately up to 24 hours ahead; combine and bake day-of. (Already-mixed batter keeps 4 hours in the fridge—stir once before baking.)
- Storage: Wrap the fully cooled loaf in parchment, then foil. Counter 3 days; fridge 5–6 days.
- Freeze: Slice, wrap individually, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp or toast lightly.
- Rewarm: 150°C / 300°F for 8–10 minutes revives the crust and perfumes the kitchen.
- Slice Clean: Use a long serrated knife; first slice at 1¼–1½ cm (½–⅝″) thick. Wipe the blade between cuts if you added chips.
Troubleshooting (I Burned, Underbaked, And Fixed It So You Don’t)
- Soggy/Gummy Center: Pumpkin wasn’t thickened or you underbaked. Next time dry the pumpkin and bake until a skewer from the center shows moist crumbs only.
- Collapsed Dome: Oven too cool or you opened the door early. Keep the hot-start and don’t peek for the first 30 minutes.
- Dry Edges: Overbaked or too much flour. Weigh flour; pull the loaf when the middle hits 93–96°C / 200–205°F.
- Bland Spice: Your spices are tired. Buy small jars and refresh annually; add a pinch more salt to make the spices speak up.
Serve It Like You Mean It
- Morning: Thick slice, salted butter, and a line of honey.
- Tea Time: Soft cream cheese + orange zest.
- Dessert Flex: Vanilla ice cream + warm loaf slice + maple drizzle = applause you hear from the hallway.
Bookmark this, preheat with purpose, and send me the crumb shot when that center split shines—your house officially smells like this Pumpkin Loaf Recipe!
