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This moist pumpkin bread with maple glaze is the ultimate fall bake. It’s soft, full of pumpkin flavor, and spiced just right with a simple glaze that melts into the top and adds the perfect touch of maple sweetness. Everything comes together in one bowl with just 15 minutes of prep, making this an easy go-to recipe you’ll want to bake again and again.
Haley here from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen and my pumpkin kick is going strong. There are plenty of pumpkin recipes floating around this time of year, but I promise this one stands out. It’s loaded with real pumpkin flavor and warm spices, and the maple glaze melts right into the loaf to make each bite taste like fall.
It’s a perfect bake for September through November, whether you’re enjoying a slice for breakfast, gifting a loaf to a friend, or making a batch for Thanksgiving dessert. This is one of those recipes you’ll come back to year after year.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Moist Pumpkin Bread
- Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread and Maple Glaze
- How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Bread
- Tips for the Best Moist Pumpkin Bread
- Flavor Variations and Add-Ins
- How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Bread FAQ
- More Fall Baked Goods You’ll Love
- Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Moist Pumpkin Bread
- This pumpkin bread recipe is tender and flavorful which is much tastier than store-bought.
- You can enjoy it for breakfast, snacks, or even as a decadent dessert with ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
- This easy quick bread makes a great gift to give to family, friends, neighbors, or school teachers.
- This is my favorite reason: This moist pumpkin bread recipe has rich flavor, a soft crumb, and the kind of sweet aroma that makes it feel like fall from the first slice.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread and Maple Glaze
- All-Purpose Flour – This is the base of the bread. You’ll also need to dust the loaf pan to prevent it from sticking. You can substitute with 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour made with xanthan gum, if desired.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Helps the batter rise giving it a bread consistency while still maintaining moisture.
- Salt – Activates the baking soda and baking powder and also balances the sweetness from the sugar.
- Spices – A mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger all add a warming fall flavor.
- Sugar – Use regular granulated sugar for this recipe. Do not use brown sugar as it alters the flavor of the bread.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best, but you can use salted in a pinch.
- Egg – Binds the bread together and helps it set when baking and cooling.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds a light vanilla flavor.
- Pumpkin Puree – Homemade pumpkin puree or store-bought canned pumpkin puree is fine. Do not use pumpkin pie filling as it is not the same thing.
Maple Glaze
- Unsalted Butter – You can use salted butter if you do not have unsalted, but omit the additional salt.
- Pure Maple Syrup – Adds naturally sweet maple flavor to the glaze.
- Powdered Sugar – Adds additional sweetness and helps the topping form a glaze.
- Salt – Balances the sweet flavor of maple syrup and sugar.
You can omit the maple glaze, if desired. The pumpkin bread with fresh pumpkin tastes great without it, but the glaze adds a little more sweetness and flavor.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Bread
This easy pumpkin bread recipe is made in little time. Everything comes together easily in a few bowls. As the bread bakes, your kitchen will fill with autumnal aromas.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Grease one 9” x 5” loaf pan with butter and dust with flour to prevent the bread from sticking. Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients: To a medium-sized bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and all of the seasonings. Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients fully.
- Combine wet ingredients: To a large bowl, add butter and sugar. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat until the butter and sugar are creamed together for about 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla then beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, then mix in the pumpkin puree.
- Assemble the pumpkin bread batter: To the wet ingredients, add in the dry in batches until a smooth rich pumpkin bread batter is formed without overmixing. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake and cool: Bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- Make the maple glaze: Add the butter and syrup to a saucepan, then add the sugar and salt and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled bread and let harden before slicing and serving. If the glaze is too thick, add a teaspoon or two of water. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more sugar.
Tips for the Best Moist Pumpkin Bread
- Use pure pumpkin puree. This recipe calls for fresh 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You can find canned pumpkin puree at your local grocery store.
- It’s okay if the mixture curdles before adding dry ingredients. After adding the pumpkin to the wet ingredients, the mixture may look curdled. This is normal. The batter will look fine after adding the dry ingredients.
- Use fresh ingredients. Before baking, always check your baking soda and baking powder to make sure it is not expired. If it is expired, it may not activate and will not cause the bread to rise properly.
- Do not overmix. When mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, make sure you do not overmix. This will prevent the bread from getting too hard and will make sure it maintains its soft and moist texture.
