Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there lived a delicious treat called pumpkin bread. Every Thanksgiving, pumpkin bread would made its annual appearance. It’s arrival would fill our house with delicious smells of cinnamon and nutmeg to alert us of its presence. The craftiest of us may have snuck some before Thursday’s feast (especially if the middle was gooey).
This pumpkin bread recipe has been a central part of my family’s Thanksgiving meal for as long as I can remember. It is the most delicious pumpkin dish I’ve ever eaten, and I look forward to it every year (thank you, Mom!).
With the recent explosion of pumpkin scones, cookies, coffee, lattes, doughnuts, bagels, cream cheese, ice cream, cheesecake, yogurt, and every other pumpkin flavored everything that popped up as early as August this year, I’ve been feeling a little pumpkined out.
Don’t get me wrong, I look forward to slowly savoring my Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte on a cool fall day each year. However, I only splurge on a couple each season to keep the experience special… and because they are pretty pricy.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, another reason pumpkins have a very special place in my heart. The carving kind. I look forward to picking out a pumpkin and roasting the seeds every year. Nine years ago, on one of my first dates with my husband, he surprised me with pumpkins to carve on one of our first dates. I knew then it was love. I cannot wait to take Baby to the pumpkin patch someday soon.
So at least for me, October equals jack-o’-lanterns and November (not August) equals pumpkin bread. This recipe is the original pumpkin delicacy. It’s a classic. It’s my favorite. It’s worth the wait.
Dry Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups sugar
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 can pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two bread pans.
- Sift together all of the dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add all the remaining items.
- Mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into two greased and floured bread pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
This recipe is also excellent in muffin form. I discovered this little fact after making a full batch and then realizing I only had one bread pan. For delicious pumpkin muffins, grease and flour a muffin tin or line them with baking cups, then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. The full recipe will make about 24 muffins.
As a new mom, I quickly learned that if I’m going to make the effort to bake, I’m going make a double or triple batch so that it will last a long time. Luckily, this recipe freezes really well. Once the bread is cool, wrap the loaves in tin foil or put muffins into ziplock bags, and then freeze. To defrost, pull the loaves out a few hours before you need them, or the night before. To reheat, warm the pumpkin bread in the oven at 200 degrees.
What do you look forward to every fall?
I look forward to the end of pumpkin season and the start of peppermint season.
I love peppermint bark! Just not chocolate covered peppermint sticks. The wrappers always end up everywhere!
Nom nom nom. Pumpkin season is September through November. At the very least!
Ha! Sounds like you have a thing for fall flavors!
I need a good pumpkin bread recipe as the ones I have tried have turned out kind of meh!
Thanks for sharing Farrah!
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I really hope you like it then! Play with how long you bake it to decide if you like it better gooey (less time) or dry/crunchy on the outside.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love making bread at home…especially during the fall and winter!
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Ooooh, this sounds and looks so great! I will definitely have to give this a try. My hubby loves all things pumpkin, so I’m sure he would go crazy over this.
I agree with making a double or triple batch. I do that all the time.
Thanks for sharing this treasured recipe Farrah!
xoxo
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Yum! I cannot wait to share this in the round up:)
Joanna Clute @ Motherhood and Merlot recently posted…Wine and Pizza Pairings
YUM! Can’t wait to try this recipe! And I completely agree about baking a double or triple batch—that’s a must for us busy moms! Glad to hear this recipe freezes well.
Thanks for linking up with the #SHINEbloghop!
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My family loves pumpkin bread. Your recipe looks delicious. I like to throw chocolate chips in sometimes too.
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I love Pumpkin Bread and can’t wait to grab some from Starbucks or when my friends make it. Maybe this year I will make some of my own Thanks for sharing!
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