Pumpkin Apple Bread

We rarely see fall’s two most sought-after fruits together in one recipe, but in this pumpkin apple bread, they’re flavor-bound by chunks of walnut and a spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

The recipe starts with a stellar pumpkin bread batter that’s studded with tart apples for moisture and pieces of walnuts for crunch, both adding really nice texture. After a little over an hour in the oven, you’ll have an abundantly autumnal-flavored, moist and tender pumpkin apple loaf that’s transcendent with a pat of salted butter.

This is a forgiving recipe, so you can make it yours by playing with the ingredients: Swap browned butter for canola oil, experiment with different spices and nuts, or use one of the best gluten-free flour blends to outfit this dairy-free loaf for celiacs.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Apple Bread

• All-purpose flour: It’s important to measure the flour properly so you don’t accidentally pack too much into the measuring cup. Doing so will over-flour your loaf, making it really dry and dense.
• Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder help the batter expand, resulting in a tall and fluffy bread.
• Spices: While pumpkin and apple certainly create an autumnal aroma, fall spices solidify the true flavors of the season. Here, we use cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves.
• Canned pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin over fresh pumpkin puree for this pumpkin apple bread recipe, but be picky with your selection. In my experience, many of the organic canned pumpkin brands have a sharp metallic flavor that I can always taste in any pumpkin desserts or bakes made with them. I bet you’ll guess which is our pick for the best canned pumpkin—it’s a classic for a reason!
• Eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature so they can better emulsify into the batter. Your apple pumpkin bread will bake with much better volume and structure.
• Canola oil: Neutral-flavored canola oil adds moisture and maintains the loaf’s softness as the days go by. You can use melted butter as a 1:1 substitute, but know that the loaf won’t stay as moist.
• Apples: Always peel the apples first, then core and chop them. There is a little more than one apple in a cup, so you’ll need only one medium or large apple to get 1 cup of chopped apples.
• Walnuts: If you’re not usually a fan of raw walnuts, you can leave them out, but I highly recommend toasting the nuts. Toasting walnuts removes their raw, oily edge (that deters so many) and brings out their natural nutty sweetness.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the batter

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and cloves.

In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, water, eggs and canola oil.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Editor’s Tip: Do your best not to overmix the batter here. Overmixing will cause the gluten to develop, creating a dense loaf. Instead, mix the wet and dry ingredients together just until no flour streaks remain. You’ll also do a bit more mixing in the next step.

Step 2: Add the apples and walnuts

Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and fold in the chopped apples and walnuts just until they’re evenly dispersed throughout the batter.

Step 3: Pour into a loaf pan

Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. If needed, use a mini offset spatula to spread it out evenly.

Editor’s Tip: I like to line my loaf pans with parchment so I can easily remove the loaf later on.

Step 4: Bake the apple pumpkin bread

Transfer the pan into the oven and bake the loaf until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes to finish setting up. Remove the loaf from the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Add a streusel topping: While this loaf already has a lot of nice texture from the apples and walnuts, a streusel topping adds just a bit more, plus a pretty, bakery-worthy finish.
• Include more apple flavor: Enhance the apple flavor by replacing the water with apple cider or apple juice. You can even replace half the canola oil with unsweetened applesauce, but know the loaf won’t be as rich. However, the applesauce will add a little fiber and some nutrients!
• Experiment with the spices: Feel free to add more spices or replace certain ones with other fall flavors like cardamom, allspice or ground ginger. You could even omit the original three spices and make up for the measurement with pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for a complex spice mix.
• Use browned butter: Instead of canola oil, mix room temperature brown butter into the batter for a deep, nuttier, toastier flavor.

How to Store Pumpkin Apple Bread

Pumpkin apple bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. It can also be stored in the fridge for up to four days, but the cold air will dry out the loaf a bit.

Can you freeze pumpkin apple bread?

Yes, you can freeze pumpkin apple bread. Allow the loaf to cool completely to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in two layers of storage wrap to prevent freezer burn. Freeze the loaf for up to two months and thaw it on the counter whenever you’re ready to enjoy it.

Pumpkin Apple Bread Tips

Can you use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of canned pumpkin puree?

No, canned pumpkin pie filling cannot be used in place of canned pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin pie filling includes water, sweeteners and spices, so the mixture will throw off the taste and texture of the apple pumpkin bread.

What are the best apples for a pumpkin apple bread recipe?

The best apples for pumpkin apple bread are Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Cameo and Pink Lady. These are tart, firm apples that will hold their shape well during baking. Avoid mealy, bland apples like McIntosh or Red Delicious.

How can you tell when pumpkin apple bread is done baking?

The pumpkin apple bread is done baking when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs or is completely clean. If there is any sign of batter, keep baking the loaf. If the top is severely browning while the inside is still underbaked, wrap a piece of foil over the top of the loaf pan and keep baking the loaf until the center is baked through.