Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread
Luscious, flavorful pumpkin bread with a perfectly fluffy and moist texture and vibrant spices, swirled with a rich cinnamon sugar layer and topped with crunchy cinnamon streusel. Take your pumpkin bread to the next level with this simple yet always delicious recipe!
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To be entirely honest, I’ve never been that interested in sweet breads. Banana bread, pumpkin bread, loaf breads, pound cakes—they all were kind of boring to me. I found most of them to be way too dry and often tasteless.
Then I started a baking blog and wanted to branch out of my favorites: pies, cakes, and cookies. So I started experimenting with breads, mostly for variety. At first, it was daunting, because I kept trying to make something perfectly moist, which meant all of my recipes took forever to bake.
There’s something terrifying about watching the top of your bread turn suspiciously dark yet getting raw batter every time you check the middle.
So on I plowed, trying to figure out the happy middle ground between so moist it won’t bake and a dry brick. And one day I stumbled upon it, quite accidentally. I just winged it with a recipe I’d been tinkering with, because I wanted something brunch-y to go in a treat platter I was giving away at Christmas to all of those we couldn’t see for the holidays (thanks, COVID). I didn’t really even care if it was great, so long as it was edible.
Wowzers. My candied ginger orange spice loaf was sooo good (if not a mouthful to say). Most people said it was their favorite. Not too sweet, full of flavor, and suuuper moist with a slightly crunchy (in a good way) edge.
Since then, I’ve transformed it into several types of breads and even muffins. And I think this pumpkin bread version is one of my favorites.
Why this recipe works
There are a few reasons I love this bread. The pumpkin both adds a great flavor and helps the bread retain its moisture. In addition, I use some brown sugar and part oil to help with moisture, making this bread so, so very soft and never dry. Luckily, pumpkin provides moisture yet also a bit of lift, which is aided by the melted butter and the use of baking powder. So, while the bread is very moist, it’s also still super fluffy and tender.
Then there’s the cinnamon swirl and streusel. The swirl is a simple spice and sugar mixture, but it melts into the bread and creates a lovely crunch and swirl of flavor. I also love this streusel. It’s my go-to, because it’s simple yet bakes up with a lovely crunchy texture.
Key ingredients
Flour. Always spoon then level the flour so you don’t pack it in.
Sugar/brown sugar. Using both in the bread creates rise and flavor. Using just brown sugar in the crumb gives it that lovely crunch and almost caramelized flavor.
Ground cinnamon. I used just cinnamon in my swirl layer, mostly because I had some leftover from making snickerdoodles. You can use pumpkin pie spice in the swirl instead, if you like.
Pumpkin pie spice. I use The Spice Lab’s Pumpkin Pie Spice, which my husband found at Costco (he is a Costco fiend and finds the best stuff there).
Butter. Unsalted is preferable, but if you only have salted, omit the salt from the recipe.
Baking powder. This helps create a lovely rise that’s not too airy but also not dense.
Salt. I prefer sea salt in my baking, but table salt works, too.
Plain pumpkin. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pie filling. If it’s a little on the loose, applesauce-y side, see the note below about blotting it to dry it out before measuring it.
Eggs. Use fresh, room temperature eggs.
Oil. I prefer avocado or grape seed oil in baking (avoid extra virgin—those tend to be green). Vegetable or canola work, too.
Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste).
How to make cinnamon swirl pumpkin bread
Make the streusel & cinnamon swirl
1. Whisk flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Break up any big chunks of brown sugar.
2. Stir in melted butter. Don’t let it turn into a paste, but be sure all the flour’s mixed in and large crumbs are created.
3. Mix the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl. Set aside.
Make the bread batter
4. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Sifting helps create that super tender texture.
5. Whisk pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Whisk until well combined, about a minute.
6. Slowly whisk in melted butter. Whisk quickly while slowly streaming in the butter to avoid scrambling the eggs.
7. Whisk in sugars. Whisk about a minute, to partially dissolve the sugar.
8. Fold in dry ingredients. It should still be lumpy but have no visibly dry streaks of flour.
Assemble and bake
9. Pour half the batter in the a prepared pan.
10. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl. Avoid getting it all the way to the edge, as this can cause the bread to split in half.
11. Spoon remaining batter on top. Spooning helps the sugar swirl stay put and not smear into the batter.
12. Sprinkle with streusel topping. Gently pat it in so it sinks into the batter just a bit.
13. Bake. Tent with foil halfway, to avoid burning the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just some moist crumbs.
