Super moist pumpkin bread with a crunchy pumpkin spice streusel topping! It’s seriously the BEST pumpkin bread recipe and will surely be a fall staple in your kitchen!
Nothing says fall more than a slice of homemade pumpkin bread! It’s incredibly moist, perfectly spiced and SO easy to make! No special machine required, so grab a bowl and a whisk and lets make the BEST pumpkin bread!
For more comforting fall recipes, be sure to check out our Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake, Baked Apple Cider Donuts Holes, and Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie!
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Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin Bread
- All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour) – Use a good quality flour for best results.
- Baking Soda – Helps the bread rise.
- Pumpkin Spice & Cinnamon – I love the combination pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
- Salt – Balances out the sweetness.
- Neutral Oil – You can use canola oil, avocado, grapeseed or light olive oil.
- Brown Sugar & White Sugar – We are using a higher ratio of brown sugar as the molasses adds more flavor.
- Pumpkin Puree – Not to be mistakened for pumpkin pie filling.
- Eggs – Adds structure and helps emulsify the batter.
- Whole Milk – Use whole milk for best results, but you can use what you have on hand.
- Vanilla Paste or Extract – Use good quality vanilla for the best flavor.
Crumb Topping
- All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour) – Use a good quality flour for best results.
- Brown Sugar & White Sugar – I like using a combination of dark brown sugar and a bit of white sugar.
- Pumpkin Spice – I use King Arthur’s Pumpkin Pie Spice blend, but you can use your favorite. I also love McCormick’s blend as well.
- Cinnamon – I always use Vietnamese cinnamon.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted butter adds richness and helps the streusel topping bind together.
*See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Pumpkin Bread With Crumb Topping
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this incredible Pumpkin Bread! Please find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1 – Make Streusel Topping – In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix everything together with a fork. You can make the clumps as small or as large as you would like. Set aside until needed.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and oil and mix well until fully combined. Mix on medium for 2 minutes. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, hand held mixer or whisk by hand.
Step 3 – Add one egg at a time and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Step 4 – Add milk and mix until combined.
Step 5 – In 2 additions, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
Step 6 – Transfer batter to a parchment lined 9×5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan.
Step 7 – Evenly sprinkle the streusel on top of the batter, making sure to cover the whole surface. Bake at 350ºF (176ºC) for at least 1 hour, adding an extra 5 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. (mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes) Do not overbake!
Substitutions
- For the Oil – I used light olive oil, but you can also use any neutral oil such as avocado, canola, or grapeseed oil.
- For the Pumpkin Pie Spice – Feel free to use your own blend if you’d like.
- For the Whole Milk – Although I recommend using whole milk, you can use any milk you have on-hand, including plant based milk.
Variations
- Add-Ins – Try folding in mini chocolate chips or nuts.
- Make a Glaze – Try drizzling a vanilla glaze or cream cheese glaze right on top.
- Go Nuts! – Add walnuts or pecans to the streusel topping!
- Go Topless! – You can omit the crumble topping if you’d like.
- Make it Gluten-Free – You can easily make this pumpkin bread gluten-free by subbing for a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend.
Equipment
- 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) Loaf Pan
Storage
- Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. It’s even more moist the next day!
- Refrigerator – Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the fridge.
- Freezer – Cool completely and wrap individual slices in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bring to room temp before enjoying!
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. It’s the best and most accurate way to bake. You can read more about this below.
- If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
- Follow the recipe as written. I know it can be tempting to alter ingredients and measurements, but doing so will not give you the best results. For instance, do not add less sugar. Sugar not only adds flavor, it also keeps the cake moist. Trust me when I tell you, this bread it not sweet at all!
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure a smooth batter.
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s pumpkin puree is my favorite (not sponsored) as I find it to be a bit thicker than other brands. If you find your that your puree is too wet, transfer to a plate and dab a paper towel on top of the puree to remove any excess moisture.
- Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will activate the gluten in the flour and can make your pumpkin bread tough.
