Name: Pumpkin Bread
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes
Yield: Makes one 8½x4½″ loaf
Ingredients: 1 cup apple cider; Unsalted butter (for pan); 2 large eggs; 1 cup canned pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling); ¾ cup (packed; 150 g) light brown sugar; ¼ cup vegetable oil such as canola or safflower; 2 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ¼ tsp. baking soda; ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp. ground mace or freshly ground nutmeg; ⅛ tsp. ground cloves; ½ cup chopped raw walnuts

A loaf of pumpkin bread made with cider and filled with chopped walnuts on a cutting board with a serrated knife.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart

Active Time
10 minutes
Total Time
75 minutes

Many people on the internet claim to possess the world’s best pumpkin bread recipe, but this cider-tinged iteration is a strong contender. With minimal prep time and a mostly hands-off process, this quick bread asks little of its baker. Use homemade pumpkin purée or a good-quality store-bought can of pumpkin (Libby’s is a widely available and highly regarded brand) for loads of pumpkin flavor. The secret to this bread’s tender crumb is a full cup of apple cider, reduced to concentrate its autumnal flavor. Meanwhile, orange zest adds a freshening zip.

You won’t need a separate bowl for the dry ingredients: Just sift them right over the wet stuff. This recipe gets a dose of chopped walnuts, but you could easily substitute pecans—or skip the nuts in favor of dried cranberries or chocolate chips.

Bake time is an hour, or until a toothpick or tester comes out clean. Cool the pumpkin loaf completely on a wire rack before you unmold it from the pan. While this pumpkin bread is delicious as is, it’s phenomenal with a schmear of cream cheese. You could also make a simple powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the top if you’d like. As for leftover slices—if there are any—they’re best toasted and topped with a pat of butter and a pour of maple syrup.

Ingredients

Makes one 8½x4½″ loaf

1 cup apple cider

Unsalted butter (for pan)

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

¾ cup (packed; 150 g) light brown sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil such as canola or safflower

2 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground mace or freshly ground nutmeg

⅛ tsp. ground cloves

½ cup chopped raw walnuts

Step 1
Bring 1 cup apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until reduced to about ¼ cup; let cool.
Step 2
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8½x4½" loaf pan. Whisk 2 large eggs, 1 cup canned pure pumpkin purée, ¾ cup (packed; 150 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest, and reduced cider in a medium bowl to combine. Sift in 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ¼ tsp. baking soda, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground mace, and ⅛ tsp. ground cloves; mix just until incorporated. Fold in ½ cup chopped raw walnuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.
Step 3
Bake bread until risen and a tester comes out clean, 55–65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let bread cool in pan.

Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed as ‘Pumpkin Cider Bread’ in the November 1979 issue of ‘Gourmet’ in a feature on the now out-of-print ‘Gifts in Good Taste’ by Helen Hecht and Linda LaBate Mushlin, and appeared again in the October 1991 issue in a 50th Anniversary spread on the magazine’s favorite desserts through the years. Head this way for our best banana bread and more great loaves →

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Reviews (20)

