Sourdough Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Recipe Ingredients

All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this Sourdough Pumpkin Bread.

All-Purpose Flour: For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.

Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup.

Baking soda: Quick breads use chemical leaveners such as baking soda or baking powder to rise.

Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.

Canned Pumpkin Puree: A pet peeve of mine is having partial cans of ingredients left over, which is why this pumpkin bread uses an entire can of pumpkin puree.

Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie mix has additional spices added in. If you only have pumpkin pie mix then I would suggest not adding any additional spices.

You could also make your own homemade pumpkin puree.

Need some more pumpkin recipes? Try this Pumpkin Pork Stew, this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake, this Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler, or this Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup.

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar contains more moisture and adds a deep caramel flavor. Feel free to substitute the same amount of regular white granulated sugar for the brown sugar although the bread may not be as moist. You can also reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer your banana bread less sweet.

Large eggs: Room-temperature eggs are easier to incorporate. Be sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next egg.

Sourdough discard (fed or unfed): If you don't have any sourdough discard, you can substitute sour cream, yogurt, or unsweetened applesauce.

Pro Sourdough Tip: Keep a glass jar in your refrigerator to store your sourdough discard. Continue adding to it until you have enough to make your chosen sourdough discard recipe.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Flour: For a nuttier flavor swap up to half of the AP flour for whole wheat flour.

Spices: Often I will use just cinnamon and nutmeg but warm fragrant spices like cardamom, ginger, cloves, or allspice could work well too. You could also substitute two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix.

Neutral oil: (canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.) You could also swap the oil for the same amount of unsalted melted butter.

Mini Loaves: Pour the batter into three mini loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes.

Muffins: Use this sourdough discard banana bread recipe to make 24 banana muffins. Pour the batter into lined or greased muffin pans and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C) then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The total bake time is about 20-23 minutes.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Do not refrigerate pumpkin bread. The refrigerator is a very dry environment. When baked goods like these Condensed Milk Brownies or this pumpkin bread are refrigerated they dry out quickly.

Sourdough Pumpkin Bread is best when stored at room temperature.

Wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container it will keep for 4-5 days. Any longer, especially when temperatures are warmer, it will start to have a fermented flavor.

To Freeze: Pumpkin bread freezes really well. Having a couple of frozen loaves or slices in your freezer means you always have a quick and easy breakfast or snack ready.

1. Once the pumpkin bread has cooled, tightly wrap the whole loaf or slices (individually or grouped) in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
2. Place the wrapped pumpkin bread in a large freezer zip-top bag or reusable container.
3. Label with the date and contents and freeze for up to 6 months.
4. To thaw, place the frozen pumpkin bread on the counter. It will thaw in about 30 minutes if it’s sliced or about two to four hours if it’s a full or partial loaf.