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Amish Pumpkin Bread

Amish pumpkin bread is an old-fashioned quick bread with an exceptionally moist, tender crumb made with real pumpkin purée and warm spices. This loaf bakes up with a lightly domed top and a clean toothpick test, then finishes cooling for easy slicing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 0.75 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup applesauce
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional topping
  • 0.25 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Use if desired.
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds Use if desired.
  • 1 tbsp coarse sanding sugar Use if desired.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 2 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prepare the oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, and kosher salt until well combined.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk the pumpkin purée, large eggs, granulated sugar, packed light brown sugar, vegetable oil, applesauce, and pure vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
Combine and top
  1. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix.
  2. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans, pumpkin seeds, and coarse sanding sugar if desired.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
  2. If the tops are browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaves with foil during the last 15 minutes.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool the loaves in the pans for 15 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
  3. Serve with butter, maple butter, apple butter, or cream cheese, then store tightly wrapped for up to 4 days.

Notes

Pro tip: keep mixing to “just incorporated” so the crumb stays tender and moist—overmixing can make it tougher. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days; freeze sliced portions in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. For a nut-free option, omit chopped walnuts/pecans and top with only pumpkin seeds and sanding sugar.