One Bowl Pumpkin Walnut Bread

This pumpkin walnut bread will become your favorite fall treat. A moist and tasty quick bread, it's perfect for a sweet treat. The best part is, this pumpkin loaf recipe is made in ONE bowl!

A partially sliced loaf of pumpkin walnut bread on a white platter sitting on a wire cooling rack.

Table of Contents

With simple steps and everyday ingredients, this one bowl recipe is a winner for bakers of all levels, beginner and expert alike.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It makes the perfect afternoon treat or light dessert. This bread tastes delicious with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or cider.
Freezer friendly. Feel free to double or triple the recipe because the pumpkin bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
An nice homemade food gift. Make a few loaves, then wrap them up in nice food storage containers or cellophane bags. Pumpkin walnut bread makes a great holiday food gift or hostess gift.

A slice of pumpkin bread on a white plate with butter spread on the top,

Ingredients

See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️

To make this one bowl pumpkin bread recipe you'll need:

all-purpose flour
pumpkin puree - I know that I mention this a lot, but it's important. Puree is not the same as pie filling! Be sure the label says 100% puree.
vegetable oil - My preference is canola oil.
egg whites - You won't be using the egg yolks, but you can save them to use in an omelet, or another dessert, like custard pie.
milk - Any type of dairy or non-dairy milk is fine to use.
leaveners - you'll need baking powder and baking soda
seasonings - salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg
chopped walnuts - You can't have pumpkin walnut bread without the nuts! I prefer to buy chopped nuts, but you can buy halves and chop them yourself if you'd like.

Labeled ingredients in small bowls: cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vegetable oil, milk, white sugar, walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, all-purpose flour, and pumpkin puree.

Substitutions and Recipe Variations

Vegetable Oil: You can use any type of cooking oil in this recipe. Canola oil, olive oil, and melted coconut oil all work well. I haven't tested the recipe using melted butter or ghee, but they might also work!
Egg Whites: I haven't tested this recipe with egg substitutes, but feel free to test on your own to see if a flax egg will work.
White Sugar: To cut down on the calories of your pumpkin bread, feel free to use a cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option.
Walnuts: If you don't care for them, feel free to use any type of chopped nuts that you like. Cashews and pecans would be tasty with the pumpkin bread. Avoid using nuts with overpowering flavors, like pistachios and hazelnuts.
Spices: Instead of using ground cinnamon and nutmeg, you can substitute with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.

Want to take the flavor of your pumpkin loaf up a notch? Add some chocolate! Just stir up to one-half cup of chocolate chips into the batter.

How to Make Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you don't have to use an electric mixer! The batter isn't super thick, so just whisk the wet ingredients together until they are fully combined.

Quick bread batter in a large mixing bowl on a countertop.

Measure and combine the wet ingredients into the dry ones.

Uncooked Pumpkin loaf in a baking loaf pan on a marble counter.

Pour the pumpkin bread batter into a greased and floured loaf pan.

A loaf of pumpkin bread on a wire rack with cinnamon sticks scattered around and a mug of coffee and stack of plates and forks on the side

Bake in a preheated 350°F. oven for about an hour.

A loaf of moist Pumpkin bread that has been sliced to see the crumb and walnuts in the bread with a walnut and cinnamon stick in front of it on a white platter.

Cool the pumpkin walnut bread for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the warm loaf to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Liz's Tips for a Perfectly Moist Loaf

Be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, because pumpkin pie filling has spices and sugar added.
Avoid over mixing the batter, which can cause the pumpkin loaf to be tough and chewy.
To prevent the bread from sticking, you need to grease and flour the insides of the pan.
To determine if the loaf is completely baked through, perform a toothpick test. Insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the loaf, then remove it. When it comes out clean, it's time to remove the pan from the oven.
Only allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After that, transfer the pumpkin bread to a wire rack to cool completely. If it stays in the pan too long, the bottom of the loaf will become soggy.

Three slices of pumpkin walnut bread on a cutting board next to the remaining loaf. A dish of butter sits to the left of the board.

Storing and Freezing

Storing: You can store this pumpkin bread recipe for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Freezing: The pumpkin bread will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. To prevent freezer burn, double wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Thaw completely before enjoying.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe FAQ

Why does my pumpkin bread fall apart?

Quick breads can fall apart if they are undercooked. Before removing it from the oven, perform a toothpick test on the loaf to be sure that the pumpkin bread is fully baked.

Are pumpkin loaf and pumpkin bread the same thing?

The answer depends on who you ask. Some bakers, including myself, believe that any bread recipes without yeast that are baked in a loaf pan are loaf desserts. Others believe that rather than being a quick bread, a pumpkin loaf has more of a cake-like texture.

Overhead of a slice of nut bread on a small white plate next to a mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Other Pumpkin Desserts