Starbucks Pumpkin Bread has captured the hearts (and wallets) of coffee lovers everywhere with its incredibly moist texture, perfectly balanced spices, and signature crunchy pepita seeds on top. This beloved fall favorite is so popular that unlike other pumpkin treats, it’s available year-round at Starbucks. Now you can recreate this delicious treat at home with simple pantry ingredients and save money while enjoying fresher, homemade flavor.
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Why this copycat Starbucks pumpkin bread recipe works
The secret to Starbucks’ irresistible pumpkin bread lies in its incredible moisture content and perfectly balanced spiced blend. This copycat recipe achieves the signature texture with the ideal oil-to-pumpkin puree ratio, and a carefully combined warming spice blend creates the signature flavor profile. The crunchy pepita seeds on top provide the perfect textural contrast, making each bite memorable. So, bake up this Starbucks pumpkin bread recipe and enjoy a warm, thick slice at home.
Ingredients for moist pumpkin bread
Here’s what you need to make this Starbucks pumpkin bread copycat recipe:
- All-purpose flour – Provides the essential structure for a perfect quick bread texture
- White sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create the tender, moist crumb
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and balances the sweetness
- Baking soda – Creates the proper rise and light texture
- Nutmeg – Contributes warm, slightly sweet aromatic notes
- Cardamom – Adds exotic floral and citrusy undertones
- Cinnamon – Provides a classic warming spice that defines pumpkin bread
- Allspice – Contributes complex warmth with hints of clove and cinnamon
- Ground cloves – Adds distinctive aromatic depth and warming sensation
- Large eggs – Bind ingredients and add richness to the bread
- Pumpkin puree – Provides moisture, flavor, and beautiful color (not pumpkin pie filling)
- Vegetable oil or canola oil – Creates the incredibly moist texture
- Vanilla extract – Enhances overall flavor and adds aromatic sweetness
- Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds – Create the signature crunchy topping
How to make Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
This recipe is a quick bread, which means we mix our wet and dry ingredients separately first, then combine them.
I find that sifting the dry ingredients makes for better bread. The bread will be airier and have a uniform texture.
You don’t want to overmix a quick bread; you want to mix it just long enough to get out the lumps.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices. Sift the dry ingredients together, then give them a final whisk to combine.
- In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, oil, pumpkin purée, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir until the lumps are out. Do not over-stir the mixture.
- Spray the baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
- Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of the bread batter.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 50 – 60 minutes.
- Cool for approximately 5 minutes in the pan, and then turn the pumpkin bread onto a cooling wire rack.
- The bread cuts best when it has cooled completely.
Tip: You can make mini loaves by using mini loaf pans and bake for about 40 minutes.
What to serve with the Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf
Fortunately for you, this pastry pairs well with a variety of foods and drinks. For instance, the most obvious choice is to enjoy it with your morning coffee, whether you prefer iced or hot coffee. It’s also tasty with a chai tea latte.
Warm up the pumpkin bread and smear some butter on it to take it to the next level. If you want something more filling to start your day, you can make some Starbucks sous vide egg bites with bacon and gruyere for a savory pairing.
Alternatively, transform it into a dessert by heating it through and drizzling decadent caramel sauce and whipped cream over the sliced bread. The flavors of caramel and pumpkin will make your taste buds dance!
Make-Ahead Instructions
- Advance baking: This bread actually improves after sitting for a day as flavors meld and moisture distributes evenly.
- Freezer preparation: Wrap completely cooled bread tightly and freeze up to 3 months for future enjoyment.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Room Temperature Storage: Store tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Room temperature keeps bread softer than refrigeration.
- Reheating Method: Warm individual slices in a toaster or microwave for 10-15 seconds. Whole loaf can be warmed in a 300°F oven
- Freezing: Wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze up to 3 months
Do you love Starbucks? Check out these great copycat Starbucks recipes!
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- How to Make a Cafe Mocha
- Flat White Latte Starbucks
- Caramel Macchiato
- Starbucks Butterscotch Drink
- Banana Nut Bread Recipe
- Starbucks Protein Box
- How to Cook Sous Vide Eggs
- Starbucks Egg White Spinach Feta Wrap Recipe
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
Easy, quick bread recipes
Take a look at more of my copycat Starbucks recipes and easy homemade bread.
Starbucks Pumpkin Bread Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- ** Alternatively replace the spices listed above with a scant 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil do not use olive or peanut oil
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup roasted salted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices into a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is no longer lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
hi! my bread came out perfectly!! was even orange like starbucks! hahah. great recipe!! for those who didnt do it right, i feel like pumpkin pie spice would not cut it because it usually doesnt contain cardamom. took me forever to find the spice but it was well worth it!!!!!
Jennie, I am so happy you enjoyed the pumpkin bread. This is a favorite bread of mine, and I hate that you can only get it during certain times of the year. I personally like to measure out the individual spices. I think the spices from The Spice House work very well. Thank you for giving the recipe a try.
