Easy Pumpkin Yeast Bread Machine Recipe

Make a delicious pumpkin yeast bread quickly and easily in your bread machine with this easy recipe.

This recipe for homemade pumpkin bread is indeed a yeast pumpkin bread and not a cake-like quick bread recipe, perfect for toasting and sandwiches.

Bread machine pumpkin bread is a great way to make the most of pumpkin season without always eating it in sugary desserts.

Canned or Fresh Pumpkin

The original recipe calls for just 1 cup of pumpkin puree. You can absolutely use canned puree from the grocery store or make your own pumpkin puree from scratch.

Feel free to substitute any leftover baked and pureed winter squash you might have on hand. Have some leftover butternut squash from making soup? Simply puree it and use it instead of pumpkin.

This pumpkin bread machine recipe is actually a great way to use up leftovers and let nothing go to waste.

Sweetener

I prefer to keep this more savory than sweet, there’s just a bit of sugar more to help the yeast do its thing than anything else.

However, you could make it sweeter by adding up to 1/2 cup sugar, if desired. Honey also works well in the recipe.

I didn’t test it but I imagine brown sugar could work as well.

Want it Pumpkin Spice?

You could add up to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (or any other desired ground spice) just before the flour, if desired.

Please note that cinnamon can sometimes effect how bread rises and so the loaf might not get as high or light.

Add Some Nuts

If you’d like pumpkin walnut bread, simply add up to 1 cup of chopped nuts just before the end of the machine’s second kneading cycle (or as prompted by your machine).

The nuts can add a wonderful depth of flavor and texture to the finished loaf.

Flour Choices

This recipe was tested with bread flour, however, unbleached all purpose flour would likely work just as well.

You could also substitute up to half of the bread flour with white whole wheat flour for some whole grain.

Want it Dairy-Free?

If you’d prefer to keep this recipe vegan, simply use water instead of milk and olive oil instead of melted butter.

The flavor will be different but will still work well.

Yeast

I use instant yeast in all my bread maker recipes. You could substitute active dry yeast or bread machine yeast – simply follow your machine’s guidelines.

The great thing about instant yeast is that you can just add it at the end and walk away – no need to pre-mix or do anything special and it tends to be available in most every grocery store all the time.

About My Bread Machine

My bread machine recipes are tested on a Welbilt Bread Machine. I bought it at a thrift store for $6.50. It makes great bread but every machine is different. Please follow any specific instructions provided by your bread machine manufacturer if they differ from how this recipe is written.

To Prevent Sticking

I had multiple loaves become hopelessly stuck to my bread pan and had to learn a trick or two to prevent it. Here’s what I do, if you’d like to try it:

After the final kneading cycle (for my machine there’s a 2 second third cycle of punching down), I remove the dough quickly from the machine, remove the paddle and then spray the pan with some non-stick spray. Then I put the dough back in, close the lid and let the machine finish its rising and baking.

I use needle nose plier to remove the paddle.

This very simple step has stopped bread from sticking to the paddle hopelessly and coming out of the pan a broken mess.

How to Serve

There is a mild pumpkin flavor in the final loaf but it is not overpowering. If you leave it without spice and nuts, the golden color it makes a great addition to any feast table or dinner spread.

Because the bread doesn’t scream pumpkin, it can work for simple sandwiches – think leftover turkey or chicken.

Definitely toast and spread with your favorite jam, nut butter, or even cream cheese for a delicious breakfast alongside coffee or tea.

Serve as part of a brunch buffet alongside fresh fruit, quiche, and offer pumpkin muffins, too.

Use it to make a lovely and delicious French toast breakfast.

How to Store

Store any leftover bread or slices in an airtight container where it should stay fresh for about 5 days.

For longer term storage, wrap bread in plastic wrap or place into freezer bags and freeze.

Let frozen bread thaw at room temperature prior to storing. Use up frozen bread within 6 months for best flavor and to prevent freezer burn.