When I decided to make a pumpkin bread of my own, I based it on the one from Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes because I liked how the pumpkin and spice flavors weren’t overpowered by sugar, which is so often the case with recipes. I made some tweaks with the sweetener, flours, and spicing, I hope you like them! If you love cinnamon, I recommend trying the Vietnamese one, “Royal Cinnamon,” from Burlap & Barrel.
Bake in a loaf pan, mini loaves as in the photo, or cupcakes. For timing: a large loaf takes 40–50 minutes, mini loaves 25–30, and cupcakes will be done around 15–20 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 makes things take longer.
This pumpkin bread is tender, dark, and spicy.
from the RiPE archives, October 2014; new photo October 2025; update October 2026 to update headnote and bring down the overpowering baking soda flavor I noticed this year (maybe it’s just me?)—since this batter is not highly acidic, I swapped the baking soda for baking powder and since we’re at high altitude, I use a tiny bit less, like 7/8 teaspoon.
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
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour Conservation Grains Snowgoose
- 1 cup less 2 tablespoons sugar (half granulated, half demerara worked really well 10/18/25; half brown sugar (India Tree Dark Muscovado is good too)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder or substitute ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
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 powder, ginger, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. 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.
