Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(3,618)
Notes
Read community notes

This hearty pumpkin bread is a sophisticated twist on the traditional version with the addition of bourbon (teetotalers can substitute apple cider), browned butter and cardamom.

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Ingredients

Yield:Two 8-inch loaves

  • ½cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • ¼cup bourbon (or use water or apple cider)
  • 1tablespoon vanilla
  • cups pumpkin purée, homemade or canned (1 15-ounce can)
  • 4eggs
  • ½cup olive or other oil (such as canola)
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 1cup whole wheat flour
  • cups light brown sugar
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½teaspoon ground cardamom

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

1877 calories; 61 grams fat; 33 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 285 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams dietary fiber; 132 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 1723 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack in the center. Grease the insides of two 8-inch loaf pans with butter or line with parchment paper.

  2. Step

    2

    In a large skillet, melt ½ cup (1 stick) butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the frothy white milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn a fragrant, nutty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch it carefully. (A tip: You will know your brown butter is almost ready when the frantic sound of bubbling begins to die down, so use your ears as well as your eyes and nose.)

  3. In a glass liquid measuring cup, combine bourbon and vanilla. Add water until you reach the ⅔ cup mark. In a large bowl, whisk together bourbon mixture, pumpkin purée, eggs and oil. With a spatula, scrape all the brown butter from the skillet into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

  4. Step

    4

    In another large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine.

  5. Step

    5

    Divide batter between the two greased loaf pans. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely before removing from pan.

Ratings

5

out of 5

3,618

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

S. Parker

I think the most effective way to get bourbon flavor is to omit the bourbon from the recipe and drink it straight with a slice of this bread instead.

Noal Murphy

I made this with applesauce instead of oil (the brown butter adds enough oily flavor on its own); it came out absolutely delicious. Fantastic recipe! Perfect fall treat.

Mary

Cooking time for 8 mini loaf pans (for gift-giving)?

Sounds delicious!

Lisa

Everyone loved this with the following tweaks:1/2 tsp of baking soda1/2 tsp of baking powder2/3 cup bourbon, no waterdouble the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamomIt was very moist and flavorful!

gnarly charlie

I adjusted the bourbon to seven Manhattans

Melissa Clark

Yes, I've done it many times.

Ayah

For those who want to taste more bourbon, add another 1/4 cup of Bourbon after wet ingredients have been incorporated into the dry ingredients. To minimize the taste of the baking soda make sure to mix dry ingredients really well.

Tiara W

Wonderful recipe! I did double the spices and I also mixed the dry ingredients very carefully so as not to taste the baking soda. I will definitely cook this again but next time I'll reduce the baking soda to 1/2 tsp and add 2 tsp of baking powder.

Anna

For those with only one bread pan who need to make loaves back to back: this makes about 6 cups of batter in total, so 3 cups per pan.

CurlzNJ

Finally got around to making this (used bourbon), and my friends are still raving and asking for the recipe. Next time I'll add walnuts and bump up the spices (my preference), but I LOVED the fact that this isn't a super sweet loaf, and was saying I need to toast a piece and put peanut butter on it for breakfast...

Melissa Clark

The baking soda reacts with the brown sugar to make it rise, though I'm sure the powder couldn't hurt!

Sariah

I used rum and the results were excellent - don't know how it compares to using bourbon, but everyone loved it

Ruth

Made this tonight and am in love. I did make a few very minor alterations. I melted 1/2 c coconut shortening in place of oil, used dark brown sugar because that's what I had and subed water with bourbon...hiccup. Finally, I made a glaze with 10x sugar, cream and cinnamon plus, you guessed it, more bourbon and glazed while still warm. Best ever pumpkin bread.

Alison Dahl

Has anyone tried to use a bundt pan for this recipe? If so, what changes were made and did you add a glaze?

Elizabeth Stith

Seems to me some golden raisins might be a good addition. Anything else?

holly S

I loved this recipe so much and it kept moist for a while.

Anna

We had puréed butternut squash so we substituted it for the pumpkin. We used cider, not bourbon 1 and 1/2 c light brown sugar rather than 1 and 3/4Added in 1 c chopped walnutsand 1 and 1/2 c chocolate chips- which we probably didn’t need to addFlavor of batter is spectacular

Phil

Double bourbon, double spices. Add chocolate chips. Cut baking soda by half and add BP. Can’t really taste brown butter but probably still helps. Could skip that step.

Maryanne

So, I made this and followed the recipe closely. I did amp up the spices a bit and added a tad bit more bourbon. It took 45 minutes to bake. The verdict is mostly positive. The bread/cake was very moist, with a nice pumpkin flavor. But there was a slightly bitter taste for me - either the bourbon or the cardamon.

Lisa in Los Angeles

I made this with the bourbon and was surprised that I could still taste it - it's very subtle - even with the rich pumpkin puree and all the spices. My husband went nuts - he loves pumpkin bread on any occasion, but as soon as he smelled it cooking, he couldn't wait to try it. Fantastic flavor, very moist and delicious.

HelenJ

I tried it with cake flour instead of all purpose flour. Came out lighter and fluffier. Will try again with more bourbon and more spices.

Helen J

I made it again with the following modifications and taste was enhanced.Substitute cake flour for all purpose flour.Up bourbon to 1/2 cupAdd 1/2 tsp ground nutmegAdd 1/2 tsp ground clovesUp cinnamon to 2 tspUp ginger to 1 tspUp ground cardamom to 1 tsp

sciacca

would like to know this as well "Cooking time for 8 mini loaf pans (for gift-giving)?"Thank you

Dianne

I know probably no one else is interested in calories but this is way on out there:Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)1877 caloriesIs one serving an entire loaf?

mcfm

2 tea rasal.hanout. Metal pan. Just blend dry and wet for moist and flake. half tea b soda half tea powder

mcfm

I tea rasal hanout plus ginger.

mcfm

Upped spices. Rasal hanout and garam masala. Fold wet into dry for moist and flake.

