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Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

Copycat Starbucks pumpkin bread with an incredibly moist, tender crumb and rich pumpkin flavor, baked until a toothpick tests clean or with a few moist crumbs. Fold-together batter with warm fall spices and finish with a crunchy pepita topping for bakery-style slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
  • 0.25 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prepare the Pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Mix Dry Ingredients
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt until evenly combined.
Mix Wet Ingredients
  1. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, packed, vegetable oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
Combine Batter
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and no dry streaks remain; do not overmix.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even bake.
Add Topping
  1. Evenly sprinkle raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) across the top and gently press them into the batter so they adhere.
Bake
  1. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached (visual cue: top looks set and lightly browned).
  2. If the loaf is browning too fast, loosely cover with foil during the final 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Cool and Serve
  1. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack; slice only once completely cooled for clean slices.

Notes

Pro tip: keep mixing to a minimum after the flour goes in—overmixing makes the crumb tougher. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, this recipe already is dairy-free—just use any butter substitute if serving with spread.