Gingery Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin is one of the first flavors signaling summer to fall, when it comes to baking.  As soon as pumpkins show up on porches, then pumpkin bread, muffins, and pies are on my baking list. Here’s why THIS is the pumpkin bread recipe to bake now!

• Crystallized ginger punches up the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg spice blend making it: ‘I want-another-slice’
• The recipe uses one full 15-oz can of pumpkin puree – no leftover bit to use up.
• The pumpkin adds plenty of moistness, so a skimpy 1/3 cup of oil makes a plenty moist bread. See note in recipe on substituting pumpkin for fat and egg.
• No mixer needed, just stir together in a big bowl.

Pumpkin bread recipes can have family favorites – but I think there’s no debating this gingery bread is the best! I recently read this ‘Four Pumpkin Breads Comparison‘ by The Kitchn.  The winning recipe by Smitten Kitchen is a similar ingredient list to mine, but no crystallized ginger, and has a cinnamon sugar topping. A sweet idea, that inspired me to add a the ginger topping.

I originally created this pumpkin bread for Circulon Bakeware and it will always be in my repertoire of quick breads.  Walnuts and raisins add plenty of texture and interest, or mix it up with pecans, golden raisins, currants. Don’t skip the ginger topping, it’s an extra hit of ginger that will bring you back for more!

Print Recipe

Gingery Pumpkin Bread

Crystallized ginger adds extra zing to this moist and easy to make quick bread.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 can (15 oz.) canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar use 1/2 cup if you like sweeter bread
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or mild flavored olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 3/4 cup natural or golden raisins
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, plus about 1 Tbsp for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray, or use a non-stick pan.
• Stir together flour, cinamon, baking soda, baking powder, cloves and nutmeg in a bowl.
• In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin, sugars, oil and eggs. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Add nuts, raisins, and crystallized ginger.
• Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle batter with additional crystallized ginger. Bake 60-70 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cover lightly with foil the last 10-15 minutes if the top is getting to brown. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife along edges and remove from pan, if desired, or leave in pan to cool. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Notes

Libby's Pumpkin label

1/4c pumpkin = 1 egg

1/2c pumpkin = 1/2 cup oil

3/4c pumpkin = 1 cup butter

I have not tried all the substitutions but I would trust the Libby's test kitchen.

I originally created the recipe with 1/2 cup brown sugar, but 1/4 cup plus the granulated sugar is enough for my taste now.