Easy pumpkin bread recipe that can be made in a loaf pan, mini loaf pans or a fluted tin. The crumb texture is light and moist like a sweet bread. Mix in dark chocolate chunks and top with a toasted Italian meringue for an absolutely delicious way to enjoy pumpkin.
Why I Love this Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Easy to make, no need to turn on your mixer!
- Moist and full of pumpkin flavor.
- You can add chocolate or nuts to the batter for different flavor profiles.
- Smells amazing while baking!
- Makes a great holiday party gift.
- Easy to slice and freeze.
- Versatile recipe can be made into muffins, bundt cake, or loaf pan!
Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe Tips
- If using the 8 inch fluted brioche mold, bake at 325 F (170 C) for about 75 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness. ( A brioche fluted tin is darker and therefore will brown the loaf too much if baked at 350 F (180 C.)
- For the 9 X 5 inch loaf pan, add a piece of over hanging parchment paper across the short sides of the pan before adding batter. Once baked you can grab the overhanging flaps and lift your loaf from the pan.
- To make muffins, simply line a 12 muffin pan with liners, and fill ¾ full. Bake at 350F (180 C) for 18-20 minutes. This should yield up to 15 muffins.
- Bake your pumpkin bread plain or fold in either 1 Cup of dark chocolate chunks or mix in nuts of your choice to the batter before baking.
- Make your Italian Meringue while the pumpkin bread is cooling.
- To Freeze moist pumpkin bread, simply slice plain loaf and wrap slices in plastic wrap and place in an air tight container in freezer.
Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Now, for an even better version of this pumpkin bread, let’s mix in some chocolate chunks! I love dark chocolate chunks, but feel free to swap them out with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Just gently fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula before baking. The result is a fabulous combo of pumpkin and chocolate in a delicious moist sweet bread.
Pumpkin Bread Mini Loaves
Do you love making mini loaves to share or pack on a road trip? This batter is easily converted into 4 mini loaves.
- Prepare the mini loaf pans with non-stick spray and overhanging parchment paper.
- Divide the batter equally among the four pans.
- Place all four loaf pans on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- My favorite mini loaf pans are by Williams Sonoma.
Toasted Italian Meringue
What is Italian Meringue?
Italian Meringue is a stable meringue recipe made with boiled sugar (soft ball stage) that is slowly drizzled onto beaten egg whites in a soft peak form while beaten into a stiff glossy marshmallow consistency.
Scoop the Italian Meringue onto your pumpkin bread and create little whisps by twirling the spoon. Then toast the meringue with a handheld kitchen torch.
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 2 Cups (250 grams) All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
- ½ Cup (113 grams) Vegetable or Sunflower Oil
- ¾ Cup (150 grams) Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup (100 grams) Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ Cups (340 grams) Pumpkin Puree
- 2 (100 grams) Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup (170 grams) Dark Chocolate Chunks optional
Toasted Meringue
- 4 (120 grams) Egg Whites
- ½ tsp Cream of Tartar
- ½ Cup (100 grams) Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup (250 ml) Water
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Prepare pand and preheat oven. Choose either 8 inch fluted brioche mold, bake at 325 F (170 C) for about 70-75 minutes, or 9×5 inch loaf pan at 350 F (180 C) to bake for 60-65 minutes.
- In a medium bowl hand whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together vegetable oil with granulated sugar and dark brown sugar.
- Next, add pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until mixed.
- Spoon half of the flour mixture into the wet mixture, mix until combined. Then repeat with the remaining flour mixture.
- Fold in chocolate chunks if using them.
- Spoon batter into desired baking pan. Brioche Mold or Loaf Pan.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only small crumbs.
- Place pan on cooling rack to completely cool, before inverting pan onto serving dish and removing pumpkin bread.
Toasted Italian Meringue
- While baked pumpkin bread is cooling prepare your meringue.
- Place egg whites and cream of tartar in bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment.
- In a medium sauce pan gently stir together sugar and water. Turn up to high heat.
- Cook until sugar syrup reads 240°F on an instant read or candy thermometer. Which is in between soft and firm ball stage.
- While sugar syrup is cooking, turn on mixer to medium speed. Whip egg whites and cream of tartar until reaches soft peaks. This is where when you lift the head of the mixer, the fluffy egg whites should form gentle peaks that slowly collapse back into the mixture.
- Once you have soft peaks and the sugar syrup is ready, keep the mixer running on medium speed and carefully pour a slow drizzle of the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites. Aim for the space between rotating whisk and side of bowl.
- Once the sugar syrup has been added, turn the mixer up to high and whip until desired stiff peaks have formed. The mixing bowl will be hot, so I tend to whisk until the bowl cools.
- Spoon Italian Meringue onto cooled Pumpkin Bread and rotate spatula or spoon for desired look. Using a small kitchen torch, toast the meringue to create golden brown edges.
Emily
O gosh this looks so yummy! I have to try to make it hehe
Jenn
its super easy and delish!!! Let me know if you do:)