🎃 Pumpkin Bread with Salted Brown Butter Glaze

A moist, warmly spiced pumpkin loaf topped with a nutty, slightly salty brown-butter glaze.

⭐ Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread

• 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ginger

• ¼ tsp cloves (optional)

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar

• ½ cup neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil)

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup pumpkin purée

• ⅓ cup milk or buttermilk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Salted Brown Butter Glaze

• 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter

• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar

• 1–2 tbsp milk (as needed)

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• ¼–½ tsp flaky sea salt (Maldon-style)

⭐ Instructions

1. Make the Pumpkin Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

3. In a large bowl, whisk sugars, oil, eggs, pumpkin purée, milk/buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet and gently fold until combined—don’t overmix.

5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

6. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

2. Make the Salted Brown Butter Glaze

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

2. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter browns—golden with toasted specks and a nutty aroma (3–5 min).

3. Let cool 2–3 minutes.

4. Whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tbsp milk. Add more milk until smooth and pourable.

5. Stir in flaky sea salt.

3. Glaze

Pour the glaze over the cooled (or slightly warm) pumpkin bread. Let set 10–15 minutes before slicing.

❓ Q&A Section

Q1: Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

A: Yes—roast, puree, and strain it so it’s thick like canned pumpkin. If it’s watery, the bread will be gummy.

Q2: Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices?

A: Yes! Replace all the spices with 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

Q3: How do I know the brown butter is done?

A: It’s ready when:

• It smells nutty

• Foam subsides

• You see golden brown flecks at the bottom
  Remove from heat immediately to avoid burning.

Q4: My glaze is too thick/thin. How do I fix it?

• Too thick → add milk ½ tsp at a time

• Too thin → add powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time

Q5: Can I skip the glaze?

A: Yes! The bread is fantastic plain—or add a light dusting of powdered sugar instead.

Q6: Can I make this gluten-free?

A: Yes—substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. Baking time may increase slightly.

Q7: Storage instructions?

• Room temperature: 3–4 days (airtight)

• Fridge: up to 1 week

• Freezer: up to 3 months (wrap tightly, glaze after thawing)

Q8: Can I make this into muffins?

A: Absolutely.

• Bake at 350°F for 20–24 minutes

• Makes ~12 muffins
  You can drizzle each muffin with the brown butter glaze.

Q9: Can I add chocolate chips or nuts?

A: Yes—fold in any of these:

• ¾ cup chocolate chips

• ½–1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• ½ cup dried cranberries

Q10: Why did my pumpkin bread sink in the middle?

Usually because of one of these:

• Under-baked (most common)

• Too much liquid (pumpkin purée was watery)

• Old baking soda/powder

• Overmixing the batter