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This pumpkin bread recipe is packed with as much pumpkin as possible, making it unbelievably moist, dense, and fudgy. It’s almost like biting into a piece of fudge! The browned butter glaze on top just makes things extra amazing!
Stop right there. Don’t move an inch.
No, there is not a spider about to eat your face off.
What? Am I the only one who instantly thinks face-eating spiders when someone tells me not to move? Well.
Not to worry. There are no bugs on you that I can see. I just didn’t want you to see the glaze on this pumpkin bread, roll your eyes, and click away.
I’ve done the browned butter glaze to death, you guys. (Those browned butter rice krispies treats!!)
You know it, I know it, we all know it. But! The thing is, there is a very good reason that I keep using this glaze on everything I can.
That reason is because it’s amazing and literally (the correct use of literally here) the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. I LOVE it. So much. For something that is just two simple ingredients, it has an amazing depth of flavor. It will seriously change your life, at least as much as a glaze/frosting can change a life.
But, also, hello to this bread. It isn’t just pumpkin bread. It’s like a cross between pumpkin bread and pumpkin fudge and holy heck, guys. It’s so moist you’ll punch yourself in the face.
These pictures were taken while the bread was still warm, because I totally couldn’t wait to dig in. I really wish I had waited for it to cool more though, because the texture gets even more fudgy than it is in these photos. How is that possible? I don’t even know. Probably magic.
Now, I want to stress to you that this bread is NOT light and fluffy. It is dense and fudgy and a little bit creamy, which is a weird adjective to use for a bread, but it fits here.
Do not send me hate mail because this bread is not the texture of bread. This bread is meant to be dense, it’s meant to be creamy, it’s meant to be like biting into a piece of pumpkin fudge. But because it’s bread, you can eat it for breakfast. See? I do actually know what I’m doing here.
If you like this bread, be sure to check out this pumpkin coffee cake! It has the same fudgy texture, a cinnamon swirl, and a sweet glaze to top things off! My chocolate banana bread is also a super popular quick bread recipe, if you’re digging the breads! 🙂
Fudgy Pumpkin Bread with Browned Butter Glaze
Ingredients
- 30 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce preferably unsweetened
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar reduce by 1/4 cup if using sweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin, oil, and applesauce until well combined with an electric mixer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cloves.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
- Pour batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Cool completely.
- While the bread is cooling, add the butter to a small sauce pan over medium heat and let melt. Once melted, continue cooking, whisking often, until the butter foams. When the butter begins foaming, whisk constantly until the butter turns a deep golden shade. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar.
- Drizzle over the bread.
Bridget Graham says
I really love this recipe! Its the best pumpkin bread i have ever tasted. with that being said im going to make this for the holidays and for my closet friends. thank you for sharing this im so thankful.
Karly says
So glad to hear you love the recipe! It’ll make such a great gift too! 🙂
Michele Stabile says
Thank you!
Michele says
Can you omit the apple sauce?
Karly says
You’d want to double the oil if you leave out the applesauce.
Sara Farrington says
I’m wondering if you can turn this yummy looking recipe4 into gluten-free, and which kind of flour you would use to do it.
Sara Farrington
Karly says
I don’t have much experience with alternative flours unfortunately.
Malia says
Could I bake this recipe in a 9×13 pan instead of 2 loaves?
And probably baking time is 45-50 minutes?
I’m thinking I’ll use the unsweetened applesauce and
1/2 cup white sugar & 1 cup packed brown sugar?
I always put less sugars in recipes. It looks really good, I can’t wait to bake it.. YUMMY!
Karly says
Hi Malia, I haven’t tried baking this in anything other than a loaf pan, so I can’t say how much time it will need. Just keep a close eye on it. And I haven’t tried reducing the sugar either, so I’m unsure how that will affect things.
Shelle says
i noticed that all the spices are listed along w the measurements, my question is how much pumkin pie spice would we use?
Karly says
2 1/2 teaspoons. 🙂
Libby Q says
Holy Jesus. I just bought myself a kitchenaide mixer and my fiancé and I made this pumpkin bread together as our first recipe with it. We made a loaf and like a dozen muffins. The brown butter glaze is drugs. He literally ate 5 muffins and ruined his dinner lol. And our apartment smelled amazing! Thank you for the awesome recipe.
Karly says
Yay! So glad that you enjoyed this! 🙂 Hope the fiance saves the rest for dessert or breakfast. 😉
Cheryl says
Do you think halving the recipe for just one loaf would be ok? I want to make today but don’t have enough flour for the full recipe! Thanks in advance ?
Karly says
Yes, I’ve halved this before and it comes out great. 🙂
Pat says
Can walnuts be added to the recipe
Amy says
Love this! Can you tell me what the substitution is if using pumpkin pie spice like in the video? And how much? Thank you!!!
Karly says
Two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. 🙂
Tracy says
Does this recipe need to be refrigerated?
Karly says
I leave it on the counter for a few days, but any longer than that and it would probably be better off in the fridge.
Mary Hoerter says
The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Is it correct to use both?
Karly says
Yes, the recipe is correct.
Nancy says
In the video, you show baking powder being added to the mix, but it isn’t in the ingredients list. So, I’m wondering if this was an omission, or is baking powder not needed? Thanks!
Karly says
I mislabeled the video. The written recipe is correct. 🙂 Good catch!
Nancy says
Thank you for the quick reply. I didn’t want to make it and have it come out wrong; I would have been very unhappy, since it looks so good!
Victoria says
I have made this bread several times, and it is a hit every time! The browned butter drizzle is incredible, and definitelyt takes it to a whole new level. My favorite pumpkin bread ever!
Karly says
Yay! That’s great to hear!
Heather Taylor says
Anything that needs to be altered or added for high altitude?
Karly says
I’m afraid I don’t have any experience with baking at high altitudes, so I can’t make any recommendations.