If you love homemade pumpkin bread but don't want to mix, knead or babysit a loaf in the oven, this easy Bread Machine Pumpkin Bread is the perfect recipe for you. It's a great way to enjoy the cozy flavors of fall without spending too much time in the kitchen. Made with pumpkin puree and warm pumpkin pie spices, this loaf comes our soft, moist and full of pumpkin flavor. Just dump the ingredients into the bread machine, set it to the quick bread cycle and let the machine do the work.
The bread machine makes the process simple and hands-off, making it a great choice for busy mornings, weekend baking or an easy fall treat. Enjoy a slice for breakfast with coffee, pack it as a snack or serve it as a cozy dessert.
This pumpkin bread is one of my favorite fall bread recipes as written, but it's also easy to customize. It makes a large 2 pound loaf that can be cut into about 12 pieces. You can turn it into pumpkin pecan bread, add chocolate chips to make pumpkin chocolate bread and even make it in your pressure cooker.
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
To make pumpkin bread you need:
- Oil or butter: you can use unsalted butter or any neutral oil like extra virgin olive oil, vegetable or canola oil. I prefer using extra virgin olive oil in a lot of my baking to keep our delicious treats a little more wholesome.
- Pumpkin puree: canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree both work great, but don't use pumpkin pie mix. I usually buy lots of pie pumpkins, cook them in the Instant Pot and then puree the insides in my blender to use throughout the season.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour rather than bread flour. In sweet, quick breads all-purpose flour creates a more tender, soft loaf. Bread flour is best for sandwich style breads like this white bread or garlic flavored bread.
- Spices: my pumpkin bread is full of warming autumn spices, like nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. You can substitute with a store bought pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Sugar: depending on your preference, use any type of granulated sugar, such as unrefined brown coconut sugar, white sugar, light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. My preference is unrefined coconut sugar, again to keep it refined sugar free.
- Vanilla extract: I also make my vanilla extract at home and use throughout the season. You can add a bit of cinnamon extract to this recipe too.
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Optional mix-ins: such as walnuts, pecans, cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, etc.
Love pumpkin recipes? Try out glazed roasted pumpkin cubes, pumpkin soup and pressure cooker pumpkin pasta too.
Equipment
You'll need a bread machine for this recipe. For slicing and storing, here are the items I recommend and love using. They will make serving easy and keep your bread fresh for as long as possible.
- Bread knife: this Calphalon bread knife is my favorite.
- Bread box: to keep the bread stored in optimal conditions. I love Laura's Green Kitchen boxes.
- Bread bag: Plastic bread bags are good for everyday or if you want a disposable option. Reusable cloth bags are eco-friendly and great for gifting pumpkin bread during the holidays.
Recipe Tips
- Choose the correct bread machine setting for your brand bread maker. This pumpkin bread is a quick bread and should use the "quick bread" cycle for machines that have it. Some bread makers label this as "quick bread/cake" or just "cake". Check your manual to identify which setting is used to make quick breads.
- While it's mixing, scrape the sides of the pan to incorporate any excess flour into the batter.
- To avoid having to scrape flour off the sides of the bread pan or to prevent any flour clumps from not mixing in thoroughly, you can premix the ingredients. However, this adds an extra step and an extra dirty bowl to clean.
- Don't be tempted to open the lid while it's baking! This can impact whether the bread becomes fully cooked at the end of the cycle. Most bread machines have a window that you can peek through, so use this instead. If you can't see the bread clearly, wait until it's finished.
- When it's done, remove the bread pan from the machine and let it rest for 10 minutes. Keep the bread in the pan during these 10 minutes. Then remove it carefully and let completely cool on a wire rack. Use oven mitts when handling the bread pan, as it will be very hot!
Instructions
- Spray the bread pan with olive oil or grease with butter. Add all ingredients to the pan in the order listed, or if your brand machine has another order use that.
- Secure the bread pan to the bread machine. Plug it in and set to the "quick bread/cake" cycle. Choose the 2 pound loaf option and crust color preference (if your machine has these settings). Press start. *If your machine does not have a quick bread cycle, check your manual for the comparable setting.
- The machine will begin mixing. This takes about 5 minutes. While it's mixing, scrape flour on the sides into the batter using a spatula. *When done mixing, you should also remove the paddle. Doing so will make the bread easier to remove when it's done.
- When the baking cycle is complete, unplug the bread maker and wait 10 minutes. Then transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Carefully remove the kneading paddle if you haven't done so and cut into approximately 12 slices.
How To Store
Store at room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap, in an airtight container, or bread bag for up to 3 days. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. It's easiest to slice the bread before storing or freezing so it can be defrosted or warmed individually.
How Do You Keep Pumpkin Bread Moist?
The correct ratio of oil, eggs and pumpkin puree to flour will make a perfectly moist bread. Always use a trusted recipe. If the ratio is off, you'll end up with bread that is either too dry or too soggy.
Recipe Variations
Make this basic pumpkin bread even more delicious by adding ½ cup to 1 cup of:
- Cranberries: give it a tangy, fruity taste by adding dried cranberries. You might also love my bread maker cranberry bread.
- Walnuts: make pumpkin walnut bread by adding chopped walnuts to the batter and/or the top.
- Pecans: pumpkin pecan bread? Yes, please!
- Chocolate: white, dark, or milk chocolate chips will create an even sweeter bread- and what doesn't taste better with a little chocolate?
If adding to the batter, put them into the bread machine last. If adding to the top of the loaf, wait until the bread has started to bake so they do not sink to the bottom of the batter.
Recipe
Bread Machine Pumpkin Bread - Quick Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil or butter unsalted butter, olive oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar unrefined coconut sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar or white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup crushed walnuts optional
Instructions
- Spray the bread pan with olive oil or grease with butter. Add all ingredients to the pan in the order listed, or if your brand machine has another order use that.
- Secure the bread pan to the bread machine. Plug it in and set to the "quick bread/cake" cycle. Choose the 2 pound loaf option and crust color preference (if your machine has these settings). Press start. *If your machine does not have a quick bread cycle, check your manual for the comparable setting.
- The machine will begin mixing. This takes about 5 minutes. While it's mixing, scrape flour on the sides into the batter using a spatula. *When done mixing, you should also remove the paddle. Doing so will make the bread easier to remove when it's done.
- When the baking cycle is complete, unplug the bread maker and wait 10 minutes. Then transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Carefully remove the kneading paddle if you haven't done so and cut into approximately 12 slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Anonymous says
Mine was dense and inedible Im afraid. There are so many variables so maybe its just my machine. I love the idea of this and I gave it 3 stars still as I (against health provider guidance ) tasted the batter and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for posting and maybe someone will weigh in if they have advice. Happy baking 🙂
Joii says
Why did my bread come out so soft and not quite bake almost like a pie.. tasty but not near as a bread texture
Kristina Tipps says
It sounds like it needed to bake for longer.
Treasa says
My bread machine doesn't have the "quick bread" option. What would you suggest? (Mine is West Bend, older model)
Kristina says
Hey there! I took a look at the machine you have, and the settings are intended for yeast breasts and all have a lengthy rise time. This makes them not ideal to use for a quick bread. There are 2 options. 1 is to use the bread machine to mix and knead only and then transfer the dough to a loaf pan and bake it in the oven for about 45-60 minutes. The second is to skip the bread machine altogether and make it by hand (easiest). Making it by hand will take no time at all! You can mix the dry ingredients together, then combine them with the wet ingredients and bake it in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes (adding the walnuts to the top after about 15 minutes).