- Let the glaze for pumpkin bread fully set before slicing. This helps the glaze firm up and keeps your slices clean and picture-perfect. It’s a small step that makes a big difference in presentation and texture.
Flavor Variations and Add-Ins
- Use pumpkin spice. You can substitute the spices with pumpkin spice, if desired.
- Make pumpkin maple bread. For more maple flavor, fold in 1–2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the batter itself to make a maple-forward pumpkin maple bread.
- Make pumpkin chocolate chip bread. If you’re a chocolate lover, you can fold in your favorite chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the bread before adding it to the loaf pan.
- Add nuts. Chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or sliced almonds give this bread a nutty flavor and a bit of crunch. Use about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, folded into the batter before baking.
- Make mini loaves. You can bake the bread in mini loaf pans. One regular loaf will yield about three mini loaves baked in a 5-inch loaf pan.
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Bread
Room temperature: Once cooled, store the pumpkin bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep it in a cool, dry place away from heat or sunlight.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep for up to 1 week. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: Let the loaf cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature. You can freeze the loaf with or without the glaze. Just make sure the glaze is fully set if freezing glazed.
Pumpkin Bread FAQ
Why is my pumpkin bread dry?
If your pumpkin bread turned out dry, it’s usually due to overmixing or overbaking. Mix the batter just until combined to avoid developing too much gluten. Also, make sure your oven is set to 325°F and check for doneness early with a toothpick. Using 100% pure pumpkin puree and storing the bread properly once cooled will also help retain moisture.
Why didn’t my pumpkin bread rise?
If your pumpkin bread did not rise properly, it’s likely that your baking soda or baking powder may have been expired. It is very important to check this before baking. You’ll also want to make sure you are not overfilling the loaf pan so it has room to rise.
Can you freeze pumpkin bread with glaze?
Yes! Make sure the glaze is fully set before freezing. Let the bread cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. If the glaze has hardened, it will hold up well in the freezer without becoming sticky. You can also freeze the loaf unglazed and drizzle the maple glaze on after thawing for a freshly finished look.
Can I make this pumpkin bread into muffins?
Yes! You can divide the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes. The result is moist, pumpkin-packed muffins with the same cozy flavor in a perfectly portioned form. For a ready-to-go version, check out our Pumpkin Muffins recipe.
More Fall Baked Goods You’ll Love
- Apple Cinnamon Bread with Greek Yogurt
- Best Pumpkin Pie From Scratch
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Apple Blondie Recipe
- Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
- Easy Caramel Apple Cake
- Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Did you make this easy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze? Leave a recipe rating and review below!
Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
For the bread
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan, (125 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 cup sugar, (100 g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan, (85 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin (about half of one 15 oz. can), (212 g)
For the Maple Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, (30 g)
- Pinch of kosher salt or sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease one 9” x 5” loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger until combined. Set aside.
- In large bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until just blended, about 30 seconds. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix until combined. The batter might look curdled at this point—that’s okay.
- With the mixer on low, beat in flour mixture until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let pumpkin bread cool in pan about 10 minutes before removing it onto a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature.
- To make the glaze, melt butter in a saucepan along with syrup. Add salt and sugar and whisk until smooth. While warm, spoon glaze over pumpkin bread (the glaze will harden as it cools).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made a double loaf put raisins and pecans in one loaf and just pecans in the other. I also tripled the glaze. I make pumpkin bread several times a year and use the same recipe but this is by far the best I’ve had. I will be using this recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear you love this pumpkin bread. Thank you so much for your feedback!
I made this for Thanksgiving for some coworkers and it was a hit! They absolutely loved it. It was super easy to make and came out beautifully.
I’m so glad you loved this. Thanks so much for your feedback!
So absolutely delicious. I did use pumpkin pie mix cause that’s all I had and I omitted the sugar and put in half the cinnamon and nutmeg to add extra spice to the already spiced pumpkin mix and it turned out really good. I also substituted vanilla for almond extract. Delightful!!
Hello! does this recipe make one loaf or two loafs?
This recipe makes one 9×5 loaf. Enjoy!
The maple glaze on this is just perfection. Will definitely make again!
This bread is a DREAM! That maple glaze on top is to die for!