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This pumpkin bread with streusel topping is incredibly moist and tender, loaded with real pumpkin and warm fall spices, then topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping. It’s an easy pumpkin quick bread that gives you that bakery-style crunchy top without weighing down the loaf or leaving the center gummy.
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And that topping took some WORK. I tested versions with too much butter, too little butter and crumbs so heavy the poor pumpkin bread could barely rise. After almost a year of playing with it, this is the one that had my family coming back for slice after slice.
I don’t really have any memories of pumpkin bread growing up. It was always pumpkin roll and I never ate it. But I do have very distinct memories of the smell and warmth of the kitchen. I can see perfectly the warm cake bits and powdered sugar stuck to the kitchen towel as mom rolled up the cake and placed it in the fridge to rest.
It doesn’t feel like the holidays to me unless something is pumpkin and since I tend to lean more towards the quick breads I just knew a pumpkin crumb bread was bound to make it onto the blog one of these days.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bread
- That cinnamon crumb topping: Buttery, crunchy and loaded with cinnamon and pumpkin spice—it’s what takes a classic pumpkin loaf over the top.
- Super moist: Pumpkin puree, oil and brown sugar keep the bread soft and tender for days.
- Tested until we got it right: We spent almost a year tweaking the streusel so you get plenty of crumb topping without weighing down the loaf.
- No mixer needed: A couple of bowls and a whisk are all you need.
- Perfect for fall: Make it for breakfast, brunch, an after-school snack or wrap up a loaf for a neighbor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make the pumpkin bread and that buttery cinnamon streusel topping:
For the Pumpkin Bread
- All-purpose flour: Measure carefully so the bread stays soft and moist rather than dry.
- Baking soda + baking powder: Using both gives the heavy pumpkin batter enough lift.
- Cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice: Give the loaf its warm, spiced pumpkin flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the spices.
- Canola oil: Keeps the loaf exceptionally moist and tender. Vegetable oil also works.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds moisture, sweetness and deeper molasses flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread without making it too heavy.
- Eggs: Give the loaf structure and help it rise.
- Pumpkin puree: Adds pumpkin flavor and lots of moisture. Be sure to use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- How much pumpkin is in a 15-ounce can? A standard 15-ounce can contains just under 2 cups of pumpkin puree, so one can is plenty for this recipe.
- Vanilla: Rounds out the warm pumpkin and spice flavors.
For the Cinnamon Streusel
- All-purpose flour: Creates the structure for those buttery crumbs.
- Brown + granulated sugar: A combination that gives the topping both rich flavor and a little crunch.
- Cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice: Makes the crumb topping taste just as good as the pumpkin bread underneath.
- Salt: Keeps the streusel from tasting overly sweet.
- Cold unsalted butter: The secret to creating distinct, crumbly pieces instead of a melted sugar topping.
Optional: Add chopped pecans or walnuts for even more crunch.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
Making this bread is so easy! You’ll be biting into a warm slice of pumpkin bread in no time. Here are the basic steps:
- Prep the pan: Preheat the oven and coat your loaf pan with nonstick spray. Add a strip of parchment across the bottom and up two sides to create a sling for easy removal.
- Make the streusel: Stir together the dry streusel ingredients. Work in the cold butter with your fingers until chunky crumbs form. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- Combine: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture just until a few streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Add the crumb topping: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and evenly sprinkle the cinnamon streusel over the top.
- Bake: Bake until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Let the bread rest in the pan, then loosen the edges with a knife and lift it out using the parchment sling. Finish cooling on a wire rack.
The Secret to a Perfect Streusel Topping
Believe it or not, the streusel was the hardest part of developing this pumpkin bread. I spent almost a year testing it because too little butter left the topping dry, too much made it melt, and an overly heavy crumb kept the pumpkin bread from rising properly.
The secret is cold butter and the right flour-to-sugar-to-butter ratio. Work the butter into the dry ingredients just until you have crumbs of different sizes, then sprinkle them loosely over the batter. Don’t press the topping down! Those larger pieces bake into the buttery cinnamon crumbles that make this loaf so good.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will throw off the recipe.
Measure the flour correctly. Too much flour is one of the easiest ways to turn moist pumpkin bread dry.
Keep the butter cold for the streusel. You want chunky crumbs, not a smooth paste.
Don’t overmix the batter. Fold only until the flour disappears or the bread can become dense and tough.
Don’t pack down the streusel. Sprinkle it loosely over the batter so the loaf can rise underneath it.
Check the center, not the edges. Quick breads often look completely baked around the outside before the middle is done.
Tent with foil if necessary. If the streusel is getting too dark before the center finishes baking, loosely cover the loaf with foil.
Let it cool before slicing. Pumpkin bread continues setting as it cools, so cutting it too soon can make the middle look gummy.
Pumpkin Bread Troubleshooting
It most likely needs more time in the oven. Loaf cakes cook from the outside in, so the edges can look done while the center is still underbaked. Cover the top loosely with foil if it’s getting dark and continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
The most common culprit is too much flour or overbaking. Spoon and level your flour or weigh it for the most accurate measurement, and start checking the loaf toward the end of the recommended baking time.
Overmixing develops too much gluten and can prevent the loaf from getting that soft, tender texture. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients only until they’re combined.
