“I make this bread every holiday season and often make different sized loaves as gifts. If I use mini loaf pans, I can get 6 mini loaves and they bake for about 45-50 minutes. 8 inch by 4 inch pans yields three loaves and bake for 55-60 minutes. Using tin foil pans and tying them up in cellophane with a big ribbon, really looks great. (See my Wrapping Candy, Nuts & Baked Goods posts for ideas.) I’ve also found adorable ceramic mini loaf dishes that make a great additional gift when filled with this bread. I have many friends and neighbors that look forward to getting these mini loaves and often request those little baking pans…they wind up having there own collection after knowing me a few years…lol. They keep and use the mini loaf pans all year.
If you want to lighten up this recipe, try substituting Lakanto sugar substitute (monk fruit) for the sugar and unsweetened applesauce for the oil. The texture is lighter and more like a sponge cake BUT the calories saved can be well worth it to those watching their waistline! My WW friends love it. No matter which way you prepare it, add to your baking list. This is always a hit.
Note that this is a quick bread. There is no yeast required so their is no rise time. Many people think this is more like a cake and they might be right. I serve this in a bread basket with other bread options every holiday. But, I also serve this as dessert. I’ll cut a slice, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy. You decide how you want to serve this.
This is a pretty simple recipe and one you’ll make over an over again. To get started, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your loaf pans with cooking spray and put to the side.
Combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in one bowl. Beat the eggs and mix with pumpkin and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are all combined. Fold in the fruit and walnuts. Feel free to substitute almonds, hazelnuts or pecans for the walnuts. Use your favorite nuts. You can also use frozen cranberries. Just thaw them and make sure they drain well before adding to the batter.
Spoon into two 9 in x 5 in loaf pans. (Spray with Cooking Spray first). Bake at 350 degrees F. for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Move to a cooling rack and let cool completely (about one hour). It is then ready to serve or wrap as a gift. Enjoy.
If you like this recipe, be sure to try some of my other quick bread recipes.
Cranberry, Walnut, Pumpkin Bread
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 Cups Al purpose flour
- 3 Cups of sugar
- 4 Tsps. Pumpkin pie spice
- 2 Tsps. Bking soda
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Can (15 oz) Solid pack pumpkin
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
- 2 Cups Fresh cranberries
- 1 Cup Chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in one bowl. Beat the eggs and mix with pumpkin and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are all combined. Fold in the fruit and walnuts.
- Spoon into two 9 in x 5 in loaf pans. (spray with Cooking Spray first). Bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Move to a cooling rack and let cool completely (about one hour).
