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The Best Pumpkin Bread

A moist, warmly spiced pumpkin bread with deep pumpkin flavor — thanks to a quick cook-down trick — plus orange zest brightness and crunchy walnuts on top.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Breakfast
Calories: 290
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour .
  • 1 tsp baking soda .
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder .
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt .
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon .
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg .
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves .
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger .
  • 1 cup granulated sugar .
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar .
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil .
  • 1 tbsp orange zest .
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract .
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts plus extra for topping
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar for topping

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment.
  2. Put the pumpkin puree in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, 6-8 minutes until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups and darkened. Cool 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a medium bowl.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk both sugars with the eggs, then the oil, orange zest, and vanilla. Stir in the cooled pumpkin.
  5. Fold dry ingredients into wet just until combined. Fold in walnuts.
  6. Pour into the pan; sprinkle with walnuts and turbinado sugar. Bake 55-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
  7. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely before slicing.