- After about 45 minutes, if the top of your bread starts to get too browned, loosely cover with foil.
- Every oven runs differently, so check on the doneness after 1 hour by inserting a toothpick in the center of your bread. It’s ready when the toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs and should not be wet. If it needs more time, keep adding 5 minutes until it’s ready. (mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes)
- Do not overbake as this will dry out your cake.
FAQ
Pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin, while pumpkin pie filling has additives such as spices and sugar. Pumpkin filling is also thicker.
I would not suggest using pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. Pumpkin filling contains added spices and sugars that are not needed in this pumpkin bread.
Try making our Pumpkin Biscoff Cheesecake Jars or Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie!
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Did you try this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review below and tag me on Instagram @shortstackkitchen. This provides helpful feedback to myself and other readers. Thank you so much!
Recipe
Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
- Total Time: 1 Hr and 20 Mins +
- Yield: 1 9-inch Loaf 1x
Description
Super moist pumpkin bread with a crunchy pumpkin spice streusel topping! It’s seriously the BEST pumpkin bread recipe!
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 4 Tbsp (56 g) Unsalted Butter, melted
- ⅔ Cup (80 g) All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup (50 g) Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
Pumpkin Bread
- 2 Cups (240 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 2 ½ Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 1 ⅓ Cup (302 g) Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 Cup (200 g) Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup (100 g) White sugar
- ½ Cup (100 g) Neutral Oil
- 2 Large eggs, room temp
- ⅓ Cup (75 g) Whole Milk, room temp
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract
Instructions
Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix everything together with a fork. You can make the clumps as small or as large as you would like. Set aside until needed.
Pumpkin Bread
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350ºF (176ºC).
- Butter or grease your 9×5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and place a parchment sling inside, lengthwise with a 1 to 2 inch (2.5 to 5 cm) overhang.
- In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and oil and mix until well combined. About 2 minutes on medium speed. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, hand held mixer or whisk by hand.
- Add one egg at a time and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add milk and mix until combined.
- In 2 additions, add dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Transfer batter to your prepared loaf pan.
- Evenly sprinkle the streusel on top of the batter, making sure to cover the whole surface.
- Bake for at least 1 hour, adding an additional 5 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake! (mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes)
- Allow the pumpkin bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely and enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. It’s even more moist the next day!
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hr + more as needed
If you have made this recipe, I would love to know how it turned out for you! Please consider leaving a star rating and review below and tag me on Instagram @shortstackkitchen. Thank you so much!
Carol G
We’ve tried a lot of pumpkin bread recipes and this is our favorite! I appreciate the step by step photos and easy to follow instructions. So moist and delicious! We made a simple vanilla icing to drizzle to add on top!
Lisa Flinn
That vanilla icing sounds divine! Thank you for trying the recipe and for your review! It’s definitely a fall favorite!
Sarah
My family and I love this recipe! I have 2 little picky eaters, so that saying alot! It was so moist, the flavor was outstanding and it was so easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for it to cool, lol. Will be making this again!
Lisa Flinn
I am so happy to hear that you and your family loved it! Yes, waiting for it to cool is always the hardest part, haha! Thank you so much for your review!
Gordon
I made this for my family yesterday and it turned out great. Very soft and moist loaf. The step by step photos are very nice and so easy to follow. Thank you for the recipe.
Lisa Flinn
Thank you so much for your review! It’s my family’s favorite pumpkin bread and I’m so happy to share it with you! 😊
Jen
I made this for a potluck at work and it was a hit! Very moist and tasty!
Lisa Flinn
I’m happy it was a hit! It’s always a crowd pleaser. Thank you for trying it!
Ty
This is my family’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe. So moist and not too sweet. My kids and I have made it three times and will be making it again and again!
Lisa Flinn
Hi Ty, I’m so happy to hear that this is your family’s favorite pumpkin bread! It’s my family’s favorite as well. Thank you for your lovely review!😊