I make this all the time and everyone loves it! I make it in mini loaf size and it is great as a coffee time snack. Thank you for this recipe!
Michelle, I am so glad you enjoy the recipe. How long do you bake the mini loaves? I would like to give that a try.
Mine turned out perfectly! This recipe also seems to have some room for error. eI wanted finish up some pumpkin I had on hand but it wasn’t enough to double the recipe so I made 1 and .50 divided the two for smaller loaves and reduced the cooking time by 10-15 minutes. The seasoning and flavor was just right. Thank You so much for this!
I am happy to hear this recipe got a thumbs up from you! Good call on finishing up the pumpkin.
tried to make this last night but didn’t turn out at all like Starbucks’ pumpkin bread. Was dryer than the Starbucks’ variety and didn’t taste right.
oops autocorrect! drier*
I am really sorry this didn’t work out well for you. A lot of others it worked great for. I am sure this isn’t the case, but maybe your oven is running a little hot and made the bread dry out. Again, I am sorry this didn’t work out well for you. What should I have done differently?
Very good! Instead of nuts, and seeds, I added a buttercream iceing. It was a whole other taste of goodness!!!
I just experienced eating at Crustacean’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills, CA. It was just delightful! What to copycat the crab with noodles and spinach. Thanks.
If I was in that area it would make that easier to do!
SO DELICIOUS! This bread was perfect. Tasted so similar to Starbucks. Nice with a dollop of cream. Thanks!
Thank you! I am glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed this.
Thank you so much for this! My husband loves this bread, but Starbucks no longer sells it. I just baked a sugar pie pumpkin and I’m definitely going to use the puree with this recipe, thank you thank you!
They stopped selling it? Oh no!
Made it last night…I tried to get my husband to say that it reminded him of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread, but he didn’t. Although when I eventually told him he said, “well, to me this is just how pumpkin bread ought to be,” anyway, he really enjoyed it, said a few deep “mmmmms,” and definitely went back for seconds…this recipe is simple and delicious! Oh, and I enjoy it too 🙂
Starbucks in Germany just started to carry the Pumpkin Bread flown from the US it is still a very tasty snack.
when do you add the pumpkin puree?
Add it with the liquid ingredients.
After i have mixed the spices in with the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, i add the pumpkin puree and mix partially…but I don’t mix it in completely…in other words I mix it in until some of the white mixture remains separate from the puree. Then I pour the wet mixture over that, and combine without over-stirring.
I just made another online chef’s version of this last night and while it was very good, it wasn’t quite as light and moist as the real deal. Will definitely try yours as well and report back! The recipes deviate quite a bit, surprisingly – yours calls for 2 eggs while the other for four, etc. Be back soon! 🙂
Thank you for letting me know. I look forward to your report.
I LOVE Starbucks pumpkin bread any time of the year but especially during the cold months (which in South Texas are few)! I made this bread and followed it exactly – down to the scant 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice. Absolutely WONDERFUL! Just like Starbucks – and I’ve had lots of their bread! In fact, my family wouldn’t wait for it to cool down completely – I got about 10 minutes cooling time. Awesome recipe!
Thank you for giving this recipe a try. I hope you try other copykat recipes!
I had a side-by-side taste test. This recipe is delicious and the color and texture are very similar. The only difference I found was that Starbucks uses more ground cloves. I am adding one tsp of group cloves next time I make this. This will be the third time making it. Yummy!
I am glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much.
Thanks for the recipe! I made a couple of minor modifications to fool myself in making a ‘healthy’ loaf 🙂 Replaced 1/2 cup of flour with whole wheat flour, this will change the texture and taste of the loaf a bit but I didn’t mind it. Also opted to sprinkle the loaf with roasted but unsalted pumpkin seeds instead of salted.
Thank you for your great suggestions on this recipe.
Can you turn these into muffins?
I think these might be a little heavy for muffins.
Do you pop the seeds or use the pumpkin seeds in the shell?
It is best to remove the seeds from the shells.
Wait, pumpkin seeds don’t have shells. Think of what they look like raw when you scrap them out of a whole pumpkin.
They do have shells, they are the white coating around the seeds on the inside. If you look at the picture above of the bread, these are the seeds within the white shells.
How long will this keep in the freezer?
I don’t know. I personally haven’t put this in the freezer. I would guess it would be fine for a month or two.
i am confused. You put the seeds on top before you pour the mixture in the pan? Sounds strange.
Sprinkle the seeds on top of the batter before you put it in the oven.
I’m not sure if my first message went through so…………….the question is:
Is pumpkin puree the same as the Libby’s pumpkin you use for pie?
Yes, use the pure pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie variety (the one in the bigger can).
you don’t mention when to add the pumpkin I’m assuming it’s with the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
This looks fabulous. Thanks so much.
Link to the Pumpkin Pie Spice is dead and IF you use it, how MUCH??? Do you add the other spices up and substitute a like amount? Thank you!
I would just just under two teaspoons if you are going to use pumpkin pie spice.