Print

Best Easy Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Streusel

brown butter pumpkin bread - featured image
Print Recipe

This isn’t your average pumpkin bread. The brown butter adds a deep, nutty richness that regular butter just can’t touch. Every batch turns out perfectly moist with that crackly top we all fight over.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter
  • 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk (or buttermilk)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed (for streusel)
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (½ stick or 56g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (30g) chopped pecans (optional, for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly. The butter will melt, foam, then crackle and pop. After about 5-7 minutes, golden brown specks will form at the bottom and the smell will turn nutty. Once the specks are amber-colored, remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Spray any exposed pan areas with nonstick spray.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla extract and milk. Slowly drizzle in cooled browned butter while whisking constantly until glossy and smooth.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (some flour streaks are okay). Do not overmix.
  6. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Add cold butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces. Stir in pecans if using. Refrigerate while finishing the batter.
  7. Assemble and bake: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle streusel topping over the surface, pressing gently into the batter. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If streusel browns too fast, tent with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
  8. Cool completely: Let bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then use parchment handles to lift it out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing (about 1-2 hours).

Notes

Room temperature eggs matter—cold eggs can seize up the browned butter. Don’t overmix the batter; a few lumps are fine. The toothpick test can lie—a few moist crumbs mean it’s done. Let the bread rest overnight for best flavor. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter and oat milk.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, brown butter, cinnamon streusel, fall baking, pumpkin recipe, easy pumpkin bread

Find it online: https://junomeals.com/best-easy-brown-butter-pumpkin-bread-with-cinnamon-streusel/