Pumpkin bread may be the quintessential dessert of autumn. Yes, there is apple pie to contend with, and yes, apple pie is delicious. But the work involved in making quick bread is, well, much quicker than all the steps required for pie assembly. And frankly, one month into the school year I need faster assembled desserts (and dinners!) to feed my always-hungry teenagers.
I find myself reaching for pumpkin as soon as the first leaves start to fall. Usually this happens in September, but this year many of our leaves are still bright green and hanging on to their branches and seem determined to stay that way for a few weeks. I’m making pumpkin things anyway.
I’m giving you my favorite pumpkin bread recipe, the one I make all season long for family and friends. I’ve streamlined it so it now only needs one bowl, and I’ve added a few ways to “jazz it up” if you’ve already made piles of pumpkin bread and need some variations.
There is the tried-and-true recipe, with just a sprinkling of sugar on top. There is also a version with mini chocolate chips — I prefer the little pieces of chocolate over large ones. You can also swap out regular old vegetable oil for olive oil to change up the flavor profile, and then there is a recipe for cream cheese icing topping, which is my favorite way to eat it.
Some helpful tips for making this pumpkin bread:
* Make sure your batter is completely combined. Unmixed streaks love to hang out on the bottom of bowls, so give it an extra turn or two to make sure every ingredient is incorporated.
* I use both a whisk and a spatula to mix this batter. The whisk is for all the ingredients except the flour, and then the flour is folded in with the spatula. I switch back for a quick whisk at the end to eliminate any little flour lumps that may be hanging out.
* I like a tiny bit of lemon juice in my pumpkin desserts to perk up the flavor (I add some to my pumpkin pie filling, too).
* The spices can be adapted to fit your mood. Add more ginger (or ginger paste) to the batter, omit the cloves if you hate them, or add a grind or two of pepper for some gentle heat.
Cream cheese frosting is among the ways to vary this one-bowl pumpkin bread recipe. (Sarah Kieffer/For the Minnesota Star Tribune)
This one-bowl pumpkin bread recipe from Sarah Kieffer is one of her favorites.
* 3 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1½ c. (300 g) granulated sugar
* ¾ c. (168 g) unsweetened pumpkin purée
* ¾ c. (168 g) vegetable oil
* 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
* 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. ground ginger
* ½ tsp. baking powder
* ½ tsp. lemon juice
* ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
* Pinch of ground cloves
* 1½ c. (213 g) all-purpose flour
* Sanding sugar, for sprinkling