Who doesn’t love a great healthy pumpkin bread recipe in the Fall?
Here’s a delicious healthy pumpkin bread recipe that you can make completely from scratch with homemade pumpkin puree. It has some extra added Vitamins as well just by adding in orange or pineapple juice. This also makes the finished bread super moist and yummy.
It’s also extra special when you use your own homemade pumpkin puree from real pumpkins. Whether it’s pumpkins you grow yourself or purchased pumpkins, puree is really easy to make. I’m going to tell you exactly how to make your own to use in any pumpkin recipe you want.
So, in this post, I will share:
– The ingredients and directions for making and baking this healthy pumpkin bread recipe,
– Quick tips for growing great pumpkins and making pumpkin puree so you can make this pumpkin bread from scratch if you wish,
– Ideas for sharing this deliciously moist pumpkin bread with the world.
Are you ready? First, let’s see what you’ll need.
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What you need to Make This Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- 2 Cups Pumpkin Puree or Libby’s Canned Pumpkin
- 4 Farm Fresh Eggs
- 1 Cup Oil – I use canola oil
- 2/3 Cup Orange Juice or Pineapple Juice
- 3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Cups Sugar
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
How To Make It
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the bread pan of your choice. There’s a multitude of sizes and styles. The size you choose will also determine how long to bake the bread for.
This healthy pumpkin bread recipe is so easy and fun to make. To simplify, mix the dry ingredients together and the liquid ingredients together separately. Then, stir them together and add in the pumpkin puree.
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together:
– Flour
– Sugar
– Baking soda
– Salt
– Pumpkin Pie Spice
Then, in another bowl, mix liquid ingredients together separately:
– Eggs
– Juice
– Oil
– Pureé
Then, stir the dry and liquid mixes together until completely blended. Pour into prepared bread baking pan. Baking time depends on the size of the pan. Large sizes will need at least 60 minutes of baking time. Smaller sizes need around 45 minutes and mini sizes 25-30 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a knife or toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, it’s done!
I’ll go more into my pans and sizes of choice down below. Read on, Friend.
Best Pans for this Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
This recipe will work bake beautifully in any size pan. But you still might be wondering what the best pan really is out there for baking the most delicious pumpkin bread.
I have tested different pans with this recipe. I bake this bread to sell at the Farmers Market and to give as gifts to others. So, I’ve used big pans, small pans and mini pans.
The absolute best brand I’ve found for baking a moist and delicious pumpkin bread is the Wilton brand. They have all different sizes of pans, too. Let me explain more. You’ll be amazed!
Larger Wilton Pan
So, the larger pan is 9 1/4 inch by 5 1/4 inch. This size is great if you want to bake large loaves. The sides will not stick and neither will the bottom.
I’ve also found the baking time to be about 70 minutes in an oven that is 350 degrees. Now, remember, that every oven bakes differently. You’ll definitely want to test out the bread at 60 minutes to see how it is baking up. Use a knife to test the bread right through the middle. If it comes out clean, then it’s done.
Medium Wilton Bread Pan
Finally, Wilton has a medium size loaf pan for those in-between sizes that are desirable for breakfast or a snack. Honestly, this is my absolute favorite pan right here.
The medium size pan has always seemed to get the baking results juuuuuust right. I can put my bread batter into the oven and guarantee that it’s going to bake perfectly in this medium sized pan.
Not to discount the other pans but the medium size is a no-fail. Bake this recipe in a pan this size for 30 minutes, of course checking with a knife or toothpick to make sure it’s baked all the way through.
Now, another question I receive a lot is “How to grow great pumpkins for pumpkin puree.” I’ve got another post that covers this, but I’ll briefly discuss it in the next section.
Growing Pumpkins
If you’re into growing great pumpkins, you’re in luck. Pumpkins are EASY to grow. You can grow them just about anywhere and anyway possible.
Even if you don’t have a traditional garden spot, you can grow pumpkins in raised beds. The possibilities are endless. But for great pumpkin puree, you want to grow sugar pie pumpkins.
Plant seeds into some soil either outdoors in sunlight or indoors under a grow light. Pumpkins do transplant well so you can easily grow them indoors. As they grow, you’ll need to keep them watered well. Also, watch out for squash bugs.
Soon after, they will begin to bloom and put on baby pumpkins. Fertilize the plants and keep them watered and weeded. Watch the pumpkins grow. They can stay on the vines until you’re ready to harvest them.
And just like that! Easy Peasy!
How to Find Quality Pumpkins
If you don’t grow your own pumpkins but still want to make your own pumpkin puree, you can easily find sugar pie pumpkins to buy at any store or from any pumpkin patch or farmer in the Fall.
Finding a quality pumpkin to eat is very simple. Look for medium sized pumpkins that are uniformly shaped with good orange color and no holes.
Again, you’ll want to find them fresh in the fall when they grow. From there, you can make and preserve pumpkin puree to enjoy the rest of the year.
Preserving Pumpkin Puree
You have your pumpkins. Now, it’s time to make pumpkin puree for your delicious healthy pumpkin bread recipe.
I’m not going to go too much into this here because I already have another post explaining exactly what I do to make it! Then, I freeze it all year while cooking with it through the year. Last spring, I used it to make some bread for the Farmers Market while the produce was still growing. That way, I had something to offer my customers.
I also love having the first pumpkin bread even before October hits. I just love the fall season and the taste of fresh healthy pumpkin bread, but I also love the smell. It’s the feeling of the busy summer season ending that the onset of Fall that I just love.
Enjoy Fall With this Healthy Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Fruit juice and fresh pumpkin is what makes this healthy pumpkin bread recipe unique and delicious. It’s one that you’ll definitely need to try today because I know you’re going to love it.
Happy Pumpkin Bread Baking!
