let me start off by saying, you absolutely need another pumpkin bread recipe in your back pocket. sometimes you’re craving a super healthy GF version and other times, you’re craving a chocolate swirl one. then, there are times when you need a recipe so delicious and flavorful its sure to win over pumpkin and non pumpkin lovers alike. one that is so delicious, its sure to disappear before the glaze has even set. well friends, you have arrived at just the perfect recipe for that! this spiced walnut streusel pumpkin bread is all my favorite things in one delicious bread!
for this pumpkin bread, i decided to tweak my existing banana bread recipe. my kids devour this banana bread as soon as its cool enough not to burn their mouths. so it was a good place to start. banana and pumpkin are pretty interchangeable when it comes to baking and quick breads!! so, i didn’t have to do much tweaking (love when that happens). but, one thing i made sure to do was to add lots of pumpkin spice. i hate eating spiced breads and wondering where all the spice is! with a full tablespoon of pumpkin spice in the batter, each bite of this spiced walnut streusel pumpkin bread has the perfect ratio of pumpkin to spice. isn’t that nice?!
what’s in the pumpkin bread?
pumpkin! ok, pumpkin and a few other delicious things! here’s the shopping list:
- all purpose flour
- baking powder + baking soda
- salt
- pumpkin spice (homemade or store bought)
- unsalted butter, browned
- light brown sugar
- canned pumpkin
- eggs
- vanilla paste or extract
tell me more about this spiced walnut streusel…
you could definitely enjoy this bread sans topping, but WHY? the bread is delicious without, but it really comes to life with the streusel topping. made with:
- pumpkin spice
- crushed walnuts
- browned butter
- sugar
- flour
this mixture is a delightfully crunchy topping that perfectly balances the super moist bread. the brown butter glaze is also optional, but then again, you already know how i view toppings!
a few tips
- browned butter: make this ahead of time to save time when making the recipe. brown the butter, cool in a heat proof bowl and store in a container. bring to room temperature as you would regular butter. alternatively, you can use regular unsalted butter if you want.
- loaf pan: this recipe was created and tested using a light metal loaf pan. ceramic and glass have different heating properties. thus, changing the baking time or temperature a bit. this is a great article for learning more. or, feel free to leave a question below
- parchment paper: this helps ensure the bread comes out of the pan. its worth the extra step
- pumpkin spice: find the homemade blend in the notes section of the recipe. if you have a brand you already like, feel free to use it here
- whole milk yogurt: this brings a ton of moisture (along with the pumpkin). feel free to sub with milk or another type of yogurt
need more fall baking inspiration? check out these recipes!
- chocolate fig loaf cake
- chai spice apple cupcakes with tahini buttercream
- brown butter pumpkin bars with caramelized white chocolate buttercream
brown butter pumpkin bread with spiced walnut streusel
Equipment
- 9X5 loaf pan
- parchment paper
- stand or electric mixer
Ingredients
pumpkin bread
- 2 c all purpose flour (240g)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 c unsalted butter (227g), browned and cooled to room temtperature (divided: 6 tbsp, 4 tbsp, 4 tbsp)
- 3/4 c packed light brown sugar (165g)
- 1 c pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla paste (sub extract)
- 1/4 c whole milk greek yogurt
walnut streusel topping
- 1/4 c chopped walnuts (30g)
- 4 tbsp unsalted browned butter (56g)
- 1/2 c all purpose flour (60g)
- 1/4 c light brown sugar (50g)
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
brown butter glaze
- 3/4 c powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tbsp browned butter
- 3-4 tbsp pur maple syrup (add as needed to thin out the glaze to desired consistency)
Instructions
brown butter pumpkin bread
- To make the brown butter, melt butter in a clear heavy bottom pot. Once the butter starts to foam, whisk continuously until brown bits start to form. Remove from heat, pour into clean bowl, skim the foam from the top and cool to room temperature (30 minutes).
- Combine all ingredients for the streusel topping in a bowl. Mix until well combined and large crumbles form. Place in the fridge until ready to top the pumpkin bread. When ready to top, take large crumbles and break down into smaller crumbles on top of the pumpkin batter.
- Line 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving 1-2 in. overhang on the sides. Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or by hand), cream browned butter, and sugar until smooth and well combined. Add eggs, beating well after each one until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla bean paste, beating until well combined.
- In this order (dry ingredients, yogurt, dry, yogurt, dry), add dry ingredients to the wet alternating with the yogurt. Slowly beat each time until JUST combined. A few flour streaks is okay! Gently pour into prepared pan. Top with walnut streusel.
- Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Check the topping. If its browning too quickly, top with a foil tent. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, checking for doneness every 5 minutes (55-65 minutes total). When a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, its done. Cool in pan for at least 30 minutes. If topping with glaze, you can pour the glaze directly on top while the bread is in the pan. For a drip effect, remove pumpkin bread from the pan (after 15-20 minutes), place back on cooling rack and pour glaze directly onto the bread. Allow 30 minutes for the glaze to softly set or an hour for a firm set.
brown butter glaze
- While the bread is baking, around minute 45, prepare the glaze. If the remaining brown butter has cooled, remelt in the microwave in 10 second intervals until melted and warm to the touch. Sift sugar directly into the bowl with the warm brown butter. Mix until mostly combined. Add maple syrup by the tablespoon, as needed to create the glaze consistency you want. Top directly on warm pumpkin bread.
Notes
love this recipe?
let others know by leaving a rating in the recipe + comment below!
Where is the pumpkin bread recipe? It looks so good but the recipe given was for banana bread.
Hi Dorothy! Thank you for pointing this out! Im not sure what happened. The recipe should now reflect the pumpkin bread. Please let me know if you need anything else!