Pumpkin Walnut Bread

This easy recipe for a spiced Pumpkin Walnut Bread made with pumpkin purée yields a super flavourful and moist pumpkin loaf.

We look forward to making this beautifully golden Pumpkin Walnut Bread every fall season. It's has become my family's favorite spiced pumpkin quick bread recipe as the loaf always comes out flavorful, tender and super moist.

Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, this homemade pumpkin bread is incredibly flavorful. Though the toasted walnuts are optional, they add great texture to the bread. Baking this pumpkin loaf will fill your home with the comforting aromas of fall spices.

Jump to:

• How to Make it
• Ingredients Overview:
• Steps Overview:
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
• Pumpkin Walnut Bread Recipe

How to Make it

Though the ingredient list seems long, this pumpkin walnut bread recipe is really easy to make and can be mixed by hand.

You'll notice in the ingredient list that I use both all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour in this bread. But you can just use all-purpose flour if that's all you have available.

Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts.

Ingredients Overview:

• All purpose and whole wheat pastry flour (or more all-purpose flour)
• Ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg
• Baking soda: Used to make the bread rise.
• Salt: Enhances all of the flavors
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is more flavorful than white sugar and goes very well with pumpkin. If you don't have any, you can use granulated sugar.
• Vegetable oil: You can use also use canola oil or melted coconut oil. Oil makes this bread incredibly moist. 
• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature.
• Pure pumpkin purée. Make sure you purchase canned pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Walnuts: You can substitute pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chocolate chips. You can also leave the nuts out if you prefer a plain pumpkin bread.

Steps Overview:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat it. Grease and flour one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Whisk and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the sugars and eggs until well combined. Add the oil and pumpkin purée and blend well.
4. Add the wet ingredients (pumpkin mixture) to the dry ingredients and stir just until evenly incorporated. Avoid over stirring the batter. If desired, add the toasted walnut pieces and stir to incorporate. See my note in the recipe card on how to toast walnuts.
5. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 60 to 65 minutes. You may want to tent your loaf partway through the baking time with aluminum foil if you notice the top is getting too dark. 
6. Cool loaf in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn the loaf out unto the wire rack to cool.

Serving Suggestions

This pumpkin bread is great for serving during pumpkin season but is also delicious anytime of the year! Serve the bread at room temperature or slightly warm for breakfast or an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or tea.

If you would like to add a glaze to this pumpkin nut bread you could use the glaze from this Mini Apple Spice Bundt Cakes recipe. The glaze will definitely transform this bread into a dessert.

Storage Instructions

This recipe makes one loaf. To store the bread, let it cool completely before placing in an airtight container or sealable food storage bag. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate or freeze the pumpkin loaf for longer storage.

To freeze the entire loaf, wrap it well with plastic wrap, store it in a freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months. Defrost the loaf in the refrigerator overnight.

To serve, remove the bread from the refrigerator and let the loaf come to room temperature or if you're in a hurry you can warm slices of the bread in a microwave or oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoy!

More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake
• Maple Pumpkin Roll Cake
• Chocolate Swirled Brown Sugar Pumpkin Loaf
• Pumpkin Scones with Espresso Glaze
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This Pumpkin Walnut Bread post was originally published in October 2014. The post has been updated with helpful content, photos and the recipe has been simplified and modified to make one loaf instead of two.