I don’t know about you but one of my favorite things about the Fall season, especially from Halloween to Thanksgiving, is having certain pumpkin desserts or quick breads … something I only have maybe once a year. And one of those has always been a really good pumpkin bread. Until last year, 2013, I had always had pumpkin bread outside my own house, never baked it or had it baked at home. What I made last year was such a hit that I wanted to make it again this year, wouldn’t you know I didn’t save the recipe?! UGH! So the hunt was on to find the base recipe I used last year.
Fortunately I stumbled upon a really good recipe, quite possibly even better than the one I originally made, and it was easy to customize and make my own. Below is the finished product and one I will be making for many years to come.
OPTIONAL: Nuts (pecans/walnuts) are a great addition as are chocolate chips, go for it and take this over-the-top! To make it truly decadent, something I like to do with banana bread too, is to sprinkle raw sugar over the top before baking. The sugar crystalizes and makes a fabulously sweet crunchy texture for the bread. YUM!
UPDATE: If I’m correct, I found the original recipe that I thought I had lost. And of all places where did I find it? On this blog … on the SAME page of Baking recipes just a recipe or two above this one. SMH and LOL. 🙂
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, completely soft or half melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 can of pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans, walnuts, and/or chocolate chips (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and spray two medium loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire whisk attached, put in sugar, softened butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Cream these four ingredients together on medium speed until fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and combine well.
- In three batches, add the dry ingredients and mix until each batch is just incorporated, scraping the sides between each batch.
- If using pecans or walnuts, pour half of the batter into a one of the prepared pans, then fold nuts into the remaining batter and pour it into the other prepared pan. Bake side-by-side for at least one hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean the top is golden.