Pumpkin bread is perfect for the fall and holidays. This delicious pumpkin bread is one of my favorite things to make this time of year!
This is a recipe my sisters and I have made for years. I can’t even begin to count how many loaves of this I have made over the years.
I have made it for my family, taken it to many holiday events, and given many loaves as gifts. That is how much I love this recipe.
I originally shared this recipe back in November 2008. It is one of those recipes that we love, but it gets buried in my site’s archives. I updated the pictures and wanted to share the recipe again with you.
I have quite a few pumpkin bread and muffin recipes on my site. We love them all, but the recipe I am sharing today is my favorite holiday special treat type of pumpkin bread. It is one of those recipes that we make year after year.
This bread is so good. It is not very healthy, but it is very good.
This bread is a treat. It is more like a dessert or a cake.
My kids have been known to eat it for breakfast, but it is more of a dessert or a holiday breakfast treat.
I have been making this recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. My sister first made it years ago, and it has become a must-make for our whole family. It is adapted from a 1998 Taste of Home magazine.
If you love pumpkin recipes I think you will enjoy this one!
Ingredients
- eggs
- oil
- canned pumpkin
- all-purpose flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gf blend for a gluten free version
- sugar
- cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix, not instant you have to use the cook and serve
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- salt
More Pumpkin Recipes
The Best Pumpkin Bread
My family and I have been making this recipe for The Best Pumpkin Bread for years. It is a tried and true favorite.
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ( Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gf blends works well for a gf version)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 packages (3 ounces each) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix, not instant you have to use the cook and serve
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs.
- Add oil and pumpkin and mix until well combined.
- In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients and gradually beat into a pumpkin mixture.
- Pour batter into 2 large loaf pans.
- Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 456Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 171mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g
Originally posted November 2008. Updated October 2017 and October 2024.
This sounds WONDERFUL! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I have never tried pumpkin bread before and I’m not sure why. This sounds so delicious though!
I have been gathering pumpkin recipes for weeks now, and I thought I was done until I saw this recipe. This sounds, and looks, so delicious.
I’m drooling over the pumpkin recipes today now. Question: How would I sub for the boxed puddings, just put all by the wet ingredients in? Now that I am in love with your homemade pudding, I don’t think I can buy another box of pudding again. 😉
This is one of the few things I actually buy boxed pudding for. I never make it up as it should be, but it is what I think makes this bread so good. You add it to the batter dry, so I don’t think just subbing the homemade pudding in it’s place would work sorry. But I am really glad that you like my homemade pudding!
Thanks. I wasn’t clear enough in my previous note, I guess. LOL. I meant, would I just use the dry mix ingredients from the pudding mix only. I think I might try it that way.
I am sorry that I misunderstood you. Yes, you just mix the dry pudding mix in, you do not make up the pudding you just add it dry to the other ingredients.
You mention “cook and serve” pudding for this recipe. This is NOT instant pudding? I’m used to adding instant pudding to recipes so I want to double check. Thank you for the wonderful recipes. I’m anxious to try this Pumpkin Bread!
Yes, it is the cook and serve not the instant. I have tried the instant in this and it does not turn out the same at all.
Thank you!!!
I made one called Spiced Pumpkin Bread that everyone has been raving about. It’s wonderful and very unusual in that it has black pepper in it. I now have orders for 15 loaves. Thank God I made a lot of pumpkin puree this year.
This looks delicious. Can I add chocolate chips to it? Have you tried doing it? I have one don whose absolute favorite bread is pumpkin chocolate chip. Thanks!
Yes they work great. When my girls make it they always stir in some chocolate chips and it tastes great. I hope you enjoy it!
My husband balked at the vanilla pudding. (He detests vanilla.) I made it (GF) using lemon pudding and I omitted the cinnamon. Turned out great. More lemon flavored than pumpkin, but that’s okay.
Hi, I’m wondering if I can substitute something else for some of the oil?
Are you trying to cut out the oil/fat or are you just wanting to use something else? I think you could easily use a different oil. Coconut oil might even work, although I haven’t tried it. If you are trying to take out the fat I am not sure that would work well since this already has pumpkin in it. Applesauce and pumpkin are what you often use in place of fat in recipes. You could probably decrease the amount of oil in the recipe, although I haven’t tried it. I hope that helps answer your question.
This sounds like a good recipe but l need some clarification. When it calls for the cook and serve vanilla pudding, do l first make the vanilla pudding or do l just add the powdered contents from the package?
As you can tell, l am not a confident cook.
I like your suggested recipes and find them easy and yummy!
I’m glad that l found your website.
Thank you Lynn😊
All the best,
Patti
You are not the only one that has asked this, so it is a fine question. You use it dry. Do not make it into pudding. You just put the dry mix into the batter. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the bread. I am glad that you found my site and recipes!
Delicious recipe! I substituted the oil with applesauce! Beautifully moist and wonderful for the season.
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! And I am glad to know that applesauce works in place of the oil in this recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Recipe calls for cook serve pudding. What is the difference between that and instant pudding? Does it change the texture or taste? Like a previous comment, I am used to using instant pudding in recipes.
For this recipe you need the cook and serve. The recipe does not turn out the same with instant pudding. It is usually in the same area as the instant pudding box and looks very similar but says cook and serve.
This seriously is the best pumpkin bread recipe. I have made it both GF and not and its the very very best! Give it a try!!
Thank you! I am so glad that you like it.