Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe (No Mixer!)
Every thick slice of my pumpkin bread has an incredibly tender crumb and rich, spiced pumpkin flavor that melts in your mouth. Itโs soft, moist, and loaded with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, making it a favorite fall recipe. Best of all, itโs easy to make, just 10 minutes of prep, and the oven does the rest. No mixer required, just a hand whisk, a bowl, and simple ingredients for a foolproof recipe packed with pumpkin flavor and incredible texture.

Hey team! Here in Australia, pumpkin desserts arenโt really a thing, because when most of America is in Pumpkin spice everything mode in September, weโve hit spring! Even so, this pumpkin bread is my exception. I bake it every single year because itโs easy, always turns out perfectly, plus it makes my kitchen smell insanely amazing. All those spices!
In fact, this pumpkin bread was the first pumpkin dessert I ever baked, and I have to say, Americans are onto something! The sweet, earthy pumpkin flavor really shines in this tender loaf, making it a gateway into trying other desserts that Iโve shared on the site. Recipes like my Nutella Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Pie Bars are rich with warm spices and that unmistakable pumpkin flavor, While my Banana Bread and Chocolate Banana Bread offer a different kind of comforting sweetness. If youโre looking for more inspiration, Iโve got plenty of pumpkin recipes to explore too.
What makes my pumpkin bread stand out?
Itโs extra moist, packed with pumpkin flavor, and spiced to perfection with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. All of those things come together to make each slice irresistible.
What does it for me?
- Itโs extra moist and it stays moist for days! Itโs even better the next day.
- Makes your house smell amazing. Seriously worth it just for that!
- Itโs all done by hand, no mixer needed
- Rich in pumpkin flavor!
Making Your Own Pumpkin Puree Is Easy!
The pumpkin is the star of the show here! If you can get canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) it works great with this recipe. But if youโre in a country where itโs not readily available, itโs easy to make your own! Iโve got a full tutorial on How To Make Pumpkin Puree For Baking on the blog with all my tips and tricks, but hereโs a quick run-down.
- Roast your pumpkin in the oven, then let it cool.
- Run in a food processor until smooth.
- Let it strain through a cheese cloth to get rid of excess liquid
- Itโs ready to use!
Why this Pumpkin Bread is moist!
I did a fair bit of testing from the original recipe to this new one! And the two biggest things I tested were how to make the Pumpkin bread softer and lighter but just as moist!
I originally tested it using brown butter in an effort to give it that delicipous toasty flavor itโs known for. While it did that, it also resulted in a firmer pumpkin bread. Butter solidifies when it cools in a cake, oil doesnโt, so I ultimately decided to go with oil. A little extra bicarb soda to react with the acidity in the pumpkin puree gave this new version of the recipe an extra boost of air, making it fluffier and lighter. Letโs dig into more of the ingredients.
- Pumpkin Puree – The star ingredient that gives the bread its signature flavor and incredible moisture. You can use canned Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling) or make your own pumpkin puree for baking.
- Vegetable Oil โ I tested this recipe with browned butter which I was hoping would make it even richer in flavor. But the problem with butter in a recipe like that is that it solidifies as the loaf cools making it feel firmer. Oil doesnโt solidify which helps keep the loaf moist and soft at the same time! You can use canola oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil.
- Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves) – Deliver warm, cozy flavors that elevate the pumpkin. You can use ready made pumpkin spice but Iโve got you covered in the recipe card below to put it together yourself.
- Brown Sugar – I use a mixture of white sugar for sweetness and some brown sugar for added moisture and an added depth of flavor.
- Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) – Works to lift the bread and create a light texture when combined with the acidity in the pumpkin puree.
Making Pumpkin bread by hand (no mixer needed!)
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the spices.
- In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. Eggs, pumpkin puree, oil and vanilla extract
- Add the wet to the dry and combine using a hand whisk. No mixer needed! Add the mixed batter into a loaf tin.
- To get that iconic split in the middle of your bread that cafรฉ bakes are known for – Cut up some thing bars of butter and line them up in the middle of the pumpkin batter before baking. The butter will melt and add more moisture in that area casuing it to bake slower than the rest of the loaf.
- I like the add a little tin foil on top of the pumpkin bread about half way through baking to stop the top from browning too much. Be gentle and try to give it a bit of a dome shape to ensure the loaf has more space to rise in the oven.
- Youโll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and no wet batter is visible. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then transfer over to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing.
Tips & Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Measure out using kitchen scales โ Measuring out your ingredients by weight and not cups is the best way to get consistent results every time. I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales to measure out ingredients!
- Use room temperature eggs โ to help them mix into the batter much easier.
- The pumpkin puree you use matters! Opt in for a good quality pumpkin puree if using canned like the Libbyโs brand one. I make my own homemade Pumpkin Puree because I canโt get the canned stuff here.
- When mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, take care not to overmix. Mix only until no dry ingredients are showing. Itโll keep your pumpkin bread soft and moist.
- Cover the pumpkin bread with foil half way through the bake to stop the top from browning or burning for the final half of the bake.
- Adding a strip of butter on top before baking gives you that iconic cafรฉ style split in the center of your bake.
Best way to store your pumpkin bread
I mean, if you can stop yourself from eating the entire thing on the day itโs baked (which has never happened at out house) cover with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Itโs such a great on the go snack.
How to freeze pumpkin bread
To freeze your pumpkin bread, slice it up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Let it thaw at room temperature and serve.
What is this recipe in grams and not cups?
The short answer is accuracy! It is far easier, more accurate and you get more consistency results when you measure ingredients by weight, especially in dessert and bread baking! I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales!
Tried this recipe and loved it? Awesome! Drop me a comment below and tell me about it! Canโt wait to hear how it turned out for you! You can also keep up to date with me during the week by joining me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe (No Mixer!)
Serves 8
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 225 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
- 50 g brown sugar
- 160 g caster sugar
- 300 g pumpkin puree, see notes
- 190 g vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat a fan forced oven to 160C / 320F (180C/355F for no fan). Spray an 22 x 13cm / 9 x 5-inch (7.5cm / 3-inches high) loaf tin with oil spray and line the sides and bottom with baking paper. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients – Add the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a hand whisk to combine.
- Combine wet ingredients – Add both sugars, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and vanilla extract into a medium sized mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine until smooth.
- Mix wet with dry – Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well combined. Add the chocolate chips and fold through the batter. The batter will be thick and smooth.
- Bake – Pour the batter into the loaf tine and use a spoon to smoothen out the top. Bake for 40 minutes, then take out of the oven and cover with tin foil in a dome shape to allow for more rise before baking for a final 40 minutes. Thatโll stop the top from browning too much. Youโll know its done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and no wet batter is visible. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer over to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing.
2 comments
Hi,
I canยดt find the chocolate chips in the ingredients list above. Can you help me? ๐
Laura
Hi Laura! Sorry about that, I’ve just gone in and taken that out of the recipe card! Thanks for letting me know! N x