I love the fall and winter. I know that is a bit of an unusual statement, but it’s true. There is something so comforting and homey about those seasons. From the gorgeous colours of fall to the crisp, cold magical whiteness of a winter’s night, I love it all!
Another thing I love about fall and winter is cooking and baking. The coziness of the aromas of cinnamon, baking bread and freshly made cookies drifting from my oven is just impossible to resist! One of my favourite things to bake in the fall is Pumpkin Bread. It is easy to make and this recipe makes the best Pumpkin Bread I have ever eaten. It is moist, aromatic, and tastes like a little slice of heaven. I daresay, this could easily be the world’s best pumpkin bread! Good thing the recipe makes two loaves because one would never be enough…lol!
Gather all of your ingredients.
Beat together sugars and oil until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add pumpkin and stir to combine.
Whisk together or stir with a fork to combine all dry ingredients.
Alternating, add dry ingredients and water, to batter. (Approximately 1/3 of the flour mixture –> 1/3 cup water –> 1/3 flour mixture –> last 1/3 cup water –> remaining 1/3 of flour mixture.)
*Optional – Add flour dusted chocolate chips or nuts, stir just to combine.
Divide the batter between the two greased loaf pans.
Bake until a cake tester comes out clean. By now your house is smelling like heaven!
Drizzle with icing. Doesn’t this look pretty…pretty yummy!
This bread freezes really well. Wrap in plastic wrap and then put wrapped bread in a freezer bag. I slice it first and then freeze. That way you can remove from the freezer only what you want.
- 1½ cups white sugar
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 250 mls (1 cup) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 475 ml (16oz) can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
- 3½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips *optional (A cup of chopped pecans or walnuts would also work well)
- Drizzle:
- ⅓ cup icing sugar and enough milk to make it smooth but not too runny. Add more icing sugar or milk until right consistency to drizzle.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter or coat with vegetable spray, two 9 by 5 loaf pans, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk or stir with a fork to combine dry ingredients. (reserve ½ teaspoon)
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat both sugars and oil until creamy.
- Stir in eggs, one at a time, until they are well combined.
- Add pumpkin. Stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients, in thirds, to wet ingredients; alternate with the water - add ⅓ cup at a time.
- Stir gently to combine, after each addition.
- Pour chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) into a bowl, add ½ tsp. of the flour mixture. Toss or stir to coat chips in flour. (This keeps them from settling to the bottom of the bread)
- Pour chips into batter, gently stir to combine.
- Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.
- Bake for 50 to 65 minutes (depending on your oven) or until cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean.
- Let stand 10 minutes.
- Remove from pans and cool.
- When completely cool. Drizzle with icing sugar and milk mixture.
I LOVE this bread and hope you will too!
If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask and I will do my very beat to answer.
What is your favourite season?
What is your favourite thing to bake?
Patricia says
Pumpkin is fast becoming my go-to vegetable for autumn. This bread does look scrumptious!! Love your idea of cutting it before freezing …. but will probably eat it all anyway!!!
Monica Parlee says
Thanks Pat…yeah…just let me say, not much of this bread made it to the freezer…lol!
SueSueper says
Looks delicious!
Monica Parlee says
Thanks Sue, it is definitely a very tasty treat!
Kris says
thanks, great recipe! I substituted a bit of buckwheat flour for all- purpose and it was still tasty. It also worked well with the pumpkin I had in the cellar; I just baked it on a sheet pan for 25 minutes and then puréed it once it cooled off.
Monica Parlee says
It would be super good with fresh pumpkin Kris and I love your idea of substituting a bit of the all-purpose flour for a healthier buckwheat. Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Monica
Gresham says
So delicious! Fresh pumpkin is a great to bake with. The bread turned out beautiful.
Monica Parlee says
I’m so glad you liked it Gresham.