14. Let cool in pan. This helps it keep its shape well. You can transfer it to an airtight container afterward.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s
What if my pumpkin is thin?
I used Libby’s for this bread (thank you, Costco, for the superfluous amount of pumpkin!), but I usually use Trader Joe’s pumpkin, which is on the watery side. Think of the difference between applesauce and mashed potatoes (the kind you can scoop that will somewhat hold their shape—not potato puree). If your pumpkin is more like applesauce, you’ll want to blot it with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture OR add two more tablespoons of flour to the recipe (3 if using the 9x5 recipe option). Otherwise, you may have a slightly denser cake that will take longer to bake.
How do I know it’s baked through?
I always use a toothpick, but a small knife or kebab skewer will work, too. You want to catch the bread when it’s just barely stopped being raw, as it will cook a little more in the pan while it cools. The top will not change color as much as other breads, due to the streusel layer. So try to use a toothpick to check for moist crumbs but no raw batter.
Do I have to sift the flour?
Yes! Sifting is key in baking, particularly in anything cake-y. It helps it mix into the wet ingredients more easily, preventing clumps as well as circumventing the urge to over-stir and create a tough, rubbery texture.
Spoon then level your flour
Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.
My pumpkin bread tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this pumpkin bread. Affiliate links provided.
Whisk (or stand mixer or handheld mixer)
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY )
Can I make this in a 9x5 pan?
This also works in a 9x5 pan, but may be a little shorter. You can increase the pumpkin bread batter by 50% (or multiply each ingredient by 1.5) to get a full-to-the-top 9x5 loaf, indicated below. The cinnamon swirl and streusel amounts can remain the same.
2 ½ cups (340g) all-purpose flour, spooned then leveled
2 ¼ teaspoons (9g) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (4g) salt
1 ½ tablespoons (12g) pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ teaspoons (4g) ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups (about 360g) plain pumpkin puree
1 ½ tablespoons (19g) pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons (84g) avocado or vegetable oil
6 tablespoons (84g) melted butter
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread
- prep time: 15-20 minutes
- bake time: 40-50 minutes
- total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
servings: about 12
Ingredients:
for the cinnamon swirl
- ⅓ cup (67g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16g) ground cinnamon (can sub pumpkin spice)
for the pumpkin spice streusel
- 1 cup (136g) flour
- ⅔ cup (133g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8g) pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) salted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter)
for the pumpkin bread
- 1 ⅔ cups (227g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (8g) pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon (optional–I like a little extra cinnamon)
- 1 cup (about 240g) plain pumpkin puree* (weight varies by brand)
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons (56g) melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350F/175C (375F/190C if at high altitude, but bake for less time). Grease and flour an 8x4 loaf pan (see note above for making in a 9x5 pan). If it’s prone to sticking, you can line it with parchment as well.
make the cinnamon swirl
- In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl. Set aside.
make the streusel
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and pumpkin spice. Add the butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry blender to break up the butter. You want to make sure all of the flour is coated in butter, but don’t let it become a paste.
make the pumpkin bread batter
- Melt the butter and set aside. Don’t let it cool enough to solidify, but do let it cool somewhat before using.
- Using a large fine mesh sieve, sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or using a stand mixer and paddle attachment), whisk the pumpkin puree together with the vanilla, eggs, and oil until well combined. Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking quickly (this prevents scrambling the eggs).
- Add the sugar and brown sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk for about 1 minute. You can whisk it by hand or, if using a stand or hand mixer, mix on medium.
- Add the flour mixture and stir gently until fully combined. I try to mostly fold it in. (If you’re unsure what folding means, you basically run a rubber spatula along the edge an entire turn around the bowl the pull the spatula toward the middle once you’ve come fully around the bowl, “folding” the batter on the edge into the middle part.) It may still have some lumps in it, but it shouldn’t look separated, chunky, or dry in spots.
- Pour about ½ of your batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture over this, avoiding the edges to ensure a tight seal around the swirl (otherwise the bread could split when cut). Gently spoon the rest of the batter over the swirl and smooth out. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly on top and gently press it in slightly.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes (longer if using a 9x5 pan), until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Check early so it doesn’t over bake--you don’t want the toothpick coming out completely clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil. Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Enjoy with your morning coffee!
Store leftovers in an airtight container or simply keep in the pan and cover well with plastic wrap or foil.
*If your pumpkin puree is especially loose/wet (more like applesauce than mashed potatoes), you can either blot it a bit with a paper towel to remove some of the excess moisture or add 2 tablespoons more flour.