Hope Anderson

I made it as written except for using rye flour in place of whole wheat, which I didn’t have. The result was overly moist and heavy—ok only when heated. If I made it again, I’d omit the water.

Liz

Made a few changes to the recipe. I’m not a fan of wheat flour, so I used 3 cups of flour and added two handfuls of walnuts.The bread was delicious.I made it as part of my Holiday gifts.

Robyn

Great! Had to grind fresh cardamom, so halved the amount as it was pretty potent, and this worked out perfectly. Decrease soda to 1/2 tsp and added 1T baking powder. Otherwise made with no changesI suspect you could do 2:1 whole wheat, rather than 1:2 whole wheat, and have a similarly tasty bread Kept well, I think it might’ve even tasted better on the second or third day.

Theresa

I had a pumpkin left over from a farm share and my son is a distiller. Made this (twice) and it is so delicious. Moist and flavorful.

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Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you put too much pumpkin in pumpkin bread? ›

When you add pumpkin (or banana) to make breads it may stay permanently mushy because the centre can't get hot enough before the outside burns. It may not be underdone but you might have added to much pumpkin. Source: Growing up with a mother who always added too much banana to banana bread.

Why is my pumpkin bread not moist? ›

Try cutting the amount of flour, or adding more milk. It's also possible your oven was too hot, or you baked the pumpkin bread for too long. Try reducing the oven temperature and cutting the baking time.

How do you know when pumpkin bread is done? ›

So, to know when pumpkin bread is done, look for the crack on the top of the bread, which is a tell-tale sign it's either done or close to being done. Then stick a skewer or toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.

Why does my pumpkin bread not cook in the middle? ›

The oven temperature is off: Usually it's running too hot, and the outside looks brown before the center is baked through. But a low oven temperature can fool you too– you think you've baked long enough, but it's actually running 50 degrees too cool.

What happens if you use too much baking soda in pumpkin bread? ›

Here's what could happen if you use too much baking soda: Bitter Taste: Excessive baking soda can leave a bitter taste in the bread. Baking soda is alkaline, and an excessive amount of it can result in an unpleasant flavor. Unpleasant Texture: Too much baking soda can lead to a coarse and crumbly texture in the bread.

What are the side effects of too much pumpkin? ›

When taken by mouth: Pumpkin is likely safe when eaten in foods. It is possibly safe to take pumpkin seed or pumpkin seed oil in medicinal amounts. Side effects from pumpkin products are rare, but might include stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and nausea.

How can I make my bread more moist? ›

Some alternative ingredients can help give your bread added moisture. One such ingredient is milk, which has a high-fat content and can add a delightfully creamy flavor when baking. Additionally, adding mashed potatoes or cooked grains can help keep the crumb soft and tender for days after baking.

Why is my pumpkin bread so heavy? ›

Pumpkin bread can become dense if there is not enough hydration or wet ingredients in the recipe. Another cause is overcooking the bread which can cause it to dry out. Remember, it's always easy to keep cooking if it isn't done but impossible to take cooking time back.

Why did my pumpkin bread come out gummy? ›

If your pumpkin spice bread is gummy or undercooked in the center, it's typically because it either 1) needed more time to bake in the oven or 2) the batter was too wet, which led the bread to collapse in on itself a bit (this happens if you measure ingredients by volume, rather than by weight: it's easy to ...

How many days is homemade pumpkin bread good for? ›

HOW DO I STORE PUMPKIN BREAD AND FOR HOW LONG? Place in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap in heavy-duty foil or plastic wrap and then place in a tightly sealed container or heavy-duty resealable freezer bag.

Should pumpkin bread be refrigerated after baking? ›

Once bread is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store Pumpkin Bread at room temperature for up to five days. After three days, you may want to place the Pumpkin Bread in the refrigerator to prolong its life. Pumpkin Bread can keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Can you leave pumpkin bread out overnight to cool? ›

Yes, in fact you should leave it out to cool at least 6 hours. Once it is cooled you can keep it fresh best by putting it in a paper bag.

What temperature do you bake bread? ›

Pop the loaves into a 375º oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The loaves should be golden brown. If you want to be sure they're baked through, use your thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread. You're looking for about 185º.

Why does my homemade bread have a hole in the middle? ›

Any holes present should be attributable to steam leavening. The holes will have occurred during the baking process as a result of steam build up due to the water content of the mixture.

Why did my pumpkin bread split on top? ›

The thick, rough crack is a sure sign of insufficient steam. The crust wasn't moist enough to be flexible, so it hardened and set before the loaf was done expanding. Another possible reason is that your baking temperature was too high, resulting in the same effect.

How does pumpkin affect baking? ›

Not only does pumpkin purée act as a sweetener, a creamy moisturizer, and a fat substitute in everything from muffins to soup — but it also tastes delicious in everything! But because canned pumpkin is unlike any other baking ingredient, it tends to be mistreated in recipes.

Is there such thing as too much pumpkin? ›

Pumpkin is very healthy and considered safe for most. However, some people may experience allergies after eating pumpkin (32). It's also considered mildly diuretic, which means eating a lot of pumpkin may induce a “water pill”-like reaction, increasing the amount of water and salt your body expels through urine (33).

What does pumpkin replace in baking? ›

Using nutritious pumpkin instead of eggs, oil and butter is a delicious way to feel good and enjoy the recipes you love.

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