Elise Bauer from Simply Recipes makes the best pumpkin bread. I like her recipe because the pumpkin and spice isn’t overpowered by sugar, as in so many other recipes. I prefer a bit more cinnamon and less other spices, so I’ve made that change here.
You can bake in a loaf pan, or cupcakes, or mini loaves like I have in the photo…just watch your baking time, cupcakes will be done around 15–20 minutes, mini loaves at 25–30, and a loaf pan at 40–50 minutes. When done, the breads will be set but not too firm. If you poke a toothpick in, it should come out clean, no goo. If goo, bake longer and check again but keep the oven door opening to a minimum, as the loss of heat will make everything take longer.
This pumpkin bread is tender, dark, and spicy.
from the RiPE archives, October 2014; new photo October 2025
Pumpkin Bread (inspired by Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes)
makes one pan of mini loaves (8 per pan), one 9- by 5-inch big loaf, or 12 cupcakes; adapted from Simply Recipes
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled a touch 1 stick/8 tablespoons (Straus Family Creamery)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée Libby's
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- ½ cup whole wheat flour Conservation Grains Snowgoose
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup less 2 tablespoons sugar (half granulated, half demerara worked really well 10/18/25; use what you have around)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or freshly grated)
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375° F. Prepare bans by greasing with butter, coconut oil, or using paper liners. In bowl or 4-cup glass measure, mix together butter, pumpkin purée, eggs, water, and molasses.
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In separate, bigger bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Portion into prepared pans.
Bake loaf for 40–50 minutes, check mini loaves at 25 minutes, cupcakes at 15. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.
