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This moist, tender pumpkin bread is everything fall baking should be: warmly spiced, deeply pumpkiny, and crowned with a buttery cinnamon streusel that runs through the middle and over the top. It comes together in one bowl plus a streusel, bakes into a gorgeous golden loaf, and fills the whole house with cozy spice. Serve thick slices with coffee or alongside banana nut muffins for a fall brunch.
A swirl of streusel inside and out is what takes this loaf from good to bakery-worthy.
Pumpkin Bread Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 377 per slice
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, warmly spiced, buttery
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy
Quick Answer
Pure pumpkin puree is the secret. It adds natural moisture and richness so the crumb stays soft and tender for days. Butter and a mix of white and brown sugar keep it rich, while not overbaking keeps it from drying out.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Pure pumpkin puree keeps it moist. A full 1.5 cups of pumpkin gives this bread its tender, plush crumb and deep fall flavor.
- Two sugars build flavor. White sugar for sweetness and brown sugar for moisture and a subtle caramel note.
- Streusel inside and on top. Layering half the streusel in the middle means a buttery, cinnamony ribbon in every single slice.
- Pumpkin spice plus extra cinnamon. Doubling up on warm spices makes the loaf taste like the essence of autumn.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One loaf pan and simple pantry staples, no mixer skills required.
- That cinnamon streusel ribbon makes it feel like a special-occasion bake.
- It stays moist for days, so it is perfect for make-ahead breakfasts and coffee-cake-style snacking.
- Freezer-friendly, so you can bake now and enjoy all season.
- It fills your kitchen with the coziest fall aroma, just like fresh cinnamon rolls.
Key Ingredients
Classic pantry baking ingredients plus a can of pumpkin are all you need.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best flavor and moisture.
- Butter and eggs: Unsalted butter and eggs make the loaf rich and tender.
- White and brown sugar: A blend for sweetness plus a hint of caramel.
- Flour and leaveners: All-purpose flour with baking powder and baking soda for a soft rise.
- Pumpkin spice and cinnamon: The warm spices that make it taste like fall.
- Streusel: Butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the crumbly topping and middle ribbon.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this loaf your own with a few easy twists.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or walnuts.
- Glaze it: Drizzle with a simple powdered-sugar or maple glaze once cooled.
- Cream cheese swirl: Add a sweetened cream cheese layer in the center.
- Make muffins: Divide the batter into a muffin tin and bake about 20 minutes, like my double chocolate muffins.
- Extra spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg, ginger, or cloves for a bolder spiced loaf.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
- Beat the eggs, then add the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Mix in the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the pumpkin puree and mix until the batter is smooth with no dry patches.
- In a separate bowl, combine the streusel ingredients into a crumbly mixture.
- Pour half the batter into a parchment-lined 9×5 loaf pan and sprinkle on half the streusel.
- Add the remaining batter, then top with the rest of the streusel.
- Bake at 350F for 55 to 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean; rest 15 minutes, then cool on a rack.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and spiced.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in, or the loaf can turn dense.
- Line the pan with parchment for easy lifting and clean slices.
- Tent with foil if the top browns before the center is done.
- Cool at least 15 minutes in the pan so the loaf sets before slicing.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pumpkin bread is wonderful slightly warm with a smear of salted butter or cream cheese. Serve it for breakfast with coffee, or as an afternoon treat alongside coffee cake and tea.
For a fall brunch spread, pair it with banana nut muffins, baked donuts, and a pot of cider. A dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple glaze makes it extra festive.
Store the cooled loaf wrapped at room temperature up to four days, or freeze whole or in slices for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or warm a slice in the microwave.
Pumpkin Bread FAQs
Yes. Roast and puree a sugar pumpkin, then strain it well so it is not watery. Canned pure pumpkin is more consistent and convenient, but fresh works if drained thoroughly.
Usually too much leavening, an underbaked center, or opening the oven too early. Measure carefully, bake until a toothpick comes out clean, and avoid opening the door in the first 45 minutes.
Absolutely. Divide the batter and streusel among a lined muffin tin and bake at 350F for about 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Wrap the cooled loaf and keep it at room temperature for up to four days. For longer storage, freeze it whole or sliced for up to three months.
Yes. Fold up to a cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips into the batter before pouring it into the pan.
Pumpkin spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and sometimes cloves. You can use a store-bought blend or mix your own to taste.
This easy pumpkin bread with streusel is the coziest loaf of the season. For more fall baking, try my banana nut muffins next.
Love cozy pumpkin desserts? Our soft pumpkin bars are spiced cake topped with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Add our sweet potato cake to your holiday dessert table next to your favorite pumpkin treats.
Easy Pumpkin Bread with Streusel
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temp
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups + ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree strained
Streusel Topping
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted butter very cold, cut into small cubes
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Beat the eggs with an electric hand mixer on low, and add butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix again until combined.2 large eggs, ¾ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to wet ingredients—mix on low speed.2 cups + ¼ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add strained pumpkin puree and mix until well combined with no dry patches.1 & 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
- In a large bowl, combine streusel topping ingredients: butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until it forms crumbs. The easiest is to use your hands for this or a pastry cutter.8 tablespoons Unsalted butter, ½ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Add half of the streusel topping and carefully add another layer of batter. Top with the remaining streusel.
- Bake for 55 minutes to an hour until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, a few moist crumbs are okay.
- Let the bread rest in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut in slices and serve warm.
Notes
- Ensure your ingredients, especially eggs, are at room temperature for best results.
- Don’t overmix your batter – it can lead to a denser bread.
- Always test your bread with a toothpick before removing it from the oven.
- If the bread is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil during the last part of baking.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to prevent it from breaking apart.
- For the freshest flavor, consume the bread within 3 days, but it can be refrigerated for 1 week for later.
Nutrition
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