Annnnd…I finally made you a pumpkin recipe this year!
I know, I know. It seems like the blogosphere has been full of pumpkin recipes since Hobby Lobby started rolling out their Christmas decorations this past July. But, as much as I’m a believer that pumpkin should be enjoyed year-round, I have to say that I’m one of those people who really looks forward to the tradition of fall baking in the fall. And now that the calendar has flipped to October, and the weather is cooling off, and the leaves are starting to turn, it finally feels like fall.
So to celebrate, I thought it was about dang time I post a pumpkin bread recipe here on the blog! But of course, this isn’t just any pumpkin bread. For something a little different this year, I decided to try making coconut oil pumpkin bread…and I’m so glad I did! You can barely taste that coconut, but I love the subtle sweetness it lends to the bread. It’s also quick and easy to make, it’s (yes, I’m going to say the “m-word”) moist, it’s mildly yet perfectly spiced, and I’m pretty sure that it definitely needs to happen in your home soon.
So let’s do some fall baking!
I have to say that the inspiration for this coconut oil pumpkin bread actually came from you. I was debating whether to take a classic recipe and give it a browned butter or coconut oil twist. But after polling you on Facebook, coconut oil came out as the winner because — lest I forget — the world is seriously digging all things coconut oil right now.
We still may try browned butter another time (stay tuned). But for today, coconut oil it is!
The two primary ingredients you need for this one are a jar of coconut oil and some pumpkin puree.
(Note: that’s obviously not at all what’s pictured, but I couldn’t help but buy a bunch of these mini pumpkins for decor last week, and think they’re much cuter than a can of pumpkin.)
Mix up a simple batter that’s made with two kinds of sugar, lots of spices, and a handful of other ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
Then pour the batter into a bread pan, and bake it up until it is cooked all the way through. You’re probably going to need to use a toothpick to test this one.
Then hold your horses and wait for it to cool down a bit. (I was impatient — hence the crumbs everywhere…)
And then slice it up!
And serve it up!
I find this bread so flavorful that it doesn’t even need a pat of butter, but you can serve it up however sounds good. You know, with a side of mini pumpkins if desired.
Happy pumpkin baking!
Coconut Oil Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (*see alternate substitution below)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together sugars, flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center of the bowl, and add pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and vanilla into the well. Whisk, starting with the wet ingredients and working your way to the outside of the bowl, mixing until batter is smooth and clump-free. Do not over-mix. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.)
- Pour batter into the loaf pan, and smooth the top with a spoon. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully invert the loaf and cool on a rack until it reaches room temperature. Cover in plastic wrap or store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. We don’t have pumpkin pie spice in Australia so I just added a pinch of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves. It had a real gingerbread taste to it. Yum. I’m making another loaf today :)
I’ve made this and it was delicious! I’d like to try making them as muffins. Any suggestions for an approximate baking time they would need?
Thanks Amy — we’re glad you enjoyed it! For using this recipe to bake muffins, we think they’d probably take 20-30 min.
I made it and loved it, however I do wish you had included the nutritional information…. how many calories etc.
We’re glad you enjoyed this Manelle! We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
I try your recipe but it has to much salt for me maybe because I used sea salt ??? Is not sweet at all is like salty bread with pumpkin flavor.
Oh yes, we definitely think that’s a result of the sea salt! Sea salt is much more potent/concentrated. We always use kosher salt (unless specified otherwise). Iodized (table salt) is usually fine in baking as well. But yes, if using sea salt you never need as much. We hope this helps you moving forward!
Just checking this out but wondered baking soda and salt….? and no baking powder?
That’s correct Lori, just trust us, it works and is very yummy! :)
It says to use pumpkin puree not canned pumpkin. I am pretty new to this baking stuff. What exactly is pumpkin puree? Is it something that you can buy or do you have to make it from scratch?
Vicki
Hi Vicki, the canned pumpkin you want to use for this recipe is just pure pumpkin, and you’ll find it in the canned vegetables section of the grocery store. The other type of canned pumpkin you’ll often see is “pumpkin pie mix,” which you don’t want, so just make sure it says “pure pumpkin.” We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Do I measure the coconut in its solid form as 1/2 cup and that will equal 1/2 cup melted?
I recommend melting the coconut oil and then measuring it, to be most accurate. But the solid measurement should be really close!
This is the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever made. It’s a perfect balance between pumpkin flavor and sweetness, which I find is easier said than done with pumpkin flavored things; one usually overpowers the other. The coconut oil keeps is super moist, and it’s just sooooo good toasted with butter. It’s also rather quick and easy to throw together. Will definitely be keeping this one around!!
Thanks so much Christine, that’s such a nice compliment! We’re so happy you loved it! :D
Just made some this morning and added mini chocolate chips to the batter – sooo good! I love that it’s a little healthier because of the coconut oil and whole wheat flour. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for sharing Jen, we’re happy you enjoyed this (and great call on adding those mini chocolate chips)! :)
I don’t know how I’m just now stumbling on this, but here I am anyway! Can I substitute the white flour for all whole wheat flour? Also, have you ever used coconut sugar? Is there a good amount to substitute both white and brown sugars for coconut sugar or agave nectar/honey?
Hi Becky! You could try just whole wheat, but we haven’t tried that in this recipe, and would be concerned about the bread being a little too dense and not as light and moist. We haven’t tried coconut sugar, but we’ve heard it’s better for cookies and candies, because the granules are so small (it can make cakes and breads pretty dense). We’d actually suggest muscovado (it’s most similar to brown sugar) or honey/agave. We found both of these guides to be pretty helpful: