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Maple Walnut Pumpkin Bread

Maple walnut pumpkin bread with a moist, tender crumb made from real pumpkin purée and pure maple syrup. Quick-bread style with warm fall spices and toasted walnuts, finished with a crunchy topping and optional maple glaze for bakery-level 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: 330
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 ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 0.333 cup pure maple syrup
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Mix-Ins and Topping
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts roughly chopped
  • 0.25 cup toasted walnut halves
  • 1 tbsp coarse sanding sugar
Optional Maple Glaze
  • 0.75 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x5-inch loaf pan

Method
 

Prepare and mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt until evenly combined.
  3. In another large bowl, whisk pumpkin purée, eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, pure maple syrup, vegetable oil, sour cream, and pure vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, then gently fold in toasted walnuts; do not overmix.
Bake and finish
  1. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top, then sprinkle with toasted walnut halves and coarse sanding sugar.
  2. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached; if the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil during the final 15 minutes.
  3. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack; if desired, whisk together the maple glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cooled loaf before slicing.

Notes

For best texture, fold the batter only until the dry flour disappears—overmixing can make the crumb tough. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked slices up to 2 months. Dietary swap: for a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with a similar bake-time expectation.