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This is the best pumpkin bread you’ll ever sink your teeth into! Delicate crumbed, sweet, pumpkin pie spiced and slathered with a smooth cream cheese frosting.
Nothing puts me in the mood for fall like baking up warm and delicious quick bread!
This is the best pumpkin bread recipe you’ll ever need: full of warm pumpkin pie spices, pumpkin puree, sweet vanilla, and deep brown sugar, frosted in a deliciously tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting.
This bread comes together fast and easily and makes the perfect gift for friends, family, and neighbors during the holidays.
Who wouldn’t love a thick, delicious slice of the best pumpkin bread?
Ingredients for the best pumpkin bread
For cake:
- All-purpose flour – A simple baking ingredient that helps hold your bread together.
- Brown and white sugars – The brown sugar will add a deep molasses flavor, while the white sugar will add sweetness.
- Unsalted butter – This is the fat of choice for our bread, to add moisture.
- Baking powder and soda – Baking powder and baking soda help give the bread a tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract helps bring all of the flavors together and adds sweetness.
- Eggs – Eggs help to emulsify and bring the batter together.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Feel free to use homemade or your favorite store-bought variety.
- Pumpkin puree – This will add pumpkin flavor and moisture to our bread.
For cream cheese frosting:
- Cream cheese – Cream cheese will add the perfect amount of tanginess to our frosting.
- Unsalted butter – Our fat of choice for our frosting.
- Powdered sugar – A preferred sugar for frosting because it can dissolve at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract helps bring all of the flavors together and adds sweetness.
Make your own pumpkin spice
Pumpkin pie spice can be found easily in the spice aisle of most major grocery stores.
But there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make your own at home!
My favorite blend is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Serving suggestions
I find the best pumpkin bread is perfect on its own, but you could certainly serve it up with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, or served alongside a nice apple crisp macchiato!
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers of the best pumpkin bread can be loosely covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature on the counter for up to 2 days.
More pumpkin recipes
- Want to make your favorite coffee house drink at home? Try my Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Coffee
- Need something savory? Try my Rosemary Pumpkin Rolls
- Looking for a show-stopping dessert? Try my Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Craving something sweet? Try my Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
The Best Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
For pumpkin bread:
- 2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Instructions
For the bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×5 inch with non-stick baking spray.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large size mixing bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, add pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, blend until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed until everything combines.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 55 minutes to an hour until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, dry, or with a few breadcrumbs.
- Let the bread rest in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For frosting:
- While the bread is cooling, beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until softened and add in the remaining ingredients.
- I recommend adding 2 cups of powdered sugar first to see if you have the thick and creamy frosting. If you want it to be thicker, add another ½ or 1 cup of powdered sugar.
- Cover the entire top of the cooled bread with frosting and add walnuts along with some ground cinnamon.
- Cut in slices and serve right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
