This brown butter pumpkin bread takes classic pumpkin bread to the next level. It's soft, moist, and full of nutty flavor from the brown butter, truly the perfect cozy Fall bake!
Pumpkin spice and nutty brown butter make every bite of this brown butter pumpkin bread taste like a warm hug! It's the softest pumpkin bread I've ever made and is definitely my new go-to recipe for Fall.
For more pumpkin bread recipes, try this sour cream pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin nut bread, and pumpkin streusel muffins!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
You'll love this brown butter pumpkin bread recipe because it's easy to make but tastes bakery-quality. Browning the butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin and warm spices.
It's a simple one-bowlย recipeย with noย mixerย needed, just like this pumpkin coffee cake. It also makes your kitchen smell amazing while it bakes!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter- Salted butter also works, but if you use it, omit the extra salt the recipe calls for.
- Granulated and brown sugar- This combination of sugars sweetens the bread and helps hold on to moisture. Use light brown sugar to not overpower the pumpkin flavor.
- Pumpkin puree- Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree that is labelled 100% pure pumpkin.
- Greek yogurt- The acidity tenderizes the gluten to make the pumpkin bread super soft! Make sure to use plain, unsweetened yogurt. Sour cream works too.
- All purpose flour- Measure in grams with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results! There will be less dishes to clean, plus it's easy to overmeasure flour when packing it into a measuring cup.
- Baking powder and baking soda- These leaveners work together to make the loaf rise and get fluffy in the oven. Make sure neither are expired!
- Pumpkin pie spice- I used store-bought pumpkin spice, but you can make your own by mixing cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
Pumpkin Puree vs Pumpkin Pie Filling
When baking pumpkin bread, make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin puree is made from 100% pumpkin with no added sugar, giving you full control over the sweetness and flavor of your loaf. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, already contains sugar and spices, which can make your bread overly sweet and throw off the texture.
I also recommend using canned pumpkin puree rather than homemade because homemade puree is usually too watery.
How to Bake Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread
Step 1: Cook the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The butter will melt and begin to sizzle. Eventually, you will see the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan.
After that, the butter will foam and the milk solids will turn brown. Once they're golden brown, immediately pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process (if you keep the butter in the hot pan, it will burn). Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Step 2: As the butter cools, line a 1-pound loaf pan (9x5") with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
Whisk the brown butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined. Then whisk in 2 large eggs.
Step 3: Add the pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt, whisking vigorously until fully combined.
Step 4: Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt on top of the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients just until the dry streaks disappear into the batter.
If you want to add chocolate chips or nuts, add them to the batter when there are just a few flour streaks and fold them in.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with sugar if desired (creates a shiny crust!), then bake for 50-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without any raw batter.
Step 6: Once fully baked, let the pumpkin bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then lift it out of the pan, cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour), and cut into 9 slices. If you cut the loaf while still piping hot, it will fall apart!
Expert Baking Tips
- Keep an eye on the butter. 30 seconds stand between perfectly browned and burnt butter. Once the milk solids sink to the bottom, keep your eye on it. Yes, there will be a nutty aroma, but don't go off smell alone. The bits at the bottom will turn golden brown. It's ok if they're a bit darker, as long as they aren't black with a bitter smell. It takes about 5 minutes for butter to brown, which seems like a long time in the moment, but do NOT turn up the heat unless you want to throw $4 of burnt butter down the drain!
- Use a metal loaf pan. I used a 1-pound loaf pan from USA Pan. Most of my pans are USA Pan because they are non-stick and made of aluminized steel. Light colored metal conducts heat evenly, so your pumpkin bread will brown evenly and bake up beautifully. It can burn in a dark pan or (my baking arch enemy) a silicone pan.
- Check for doneness. Because the batter is so wet and thick, this pumpkin bread takes a while to bake. Start checking for doneness around the 50 minute mark (it may need longer depending on your oven) by inserting a toothpick (or butter knife) in the center crack. If it comes out with a few crumbs but no wet batter, it's done!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. When you brown butter, its water content evaporates. If you skip that step, you will have too much butter, which ruins the bread'sย moist texture.
You most likely overmixed theย batter. If you mix and mix until theย batterย is super smooth, too much gluten will develop and make the texture tough. When adding theย dry ingredients, gentlyย foldย until everything is just combined. It's ok if there are a few lumps!
Yes! Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups and bake at 350ยฐF for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Storage Tips
Store leftover slices of brown butter pumpkin bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can also leave it whole in the pan tightly covered with plastic wrap.
If you need it to last longer, store it in the fridge for up to 6 days.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- 1 9X5-inch loaf pan
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
- 127 grams unsalted butter ยฝ cup (1 stick) + 1 tablespoon
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 120 grams pumpkin purรฉe
- 120 grams plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 200 grams all purpose flour
- ยผ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF (180ยฐC) and line a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy removal later.
Brown Butter
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, it will begin to foam and sizzle as the water cooks off.127 grams unsalted butter
- Watch closely- the milk solids will sink to the bottom and turn golden brown within 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally and remove from heat as soon as the bits at the bottom are amber brown and smell nutty. Immediately pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking and cool for 5 minutes.
Pumpkin Bread
- Whisk together the brown butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture looks thick and glossy.200 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Add the pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt, whisking until everything is fully combined.120 grams pumpkin purรฉe, 120 grams plain Greek yogurt
- Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt over the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing, stop as soon as the flour disappears for a softer, fluffier loaf.200 grams all purpose flour, ยผ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle a little coarse sugar over the top if desired.
- Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover it with foil around the 45-minute mark.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
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