The Best Pumpkin Bread

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many. A gathering of family and friends around a table of traditional foods and desserts is what warms our hearts. Faces, young and old and all the ages in between connecting, reflecting, laughing and relaxing. Together.

The relaxing part isn’t easy to achieve, especially for the cook or those involved in the preparation. Thanksgiving is a holiday about gratitude, thankfulness and a bounty of food that makes up the feast around which we gather. Perhaps the meal gets so large because of the wonderful foods that are available in the fall. Apples, corn, sweet potatoes and of course, pumpkins are in abundance.

Make ahead

Pumpkin Bread freezes well

This recipe makes seven 5.5 x 3-inch loaves. (See recipe note below to make standard-size loaves) That is a lot of little loaves from one baking session. I use a pan that has 4 mini loaf pans connected together and I also use individual pans to finish up the batter. When filled, I place the pans in the oven and bake them all together

I love the mini loaves for many reasons. They are a great sized to give as gifts for neighbors and friends. They are just right for snacking or breakfast when you don’t want leftovers. And, the smaller slices work so well in a bread basket offering different varieties, like dinner rolls and corn muffins.

Pumpkin bread freezes so well. After baking and cooling completely, cover in plastic wrap or cellophane treat bags and then place in freezer-safe zip bags or containers. Thaw the bread overnight at room temperature before use. You can bake a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving or a little sooner. Frozen pumpkin bread retains its quality for up to three months in the freezer.

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• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Pumpkin bread recipe note:

• To lighten the calories and fat in the recipe, I sometimes reduce the oil to 1/2 cup and add a 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. I notice hardly any change in flavor or texture, just maybe a little sticky-er, if that makes sense.
• If you prefer to make standard size loaves, divide the batter between two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and bake about 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaves are golden brown.

NOTE: Below, calories are based on each loaf having 10 slices.

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