Our Favorite Pumpkin Bread

A Family Recipe

Hey Friend!

Are you a pumpkin spice fan?

Do you enjoy all the pumpkin-fall-related things? Lattes? Donuts? Muffins? Pies? Cocktails? Smoothies?

I will raise my hand and admit that I don’t get the whole PSL fandom. Eek. I know, I know. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I have friends and family who love them. And I will happily buy one for you anytime we meet for a coffee date. But I will be the one abstaining from the PSL and cheerfully ordering anything caramel or mocha, instead! 😂

I love actual pumpkin, though!

When Bob, Emma, and I were living in Venezuela for a short time, we were there in November and decided we wanted to make a Thanksgiving dinner. There was no canned pumpkin, but I found a fresh pumpkin in my local mercado. So I made a pumpkin pie from scratch for the first time, which was a lot of work and a very special treat.

Every year when the air cools down and the leaves start their descent and the days get shorter, you can bet that the kids and I pull out our favorite pumpkin recipes and turn on the oven. Not so much for pumpkin pie from scratch (I do like the ease of canned pumpkin!) but for pumpkin muffins or bread and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin scones. Yum!

I want to share one of our very favorite recipes with you today. We’ve made this one for as long as I can remember. Everyone in the family raves about it and always wants to take extra to share at work or with friends.

It makes wonderful bread or perfect muffins!

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups canned pumpkin

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup vegetable or light olive oil

4 eggs

3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, water, oil, and eggs. Beat until well mixed.

Combine all dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth.

Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and dust them with flour. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

Or if you prefer muffins… prepare your muffin tins. Evenly divide the batter between the sections of the muffin tins. This will make twenty-four muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

These loaves (and muffins) freeze well, too.

Happy baking!