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A copycat for Starbucks Pumpkin Bread Recipe!

The easiest pumpkin bread with 12 ingredients! This bread can be made in muffin, mini muffin or mini loaf pans. Scroll down to view the how-to video!

Two slices of pumpkin bread on a small white serving plate on a cooling rack.
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Starbucks has changed their pumpkin bread over the years, so this copycat recipe is for their old school pumpkin bread, circa 2013.

With over 150 comments, this easy starbucks pumpkin bread recipe is a classic fall recipe that will soon be a favorite in your family!

Quick breads and muffins are some of my favorite baked goods because you can eat them any time of the day. Morning. Afternoon. Snack. Dessert. Yum.

If you want a better-for-you option, try this healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread or healthy pumpkin muffins!

whole pumpkin bread loaf on metal cooling rack with pumpkins in the background

Pumpkin Everything

The pumpkin spice craze has unleashed for the the season.

The most notable pumpkin spice item is probably the pumpkin spice latte (PSL!). We should thank coffee shops everywhere for creating the best fall beverage ever.

There are definitely some PSL haters out there who want nothing to do with pumpkin spice. I personally love the craze, within reason. But I found some weird products that definitely shouldn’t have been pumpkin spiced. Yes, I just made it into a verb. Here’s my take on the good and the ugly of all things pumpkin spice.

GOOD: PSL, pumpkin spice coffee creamer, pumpkin sugar cookies, pumpkin spice pudding, pumpkin spice almonds, pumpkin spice kettle corn, pumpkin whipped cream.

UGLY: pumpkin spice dental chews for pets, pumpkin spice pringles, pumpkin spice lasagna, pumpkin spice seltzer water, and pumpkin spice skittles.

Do you have something to add to the list, on the good or ugly side?! Leave a comment telling us!

If you can’t get enough pumpkin baked goods, check out our pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones, pumpkin donuts, or soft pumpkin cookies!

ingredients to make easy pumpkin bread on dark background

What You’ll Need

  • all purpose flour – flour is necessary to build structure
  • baking soda and baking powder – helps to leaven and lift the batter
  • cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg – adds warmth and classic spice flavor
  • salt – just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhances the other flavors
  • granulated sugar and brown sugar – adds sweetness, flavor, and moisture
  • milk – adds fat and moisture 
  • eggs – binds the batter together by providing structure
  • pumpkin puree – adds pumpkin flavor and acts as a binder
pumpkin bread loaf sliced into 2 pieces on metal cooling rack

How to Make Pumpkin Bread

The best part about this Starbucks pumpkin bread recipe is that you’ll only dirty up 3 things – a small bowl, a larger bowl, and the loaf pan.

In a small bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.

In a larger bowl combine the sugars and all wet ingredients, stir to combine.

Gently mix in the flour mixture.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350ºF for 55-60 minutes.

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

This copycat version of Starbucks pumpkin pound cake rivals the real deal, so much so you won’t have to fork over $2-3 for a single slice anymore.

Bake up a whole loaf in your own kitchen in under 90 minutes, which the majority of that time is baking and cooling, aka a great time to watch Fixer Upper!

Gluten Free Starbucks Bread

I’ve made this bread with both regular and gluten free flour with awesome results on multiple occasions. I recommend King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. Use it as a one for one substitute for regular flour.

pumpkin bread loaf sliced into 2 pieces on metal cooling rack

How to Store

Store the bread in an airtight container on the counter. To keep the bread extra moist, wrap in plastic wrap then place inside the container. 

How to Freeze Quick Bread

To freeze the whole loaf: allow it to cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place the wrapped bread in the fridge overnight.

To freeze individual slices: allow the loaf to cool completely and slice. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap then in aluminum and place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place a slice in the fridge overnight. Or unwrap and microwave for 30 second intervals.

pumpkin bread loaf sliced into 2 pieces on metal cooling rack

Pro Tips

1. DO NOT OVER MIX THE BATTER

I have been guilty of this myself and I am learning to be okay with lumps in my batter. For quick bread, do not use your electric mixer to beat in the dry ingredients, using a spatula and mixing by hand will give you more control.

“Mix just until incorporated” means mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until you can just no longer see any flour streaks. Yes you should still scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl, but do that as you’re mixing in the flour.

2. DO NOT OVER BAKE

Sometimes the bread can trick you, it can look done on the outside but still be doughy in the middle. That’s when tenting the bread with aluminum foil comes in handy. It protects the top from becoming too brown, overcooked or crusty. 

3. LOAF PAN SIZE MATTERS

There’s two popular loaf pan sizes – 9×5 and 8.5×4.5. Even though the numbers are similar, the pans actually differ in size by 15%. The 8.5×4.5 pan will yield a tall, more domed bread and will take 5-10 minutes longer when baking.

More Pumpkin Desserts

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Starbucks Pumpkin Bread Recipe

By: Beth
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
A copycat for Starbucks Pumpkin Bread Recipe! The easiest pumpkin bread with 12 ingredients! This bread can be made in muffin, mini muffin or mini loaf pans. 
Starbucks has changed their pumpkin bread over the years, so this copycat recipe is for their old school pumpkin bread, circa 2013. 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, gluten free all purpose flour works great!
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • cup granulated sugar
  • cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup milk, I used skim
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, use a 15 oz can – you’ll have a little leftover in the can

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350º F.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, milk, and egg whites with a spatula or whisk. Add in the canned pumpkin, and mix together well.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until everything is combined.
  • Throughly spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Allow the bread to cool in the pan before removing.
  • Store in an air tight container.

Video

Notes

  • For regular muffins bake at 425ºF for 7 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350ºF and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 3186IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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About Beth

I believe that everyone should have a go-to dessert to bring to parties! With hundreds of recipes, I'll help you find yours!

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206 Comments

  1. Recipe looks good and I plan to try but I have a question. Recipe says 1 15 oz can pumpkin, will have a little left over (not sure what that means). In the video it looks like you just add 1 cup of pumpkin, Can you clarify, 1 cup or the entire can? Thanks

    1. Hi Rita! The recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin puree, meaning if you use a 15 oz can of pumpkin, after using 1 cup, you’ll have some leftover pumpkin.

    1. Hi Melissa! I’ve made this with almond milk and it turned out normal, so I am guessing oat milk would be okay!

  2. Hello Beth!
    My goodness, I made your pumpkin loaf for my husband and myself Oct 19th, it sure didn’t last long. It was delicious! Even more delicious when put in the fridge and served cold. I have many pumpkin loaf recipes and have made every one of them, but your recipe is our most favorate by far. It raised high, the spice combo is so tasty, and the texture perfect.
    Beth thank you so much for sharing this recipe. 
    Darlene 
    Nova Scotia

  3. I don’t normally leave comments, but this pumpkin bread DESERVES PRAISE! I’ve tried many pumpkin bread recipes and a lot of them were dry and had no flavor. This one however, was absolutely perfect! 1000/10 will make and eat the whole thing again!!

  4. I made this recipe tonight and the texture was very strange… sticky and spongy, a little chewy like a rice cake. The flavor was nice, although I would use less sugar.

  5. About to make this now; the pictured finished product looks great! Spoken from experience, you can add pumpkin spice hummus to the Ugly list.