Description

This Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread is moist, flavorful, and perfect for fall or any pumpkin lover. Featuring a blend of warm spices, tart cranberries, and toasted pecans, this loaf offers a lovely balance of sweetness and texture. It’s easy to make, with no special equipment needed, and can be adapted for gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free diets.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon flour (for coating mix-ins)

Wet Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup water

Mix-ins

1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
¾ cup pecans, roughly chopped

Optional Substitutions

Gluten-free: Replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend
Dairy-free: Use vegetable oil instead of butter
Lower sugar: Reduce granulated sugar to ¾ cup and add 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
Nut-free: Replace pecans with pumpkin seeds or omit entirely
Egg substitute: Use 2 flax eggs or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

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Instructions

Prepare Your Pan and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. For extra insurance against sticking, line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to make removing the loaf easier and prevent breakage.
Toast the Pecans: Spread the chopped pecans evenly on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 5-7 minutes until they become fragrant and lightly golden. This step enhances their flavor significantly. Once toasted, let them cool completely before using.
Prepare the Mix-ins: In a small bowl, toss the cranberries and cooled pecans with 1 tablespoon of flour. This coating prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the bread during baking and ensures even distribution throughout the loaf.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Make sure all ingredients are well combined to avoid unpleasant pockets of baking soda in the bread.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil or melted butter, eggs, and water until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Using room temperature eggs here helps to create a smoother batter.
Combine and Fold: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. The batter will look slightly lumpy; this is ideal. Overmixing can cause the bread to become tough. Gently fold in the flour-coated cranberries and pecans with a few strokes.
Bake to Perfection: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and gently smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown and spring back lightly when touched.

Notes

For easiest removal, use parchment paper with overhang in the loaf pan.
To intensify pecan flavor, toasting is highly recommended before adding to batter.
Coating cranberries and pecans with flour helps prevent them from sinking during baking.
Do not overmix the batter to maintain a tender crumb.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store leftovers wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.