Moist Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Bread is a richly spiced homemade pumpkin bread that gets its its soft, moist texture from the buttermilk, not oil.
I love easy quick bread recipes like zucchini bread and banana bread. So every fall I look forward to making pumpkin spice bread.
One of the best things about pumpkin bread is how moist it is. However, many recipes call for a cup (or more) of oil to make pumpkin bread so moist.
Since pumpkin is already so great at adding moisture, I cut the oil and added buttermilk in for a super moist, super tasty loaf of pumpkin bread that won’t leave you with any heavy, greasiness.
How to make moist pumpkin bread
Here you’ll find instructions with step-by-step photos to help you make the recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and oil until combined.
Step 3: Stir in eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
Step 5: Stir in nuts if using.
Step 6: Pour batter into prepared pan.
Step 7: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Remove from oven, and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.
Recipe Tips!
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. Too much flour will give you heavy or dry pumpkin bread. The most accurate way to measure flour is by weighing it. If you would like to measure by volume, stir or sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon into the measuring cup, and level.
- Spices: You can substitute an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice for the spices.
- Buttermilk: Full-fat or reduced-fat buttermilk will work. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Oil: Vegetable oil, olive oil, or a similar oil will work.
- Pecans: Walnuts or even chocolate chips could be substituted for the pecans. If you prefer, you can just omit the nuts.
Storage
This pumpkin bread will stay fresh for two days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay fresh another 1-2 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the baked loaves of pumpkin bread or even slices of pumpkin bread. To freeze either the loaves or slices, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place the wrapped loaf or slice in a freezer-safe container.
More pumpkin recipes!
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Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Bread
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup buttermilk low-fat ok
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and oil until combined.
- Stir in eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- Stir in nuts if using.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the bread starts to brown too quickly, tent with foil.
- Remove from oven, and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published on 8/24/16.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Kim Vos says
I made this again today but this time I made it with 3/4 c honey instead of sugar for my husband who can’t eat sugar. I had to bake it a little longer but it turned out excellent. It was amazingly moist and full of flavor!
Kate says
Thank you for sharing that! It’s so helpful to hear about substitutions that work well.
Lois says
I was looking for a recipe to use up some buttermilk and some pumpkin and found your recipe.
I made it this morning and it is so lovely and light.
Thanks so much.
Kate says
Thank you!
Kim says
I made this today and did it exactly as you. It was perfect. Just perfect and moist and absolutely delicious!! Very moist and delicious.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Rebecca Stout says
Delicious. Very moist. I used fresh roasted pumpkin, had enough for 2 loaves. But discovered I was out of vanilla, so subbed almond extract. Wasn’t sure about almond with pumpkin, but it is delicious! the reason I chose this recipe of other pumpkin bread recipes, is the amount of buttermilk used. Other recipes call for 1/4 cup. I knew a full cup of buttermilk would make this bread extra moist. Such an easy recipe, too!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Susan G says
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe! I made this exactly as stated, with just some nuts (1/4 c.) to try, and it turned really well, though I baked it for 75 min at 350 deg F and it came out just a touch burned on the top. (It was still raw at 65 min but already a little burned on top.) Today I have tried version 2: in place of what was written, I used 1 1/3 c. fresh roasted pumpkin (what I had left), 1/2 t. ground cloves, 1 t. freshly ground nutmeg, a big pinch of ground white pepper, 2 T. Maker’s Mark bourbon, 1. c of finely chopped pecans, 1/4 c. packed brown sugar (in place of that amount of white and that I added to the wet ingredients), and I used a slightly larger loaf pan. I baked it at 325 deg F. for 78 min, and voila, IMHO the cat’s pajamas!
Kate says
Thank you! And thank you for sharing your notes!
Suzanne says
The only changes I made to this recipe was to add white chocolate chips and did 3/4 white and 1/4 brown sugar. We cut into it an hour ago and it is gone. This is different than my usual recipe but a very nice change.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked it!
Tammy says
A+ Pumpkin Bread! Moist! I doubled spices and love it! Easy directions to follow.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Marty Cooper says
I just saw this Pumpkin Bread recipe and I am anxious to try it. My question, you state you cut the oil, do you not add the oil or do mean you cut the oil in half? Or, do you add additional buttermilk in place of the oil. Thanks
Kate says
Hi! I meant that I cut the amount of oil that one would typically find in a pumpkin bread recipe. Many pumpkin bread recipes contain a cup or more of oil, and I was saying that I significantly cut that amount in this recipe. You’ll follow the recipe as-written.