The crumb topping may have been too warm, too finely mixed or pressed into the batter. Keep the butter cold, leave some larger crumbs and gently scatter the streusel over the surface rather than packing it down.
Your butter was probably too soft. Cold butter helps the streusel hold its shape in the oven and gives you distinct buttery crumbs.
Loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil and continue baking. This protects the cinnamon streusel while giving the center enough time to finish.
It may have been underbaked in the center, the batter may have been overmixed, or the loaf could have been disturbed before its structure had fully set. Be sure the very center is baked through before removing it from the oven.
Variations and Add-Ins
Want to change things up? This pumpkin bread is easy to customize!
- Chocolate chips: Fold mini or regular semisweet chocolate chips into the batter. Milk, dark or white chocolate chips work too.
- Pecans or walnuts: Add chopped nuts to the streusel for extra crunch.
- Extra cinnamon: Add a little more cinnamon to the streusel if you really want that cinnamon-sugar flavor to shine.
- No streusel: You can leave off the crumb topping for a simpler pumpkin loaf, though I’m telling you—that topping is the best part!
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Bread
Room temperature: Once completely cool, store the pumpkin bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It does not need to be refrigerated.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Let individual slices come to room temperature before serving for the softest texture.
Freezer: Let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Make ahead: This is a great bread to bake a day or two before you need it. Cool completely and store it tightly covered until you’re ready to serve.
This pumpkin bread with streusel topping has officially ruined plain pumpkin bread for me. The loaf is ridiculously moist and packed with pumpkin and warm spices, but those buttery cinnamon crumbs are what make everyone come back for another slice. Make it for a fall breakfast, tuck it into lunchboxes, bring it to brunch or wrap up a loaf for a neighbor—just don’t expect it to last long!
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Copycat Costco Crumb Pumpkin Muffins
- Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
- Pumpkin Bread
Cinnamon Crumb Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Canola Oil
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ¾ Cup Sugar
Streusel Topping
- ¾ Cups Flour
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ⅓ Cup Unsalted Butter
Instructions
For the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Spray a 9×5" bread pan with nonstick spray. Cut a strip of parchment paper and lay the strip across the bread pan and spray the pan again. This will create a sling to remove the loaf from the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside.1 Cup Flour, ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice, ½ teaspoon Salt
- In a bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Stir and then add the sugars.½ Cup Canola Oil, 2 Large Eggs, 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, ¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, ¾ Cup Sugar
- Dump the dry ingredients on the wet ingredients and switching to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the ingredients together just until a few streaks of flour remain.
- Pour into a bread pan and sprinkle streusel all over the top. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- At this point, slide a knife around the inside of the pan and use the parchment sling to remove the loaf from the pan and move it onto the cooling rack.
- Place it right side up and allow to cool or be like us and dig in because warm bread is the best!
For the Streusel
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, salt and spices.¾ Cups Flour, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoons White Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Cube the cold butter and add to the dry ingredients. Using your hands, pinch and squish the mixture until it's all completely combined and you can grab a handful and it all sticks together in a clump. Set aside.⅓ Cup Unsalted Butter
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can’t wait to try this! I’ll be substituting butter for the canola oil though.
Hi Casey! I’d love to hear what you think!
Just made this. SO GOOD! Going to have a tough time not woofing the entire thing down by myself. Will be a staple recipe. Thank you!
Thank you Shelly!! I have the same problem when I make it too! I appreciate your support so much!
Love this perfect fall bread! I made 2 loaves for my co-workers and they were raving about it all day. I will definitely make again.
Love to hear this so much Rochelle! Thank you!
This recipe is PERFECT! I didn’t change a single thing and it tasted fabulous. I shared slices with my kids and neighbors and ended up making a second loaf several hours later. The texture is perfect, not airy/light, and not too dense. The bread took exactly 50 minutes to cook.
This will be my new fall recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Yay! Thank you so much for the feedback Ashley! This recipe is one of my absolute favorites!
I made this several times since discovering. I have yet to meet someone that didn’t fall in love with this bread. The crumb makes this bread over-the-top. This will be a Thanksgiving staple!
Question: If I were to divide this recipe into two smaller loaf pans, what would you suggest for the temperature and baking time? I appreciate you sharing this recipe to the world!
Thank you so much Ashley! You can definitely split it into two smaller loaves. Keep the baking temp the same but reduce the time. Start checking it around 35 minutes. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! Thanks for the recipe. Smells delicious. It’s cooking now. Taking a long time to bake……I’m up to 70 minutes so far. The toothpick comes out very wet. 🤷🏼♀️
So it took 90min for me✔️
Thank you so much for the feedback Colleen! It’s possible that your pan was a little smaller than mine so it was thicker to bake through. You could probably even split it into two smaller loaves to decrease the bake time. I hope you enjoyed it!!
Could this be made with Gluten Free Flour?
I am so excited to make this!! I love your recipes.
Yes, it should work just fine!
is this recipe incorrect for flour amount? It calls for 1 cup flour. I followed the recipe exactly. Felt like the batter was too loose and thin, but went with it. Definitely not a bread consistency, more like a soufle…… I think it is supposed to be 2 cups of flour? Please advise….. Flavor profile is good, but consistency is not- too wet/loose and fell. Used insta-read thermometer to make sure center came up to temp of 190+
Hi Angela! I’m so sorry that they didn’t turn out. It definitely sounds like something was measured incorrectly but the 1 cup of flour is correct.