Forgiving recipe. I used oat flour instead, and dried zest. Right after putting it in the oven, I realized I hadn't mixed in the reduced cider. I poured it over the top and it came out perfectly!
- Anonymous
- Arlington VA
- 8/4/2018
I've been making this bread for years. And for years I went through the whole cider-boiling routine. Now I just substitute a quarter-cup of thawed frozen apple juice concentrate. I really can't tell the difference. I also can't be bothered with zesting an orange so I substitute a few drops of orange oil that I always have in my fridge. And yes, you have to check it before the 1-hour cook time is up to make sure the top is getting too dark. Otherwise, everyone always loves it and ALWAYS asks me for the recipe.
- stewartdbs
- Hamburg, NJ
- 11/21/2011
Just made this today. I used unpasteurized cider from an apple farm instead of the "dead" cider you get in supermarkets. Really adds a bit of an edge to the bread. It's flavorful, but could use some additional "oomph" with ground ginger added to the spice mix. Also, the batter almost overflowed the 8x4" loaf pan - there were some edges I had to cut off to slide a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it. But I'm not sure if a 9x4 pan would be better, as the it would be more shallow and perhaps cook faster than it should. But I do like the flavor. And my coworkers should enjoy it tomorrow as well. :-)
- LWhitt58
- Boston, MA
- 10/24/2010
Greetings Home Cooks, It is important to plan ahead when wanting to serve a delicious "quick bread". Wrap and store bread overnight before slicing. Why Wait a Day to Slice? Quick breads require a little patience. The day they're baked, they're just too soft to slice. If you try, they'll break and crumble. Store them tightly wrapped for a day and they'll firm up enough to slice cleanly and easily.
- chefwaneeta
- White Mounains, NH
- 10/22/2009
Have made this recipe serveral times over the past few years. I've not had any problems others are reporting. It always comes out nice and moist and very flavorful. I don't always have time to wait for cider to boil down, so I usually just substitute a 1/4 cup of apple juice concentrate. I've never been able to tell the difference. I usually make several loaves around the holidays to give away.
- stewartdbs
- Hardyston, NJ
- 11/17/2006
Wow. I have not made anything this bad in a long time. Could barely eat one slice then threw it out. Followed directions 100%. Found it extremely sour.
- hdog35
- Portland, OR
- 10/18/2006
The bread was too moist. To it's credit, it's not greasy or oily, but it's pretty bland. Also the top burned early in the cooking process. Needs more spices, an din larger proportions. The apple cider flavor overwhelms the pumpkin flavor.
- CateAlex
- Madison, WI
- 9/29/2004
WONDERFUL!!! I have made this a couple of times now. Each time it is great. My picky 2 year old son loves it. Big Hit with my family and friends.
- Anonymous
- Washington State
- 7/27/2004
One of the most versatile fruit- or veg-bread recipes I've ever made. I make this constantly, varying the veg or fruit used, the spice, and the flour, and it has not let me down ever. The fiddly apple-juice-reducing step can easily be omitted or modified. Can be made with a wooden spoon or whisk so no clean-up of a mixer required.
- Anonymous
- London, UK
- 6/24/2004
This pumpkin bread is similar to others but definitely more moist then most I've tried. I made it for a group of women at a gathering and everybody loved it. I too increased the zest (with organic oranges so no bad pesticides which reside in the orange skin of commercial inorganic varieties) Very easy to make. I will definitely make it again.
- April Fountain
- Vineyard Haven, MA
- 10/30/2003
I made this for Thanksgiving and for a "Fall-theme" baby shower. The second time I made a mistake and grated too much orange zest but it came out so much better than the first time! I would increase rather than decrease the zest and I also think reducing the cider is what gives it just the right flavor. Also, if you're not so hot on nuts, it's just fine without them.
- Anonymous
- Edison, NJ
- 10/7/2001
I have been making this recipe for years and its great. My trick is to use 1/4 cup of frozen apple juice concentrate -- it is much less work than reducing the cider, and I usually have it handy in the refrigerator.
- Anonymous
- Brooklyn, NY
- 12/22/2000
I have been making this recipe for years and its great. My trick is to use 1/4 cup of frozen apple juice concentrate -- it is much less work than reducing the cider, and I usually have it handy in the refrigerator.
- Anonymous
- Brooklyn, NY
- 12/22/2000
I have been making this recipe for years and its great. My trick is to use 1/4 cup of frozen apple juice concentrate -- it is much less work than reducing the cider, and I usually have it handy in the refrigerator.
- Anonymous
- Brooklyn, NY
- 12/22/2000
Like other comments, I too decreased the amount of zest and increased the soda and powder. Also, I increased the amount of cider to at least two cups and let that reduce to 1/4 cup, I also added a couple cinnamon sticks and the spices to the cider as it reduced. The bread had a great flavor, but the overall recipe is just alright. I prefer the Spiced Pumpkin Bread that can also be found on this website.
- Culinary Student
- Providence, RI
- 11/22/2000