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Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread with a domed, crackly sugar top—made by whisking wet and dry ingredients separately, then baking until a toothpick tests clean. Expect a moist, orange crumb and a lightly spiced flavor from pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and heat the oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine and bake
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no flour streaks remain.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the top.
  3. Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan.
  2. Move the loaf to a rack to cool before slicing.

Notes

To keep the crumb tender, fold the dry into the wet just until the last flour streak disappears—overmixing can make pumpkin bread tough. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze slices in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light swap, use unsweetened almond milk in place of milk without changing the bake time.