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Ina Garten's Pumpkin Bread

Ina Garten's pumpkin bread delivers a moist, tender crumb with real pumpkin purée, warm fall spices, and a buttery batter. Bake in a 9x5 loaf pan until golden and toothpick-clean, then cool fully for clean slices and rich flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.25 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 15 oz pumpkin purée
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional Topping
  • 0.25 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp coarse sanding sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prepare the Pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, and kosher salt until evenly combined.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
  1. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, large eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, sour cream, and pure vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
Make the Batter and Add Topping
  1. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, then do not overmix. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface.
  2. Sprinkle the chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, and coarse sanding sugar over the top if using.
Bake
  1. Bake for 55–65 minutes at 350°F (175°C), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If the loaf browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the final 15 minutes.
Cool and Serve
  1. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
  2. Serve with salted butter, maple butter, or whipped cream cheese, or enjoy plain with hot coffee or tea.

Notes

Pro tip: fold the dry ingredients in gently and stop as soon as you don’t see streaks—overmixing will make the loaf dense. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (same amount) to keep the crumb moist.