Pumpkin Gingerbread

Perfect for the holidays, this richly flavored pumpkin gingerbread is made with pumpkin purée, flour, butter, ginger, molasses, brown sugar, and lots of spices.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated October 27, 2023
Elise Bauer
Pumpkin Gingerbread
Elise Bauer

This pumpkin gingerbread is one of our favorite treats for fall!

We almost always have extra pumpkin sitting around this time of year, either puréed and in cans, or fresh. Two of my favorite sweet quick breads are pumpkin bread and gingerbread.

This recipe started as an experiment to combine the two. The result? A tender, richly flavored loaf—spicy, molasses-y, and pumpkin-y.

It's easy to make too. You can make your own pumpkin purée from scratch or just use canned pumpkin purée.

Looking for More Pumpkin Recipes?

How to Make Pumpkin Gingerbread

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 8 to 10 servings
Yield 1 loaf

By the way, we made one batch of this pumpkin gingerbread forgetting to add the melted butter and you know what? It's still turned out fine. Not as moist as the butter version, but still good, and better the next day. I still prefer the butter version, but if you are trying to cut back, you can leave it out.

* I've also made this pumpkin gingerbread using gluten-free flour from King Arthur. Turned out great!

* * To make pumpkin purée from pieces of leftover pumpkin, just roast or boil the pieces until tender, then remove the skin. Smash the cooked pumpkin with a fork. If using a whole pumpkin, sugar pumpkins work best. Cut in half, scoop out the strings and seeds, bake the pumpkin halves at 350°F on a foil-lined baking pan until soft, about 45 minutes to an hour. When cool, scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin puree (canned or homemade**)

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick or 112 g) butter, melted

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap which can be too bitter)

  • 1 tablespoon finely minced candied or fresh ginger (optional)

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven and prepare pan:

    Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to keep the pumpkin gingerbread from sticking to the pan.

  2. Mix dry ingredients:

    In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  3. Mix wet ingredients:

    In another bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the pumpkin purée, melted butter, sugar, molasses, fresh or candied ginger, eggs, and water.

  4. Combine the wet and dry:

    ingredients. Add the raisins if using. Stir only until incorporated.

  5. Bake:

    Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

  6. Cool:

    Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert the loaf to remove it from the pan. Let it cool on a rack completely before slicing.

    The loaf's flavor will improve with time. If you cut into it while it is still a bit warm, it may be crumbly. In which case you may want to make your slices with a bread knife.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Pumpkin Gingerbread
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
263 Calories
10g Fat
40g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 263
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 329mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 65mg 5%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 358mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.