Libby’s Pumpkin Bread

Libby’s pumpkin bread recipe is the perfect fall treat. Moist, sweet, and soft, it’s made with canned pumpkin and a delicious blend of spices. This 1 loaf pumpkin bread is so delicious and easy to throw together!

Pumpkin bread with canned pumpkin

Nothing tastes quite like homemade pumpkin bread as the months grow colder. Over the years, I’ve tried many pumpkin bread recipes. Some were great, others not so much.

But Libby’s pumpkin bread, together with our condensed milk pumpkin bread and Downeast Maine pumpkin bread, has become a favorite.

It’s simply irresistible! It has a tender crumb, rich texture, and is infused with the delicious flavors of pumpkin and cozy spices in every bite.

You can double the recipe to share this pumpkin goodness with your family, friends, and neighbors. It makes great holiday gifts!

And for more pumpkin recipes, try pumpkin roll, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin cookies.

Ingredients

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts.

• Canned pumpkin: You probably already guessed it, the recipe calls for Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin. Libby’s really is the best canned pumpkin. It’s thick and flavorful, and not watery or dull like some other brands. We’ll use only 1 cup of pumpkin puree, not the whole can.
• All-purpose flour gives structure to the bread.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar provides sweetness.
• Vegetable oil keeps the bread moist for days.
• Eggs help to bind everything together.
• Spices: Libby’s recipe includes pumpkin pie spice and extra nutmeg. To whip up your own pumpkin pie spice, combine 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ground ginger + 1/4 tsp ground cloves.
• Salt helps to balance out the sweetness.
• Baking powder is the leavening agent and gives the pumpkin bread a rise.

Best loaf pan

You can bake the pumpkin bread in one of the following options:

• Wide loaf: 9 in x 5 in / 23 cm x 13 cm loaf pan
• Tall loaf: 8 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in / 22 cm x 11 cm loaf pan
• Muffin pan: If you don’t have a loaf pan, bake the recipe in a lined muffin pan at 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Instructions

1. Prep

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease a 9 in x 5 in loaf baking pan with vegetable oil and line with a piece of parchment paper. Let the paper overhang on 2 sides so it is easier to lift the bread out of the pan later on.

2. Combine dry ingredients

• Stir together the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. Mix wet ingredients

• Whisk together the sugar, pumpkin, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.

4. Create batter

• Then stir in the flour mixture alternating with the water in 2 installments.

5. Bake pumpkin bread

• Pour the bread batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake the bread for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the bread is fully cooked through.
• To test the doneness, insert a toothpick or skewer into the thickest part of the bread. The bread is ready if it comes out clean (no liquid batter).

6. Cool

• Allow the pumpkin bread to cool completely on a cooling rack before removing it from the pan.

Tips

Mixing the batter

• Measure the flour correctly: Too much flour can result in dry pumpkin bread. Never scoop flour directly from the bag as this compacts the flour. Instead, use a spoon to fluff up the flour inside the container. Then spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the excess with a knife.
• Sift dry ingredients: For moist, tender bread without clumps of dryness, sift your dry ingredients before adding them to the batter.
• Use room temperature eggs: Leave your eggs sit on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to warm up. Room temperature eggs incorporate better and create a more even batter.
• Avoid overmixing: Overmixing activates gluten, which produces tough, dense bread. Instead, mix the liquid and dry ingredients just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
• Less sweet: As written, Libby’s pumpkin bread turns out relatively sweet. If you prefer less sweet, prepare the recipe with only 1 cup sugar.

Baking the bread

• Parchment paper sling: I recommend lining the loaf pan with an oversized piece of parchment paper. Doing so will allow you to lift the baked bread out of the pan by pulling up the paper flaps.
• Baking time: Bake times can vary based on the oven calibration and will be between 60 to 80 minutes. For me, the sweet spot is 75 minutes.
• Tent the loaf: To prevent over-browning, tent the loaf pan with tin foil after 35 minutes of baking. This will protect the top of the pumpkin bread from burning.
• How to know when the bread is done: The bread is done when the top domes and the crack down the middle no longer looks moist. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf should come out clean.

Variations

• Brown sugar: Swap out the white sugar for brown sugar. Brown sugar adds more moisture and a slight toffee aroma, which is so delicious with pumpkin.
• Melted butter: Feel free to swap out the vegetable oil for 1/2 cup melted butter. Butter lends the bread a rich, buttery taste.
• Spices: If you’re not a fan of nutmeg, simply add more pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon.
• Nuts: For a bit of crunch, stir 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter.
• Dried fruit: Enrich your pumpkin bread with 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins. If adding dried fruit, use only 1 cup of sugar – otherwise, your pumpkin bread might turn out a bit too sweet.
• Chocolate chips: For extra sweetness, add 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips to the bread. They will melt and create a gooey chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
• Icing: For a simple icing, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar + 2-3 tbsp milk + 1 tsp vanilla extract. Drizzle over the cake and let set before serving. Or try my pumpkin bread cream cheese frosting instead!

Serving suggestions

Enjoy your pumpkin bread at room temperature or warmed. To reheat, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. It goes great with coffee or tea for breakfast and snacking.

We love it with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. You could also enjoy it with lingonberry butter, maple butter, or pumpkin butter.

The scrumptious loaf is also delicious for dessert. Serve it with a scoop of praline pecan ice cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup, and you’ve got a tasty fall treat.

Storage instructions

• Storage: Once cooled, store the easy pumpkin bread in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic. It will stay fresh at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Leftovers can also be turned into pumpkin bread French toast, the most delicious fall breakfast treat!
• Freeze: After the bread has fully cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-friendly container or large freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

More pumpkin recipes

• Pumpkin Muffins With Spice Cake Mix
• Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Muffins
• Condensed Milk Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Pie Bars
• White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Dump Cake

Other tasty quick breads

• Condensed Milk Banana Bread
• Sweet Potato Banana Bread
• Nutella Bread
• Applesauce Bread
• Peanut Butter Bread
• Bisquick Banana Bread