Perfect Pumpkin Swirl Bread
This Pumpkin Swirl Bread recipe delivers a moist, tender pumpkin base swirled with a rich, spiced streusel for a beautiful and flavorful autumnal treat. It's perfect for brunch, dessert, or a cozy snack with coffee.
Equipment
- 9x5 inch loaf pan
- Mixing bowls (large and medium)
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Pastry blender or fingertips
- Rubber spatula
- Butter knife or skewer
- Wire rack
- Oven
- Parchment paper (optional)
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling!
- ½ cup all-purpose flour for streusel
- ½ cup packed brown sugar for streusel
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes for streusel
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for streusel
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg for streusel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the pumpkin puree until everything is evenly incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (for the streusel).
- Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pour about half of the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Sprinkle about half of the streusel mixture evenly over the batter.
- Pour the remaining pumpkin bread batter over the streusel, then sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.
- Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the streusel into the batter. Do not overdo it.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For best results, measure flour correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Do not overbake. Use high-quality pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Cold butter is key for a crumbly streusel. Store the bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. For a chocolate chip variation, add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the pumpkin bread batter. For a nutty variation, stir in ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the pumpkin bread batter or sprinkle them on top of the streusel. For a maple glaze, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup and drizzle over the cooled bread.