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.
This turned out perfect for me! The first time I made this I didn’t make any alterations until I tasted it. I usually adjust things on recipes the second time around, but not with this! I made it again tonight and it turned out great just like the first time. I think this is the only bread I have ever made that tastes EXACTLY like something at the restaurant/shop etc/ (we need to think that a lot of places have things shipped that have preservatives and things you wouldn’t even want to put in your homemade goodies if you knew what was in it, but that’s where the slight variations may be present in terms of taste). I can’t wait to make this for years to come and also save quite a few bucks 🙂 THANK YOU!
I made this yesterday and it was absolutey perfect in every way! I had to make a second loaf for my mom. On a side note, it’s incredible smothered with some Trader Joes Cookie Butter!
I am so glad you enjoyed the Pumpkin bread. I never thought about using it with Trader Joes Cookie Butter.
Do you happen to have an easy vanilla glaze that I could put over the top?
I would add about 2 teaspoons to 1 cup of powdered sugar, along with about a half teaspoon of vanilla. I don’t think it needs it.
I made this bread, twice now and the only thing I changed to make it taste and make the texture resemble something more like SB’s pumpkin bread was to add about 1/2 a teaspoon of additional pumpkin pie spice, I also added an additional 1/8 of a cup of oil and I add 1/2 cup of sour cream and it is super moist just like SB’s bread. I always add in sour cream to any sweet breads that I make. I found that adding some additional cinnamon helps too! I also swap out 1/2 a cup of regular flour for whole wheat. Whole wheat tends to make things much more tender. Thanks so much for posting this great recipe!
I made this yesterday & today, both times it was soupie in the middle? Why
This bread was very dry and tasteless! Everyone was disappointed. I followed the recipe carefully and didn’t over mix ingredients. In my opinion it needs more egg and pumpkin, oh! And of course flavor 🙂
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you. A lot of people like this. I love how kind you are in your comments in the critique 😉
Why would you take the time to leave Such a Nasty comment? I thought she hit the flavor pretty dead on. Maybe the problem is your oven or how you baked it. You didn’t need to be so insulting, especially since a lot of people clearly like it.
I can appreciate that sometimes people have a bad experience in the recipe. I feel highly confident about this particular recipe. We all have our off days.
Ashley are u SURE u know how to COOK⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️
I know this is an old post, but I made the recipe today and it is so delicious! I only had nutmeg and cinnamon on hand, so I used a teaspoon of each and it still turned out so good! I can’t wait to try it with all the spices! Thanks for this awesome recipe! 🙂
Amazing…now this is a pumpkin bread recipe. I hit the jackpot finding your recipe. I love it and everyone in my family does too. I saw it last week and have already made it four times. My grandkids ask for it now as soon as they come in the door. I made up several quart size zip loc bags at a time with all of the dry ingredients. When I am ready to make it, i just add the wet ingredients and bake. Thank you a million times over which is probably how many times I will be making this!!
I am so happy you and your family enjoy this pumpkin bread. It is one of my favorites too. I love pumpkin all the year!
I love you! I unintentionally grew a pumpkin patch this year harvesting 28 pumpkins from one random plant that grew up in my courtyard. I just made this recipe tonight with fresh pumpkin purée and we LOVED it! My search for the perfect loaf is over. Thank you
This recipe is greatness! My daughter loves Starbucks pumpkin bread and she’s a very picky eater at 5 yo. I’ve tried several pumpkin bread recipes and she didn’t like any of them. I baked this tonight and she loves it! I’m so grateful. I even used wheat flour and she still loves it. Thanks!
Awesome bread….couldnt find cardmom spice….went crazy looking for it and no luck so….i made it without and mmmm… still so so good! Does the cardmom make a huge difference/?
This was my first time making a quick bread and it was amazing! My whole family loved it! The second time I substituted 1/3 of the sugar with brown sugar and I think it made it even more moist. Also I made 1.5 of the recipe and poured it into 2 mini loaf pans. For my 3rd attempt, I’d like to switch out the vanilla extract with some delicious Haitian dark Rum I have. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I am very happy that you enjoyed the recipe! It is a very good recipe for pumpkin bread. I bet you could add that rum in addition to the vanilla if you wanted to keep some of those nice vanilla notes in there.
I just want to let you know that i NEVER leave comments on any site that I find recipes on, whether it turns out good or bad. But I found this yesterday and made it last night and I am SOO happy with how it came out! What made this different is that I’ve made pumpkin bread a hundred times and would STILL buy from Starbucks because I just couldn’t beat theirs. Now, with your on-point recipe and EXCELLENT explanation and instructions (mix dry and wet ingredients separately, don’t over mix… which I think was my problem this whole time), I’m finally able to make what I felt obligated to buy. Thank you so much! This recipe made me a customer to your site 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Thank you for trying the recipe. I am happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Have used this recipe for years – still my favorite! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 Xo, Alison
http://www.simplyfairbyalisonjeanine.com
Thia recipe is perfect………easy and delicious,
Love this recipe way more than another I tried three times last year failing each time to be remotely similar. I remember another pumpkin cupcake recipe using apple sauce as a substitute for oil. So I figured I’ve already got it in my cabinet, lets try it. I had those single serve cups that are 3.9 oz. I also doubled the entire recipe so I could use the entire can of pumpkin purée (15 oz). I wasn’t worried about the lack of 1 oz. However, I did read that an apple sauce substitute would be okay with a small amount of oil too. So I added 2 tsp. of veg oil (would only be 1 tsp. if you’re not doubling the recipe). It came out wonderful! I’m already looking for another pumpkin purée sale to make more this Fall for everyone.
I am happy to know this recipe worked out well for you. Thank you for the low fat suggestion its always good to know how to make a successful substitute. I am looking for that pumpkin to go on sale too. Goodness knows there are enough pumpkin recipes out there right now 😉
What size of can of pumpkin?
You use 1 cup, so it’s not a whole can.
This recipe is great. I did sub pumpkin pie spice for the other spices and it came out wonderful. Now, if I can manage to not eat the whole thing myself.
It is perfect! We used your recipe to make cupcakes and made a homemade lemon flavored frosting. Yummy!
Excellent. I am glad this worked out well for you.
I made this with a few modifications and it came out great. The first was that I used pumpkin pie filling (which already has spices and is sweetened somewhat) instead of canned pumpkin. I used 1.5 cups of this rather than 1 cup in the recipe, and halfed the oil (used only .5 cups oil). I added all spice and cinnamon to supplement the spices in the pumpkin pie filling.
It turned out very nicely, however to make it more similar to Starbuck’s I would have added more cardamom (but didn’t have it on hand).
The first time I made this recipe with the suggested pumpkin to oil ratio of 1:1 and it was good but I prefer the pumpkin to oil ratio of 3:1 because it makes it a little bit healthier, and also gives it more pumpkin flavor.