Go Back
–+ servings

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Soft, moist pumpkin bread mini loaves topped with a crisp cinnamon-sugar swirl. This easy small-batch pumpkin bread comes together in about 10 minutes with canned pumpkin and simple pantry ingredients, making it perfect for fall baking, Thanksgiving, or homemade gifts.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 2 mini loaves

Equipment

  • 2 mini loaf pans, about 3 x 5¾ inches
  • 2 Medium mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Toothpick or thin knife for swirling
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Baking sheet, optional for holding the mini loaf pans
  • Parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Bread

  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

Cinnamon-Sugar Top

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
  • To make your own cinnamon sugar combine about 1 tablespoon granulated sugar with ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and repeat as needed.

Instructions
 

. Prepare the Pans

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Lightly grease two mini loaf pans.
  • You can also line them with strips of parchment paper, leaving enough hanging over the sides to lift the loaves out after baking.
  • If you're using several small pans, place them on a baking sheet before filling them.
  • Moving one baking sheet is easier than balancing a collection of tiny pans filled with pumpkin batter.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together:
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Whisk until smooth and well combined.

Add the Dry Ingredients

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together:
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.

  • Switch to a spatula and fold just until you no longer see dry flour.
  • Then stop.
  • Quick bread batter does not improve with enthusiastic stirring.
  • A few tiny lumps are fine.

Divide the Batter

  • Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
  • If you want perfectly matching loaves, set the pans on a kitchen scale and divide the batter by weight.
  • If not, eyeball it.
  • They'll survive.

Add the Cinnamon-Sugar Top

  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar generously over both loaves.
  • Now take a toothpick or the tip of a thin knife and make a few shallow swirls across the surface.
  • Keep the swirling shallow.
  • You don't want to stir the cinnamon sugar throughout the batter.
  • Most of it should stay close to the surface so it can bake into that crisp cinnamon crust.

Bake

  • Bake at 350°F for about 28 minutes, then begin checking.
  • Depending on your oven and the exact size and material of your pans, the loaves may need closer to 30 to 35 minutes.
  • The tops should be set and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out without wet batter.
  • Think of 28 minutes as the time to start paying attention, not the moment your oven alarm gets to make the decision.
  • Cool
  • Let the pumpkin loaves cool in their pans for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Then remove them and place them on a wire rack.
  • You can eat the bread warm.
  • For the neatest slices, let it cool first.
  • And if you're making these as gifts, letting the bread cool completely before wrapping is important. Trapping steam inside the wrapping will soften that nice cinnamon-sugar crust you just worked for.
Keyword cinnamon sugar pumpkin bread, cinnamon swirl pumpkin bread, easy pumpkin bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!