Jolie says
Turned out perfectly! I made quick buttermilk with lemon juice and milk sitting together first, added more cinnamon and left the nuts out. So yummy!
Kate says
Thank you so much! =)
Sheila says
I followed the recipe exactly, including pecans. It was everything I wanted in a pumpkin bread, not too much spice or bland, not oily. Mine cooked in 50 minutes, surprisingly. I think it’s delicious! Definitely a keeper.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the bread! =)
Debbie says
I just put this in the oven and was wondering about the picture posted. The bread has some sort of icing on it. What did you put on your bread?
Kate says
Hi! The slices are buttered in the photo.
Chloe says
Loved this recipe! I’m thinking of subbing in maple syrup for the sugar next time, would that work?
Kate says
Thank you! Using maple syrup may work, but since it’s a liquid, you’ll need to make other adjustments to the recipe, and it won’t be an even 1:1 substitution.
Marcia says
Can this bread be frozen?
Kate says
It can! The baking bread freezes well.
Brenda says
Replaced 1/2 cup white sugar with brown; and added 1/2 cup chopped raisins along with 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Kate says
Glad that you liked the pumpkin bread. Thanks for sharing your notes on the recipe.
Kathleen says
Wow what a hit in our household!! This recipe is soooo easy yet so delicious and moist and no yucky oily taste. FANTASTIC. I filled a 8.5 by 5″ loaf pan 2/3 full and the rest of the batter into a tiny pan. Baked both at 350 F. took the little pan out earlier after it was done and then the larger pan later. Both were excellent. So I think this recipe will make great muffins too. Is that correct?
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that it was a hit! Yes, it should work well as muffins, too.
Bern says
Great recipe! I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and added 1/3 cup of sultanas instead. I also used 1 Cup of wholewheat and 1.5 cups white flour instead if all white.
It turned out with a good moist texture and went down a treat! Making for the second time today. Thank you!
Kate says
I’m so glad that it worked out well for you! Thanks for commenting! =)
Jane Johnson says
Could whole wheat flour be substituted for all purpose flour and if so, would the measurements change? I read about how whole wheat flour absorbs liquids more readily than all purpose, so I’m thinking the measurement might need adjusting, not sure.
Kate says
I haven’t tried using all whole wheat flour in this recipe to say for sure how it will work. I find it’s usually safer to start by subbing part of the all-purpose flour with ww flour and then going from there. Yes, I use less ww flour when subbing it for ap flour. I would try 1.5 cups ap and 3/4 cup ww and then adjust from there as needed with the next loaf. I hope that helps!
Karen says
Excellent FLAVORFUL p-bread. So excited to find one using the buttermilk. No bland, or like you said, just oily taste.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so happy that you like the pumpkin bread! Thanks for commenting! =)
Pat Spataro says
I just don’t understand how online recipes work for others but not for me. I followed the recipe to the letter and thought – wow this is so much batter I bet it takes forever to cook through but others said this was a GREAT recipe. My hunch was correct…. lesson learned, again… trust my own sense of recipes. After an one and a half hours the darn thing was still gooey.
Kate says
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that! The amount of batter is standard for the size of the pan. So, there are usually two issues that will cause what you described. The first is using a smaller pan. If you used a 9×5 inch baking pan for the bread, then it’s usually the second issue – that your oven isn’t cooking at the correct temperature. Since you said that online recipes haven’t been working out for you, I’m guessing that your oven is the culprit. Was the middle gooey or was the entire bread gooey?
Cassi says
I love pumpkin bread and this is the best I’ve made. The pumpkin flavor is perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the pumpkin bread! I’m looking forward to fall so that I can make more of this bread. =)
Kim says
I made this pumpkin bread, it was so good! The only problem was that I couldn’t stop eating it!
Kate says
I have the same problem! =) Glad you liked it. Thanks for coming back to comment!
Caroline says
DELICIOUS. Breads need to be moist, and this one definitely is!
Kate says
Thank you!