Pumpkin Spice Loaf is the perfect treat for fall, with the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. The spices perfectly complement pumpkin, that classic symbol of fall.
Even though it's hard to say goodbye to summer's long lazy days of swimming, boating, and camping, fall is welcome, for me. It's time to harvest the garden, cook up some soups and stews, and do some baking. I love the way this Pumpkin Spice Loaf makes the house smell while it's in the oven.
Did You Know? Pumpkins Are a Fruit
Pumpkin, besides being a symbol of autumn, is also a tasty, useful, and nutritious fruit. Yes, they are fruit. Although we think of pumpkins, and use them as vegetables, they technically are a fruit, as are all squash and gourds.
Pumpkin Nutrition
With its bright orange colour, it goes without saying that pumpkin is loaded with carotenoids, which converts to Vitamin A in the body. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains 200% of your daily requirement for vitamin A. It's also a great source of Vitamin C, E, and B Vitamins. Pumpkin is also really high in fibre, low in calories, and a rich source of minerals, including calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. So, we should all feel good about jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon this fall.
Canned VS Fresh Pumpkin
This moist and delicious pumpkin bread is super easy to make. I used canned pumpkin puree because it's just 100% pure pumpkin. You could cook and puree your own pumpkin, and I think that would be awesome. I did that with this Jamaican Pumpkin Soup and this Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
For convenience, canned pumpkin puree works great. Just be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling.
About this Pumpkin Spice Loaf
This delicious loaf has all the pumpkin, all the spice, plus, raisins, pecans, and pumpkin seeds, too. It's absolutely yummy, and a perfect lunch box snack, tea time treat, or an anytime company shows up recipe to have on hand. This recipe makes two loaves. So you can freeze one for later, or you can have one for you, and one for a friend.
Some Fun Pumpkin Facts For You:
Did you know that pumpkins grow on every continent in the world, except Antarctica? Pumpkins can grow huge, which is why there are pumpkin growing contests at so many community fairs. The largest pumpkin on record was grown in Germany in 2016, and weighed over 2600 pounds! For even more fun pumpkin facts, visit Fun Facts About Pumpkins
Pumpkin Spice Loaf
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 eggs large
- 15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
- 1 ¼ cup pecans chopped
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds untoasted
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°
- Coat two 9 x 5 loaf pans lightly with cooking spray
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
- Gradually beat eggs into butter & sugar mixture until combined.
- Add pumpkin puree to butter & sugar mixture, beating until combined.
- Add half the flour and spice mixture to the butter/sugar/egg/pumpkin mixture, folding in until just combined. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients, folding in as above.
- Fold in 1 cup of the pecans and the raisins.
- Spread the batter evenly in the two loaf pans, smoothing the tops
- Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of pecans and pumpkin seeds over the tops of the loaves.
- Bake 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack.
- Allow to cool 15 minutes before loosening sides of the loaves with a knife, then removing from pans
- Return to wire racks and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
I can’t seem to find the raisins in your ingredient list. Is it just me? You refer to them and the instructions say to fold in one cup of the pecans and raisins but no measurement for the raisins. Help.
Hi Jane. You are so right, and thank you for bringing this to my attention. I somehow left out the raisins in my ingredient list. It's fixed now, and I hope that you will still love this recipe. Thanks again ♥
My fave part of fall is the baking too 🙂 What a great way to use canned pumpkin puree! This looks sooo delicious and healthy!!!
Hi Terri, and the best part is that it makes two loaves 🙂
I bake a lot with pure pumpkin year round, but especially this time of year. And of all the things I make with pumpkin, a pumpkin loaf is one of my faves. This one looks delicious Colleen! Pinning for sure!
Leanne, I usually don't pay attention to pumpkin until fall, but maybe I should! Hope you enjoy!