Pumpkin Bread with Praline Topping
Pumpkin bread with praline topping is the ultimate fall loaf. Sweet, spiced pumpkin bread topped with a caramelized pecan crunch that feels straight out of the South.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 7.5 ounces Pumpkin Purée
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground ginger
Praline Topping
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons Butter, melted
Instructions
- Prep your loaf pan. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch loaf pan, making sure the corners and sides are well coated. This recipe makes a tall loaf, so the smaller pan works particularly well.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cloves.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Combine the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, gently folding after each addition. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing can make your pumpkin bread dense, and we have already established that pumpkin-flavored construction material is not the goal.
- Make the praline topping. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and chopped pecans. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork or your fingers until the mixture becomes crumbly and clumpy.
- Fill the pan. Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Add the topping. Sprinkle the praline mixture evenly over the entire surface of the batter. Don't skimp on the edges.
- Start baking at 425°F. Place the loaf in a preheated 425°F oven and bake for 5 minutes. This short blast of high heat helps the loaf rise and develop a beautiful dome.
- Reduce the temperature to 350°F. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking. For an 8x4-inch pan, the total baking time is about 50–55 minutes.
- Protect the topping. About halfway through baking, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil if the praline topping is getting too dark. You want golden and crunchy—not burnt.
- Check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool the bread. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, carefully remove the loaf and transfer it to a wire rack.
- Slice once cooled. Let the bread cool completely before slicing for the cleanest slices. Or sneak one while it's warm. I have absolutely no interest in stopping you.
Notes
Tips No One Tells You About Pumpkin Bread
- Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, so substituting it will change the recipe.
- Don't overmix. Once the flour disappears, put the spatula down. A few small streaks of flour are better than an overworked batter.
- Use an 8x4-inch loaf pan if you have one. It gives you a taller loaf. A 9x5-inch pan will work, but the bread will be wider and shorter.
- The 425°F start matters. Don't skip the initial high-temperature bake if you want that nice rise.
- Watch the praline topping. Brown sugar and butter can brown quickly. If the topping is getting too dark before the bread is finished, tent the loaf loosely with foil.
- Let it cool. The bread continues to set as it cools, and you'll get much cleaner slices.
- Want more praline? I fully support doubling the topping. Some decisions in life require no further explanation.