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 through the ideal ratio of oil to pumpkin puree, while the careful combination of a 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
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 and then combine them together.
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 and give them a final whisk to combine them.
- In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, oil, pumpkin purée, and vanilla.
- Pour the mixture of wet ingredients 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 allowed to cool 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 up and drizzling some decadent caramel sauce and whipped cream atop 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 was the most delicious pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. I tripled the recipe which made three loaves. I sprinkled top with turbinado sugar in addition to pumpkin seeds and everyone loved this bread! It was so moist even 3 days later!
Have you tried this using caster/baking sugar? Curious how it would effect the recipe?
I have not tried this. I would have to read up on this, I don’t know how caster sugar performs differently in baking.
can these be made into muffins?
I don’t see why not, I haven’t tested it to verify cooking times.
I absolutely crave starbucks pumpkin bread loaf. I tried this recipe and wow. You hit it on the head. I would not change a thing. Now I am the official girls night bread baker. New number one subscriber. Thanks
Just made these using this recipe!! Wonderfully moist, it’s texture is literally that of the Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf bread. I had to make these in a muffin/cupcake pan as I don’t own a loaf pan. Instead of 50 minutes, they were done at ~32 mins, with a brown, lightly crisp texture on the top–so perfect! I love this recipe.
Oh, and I did add 1/2 lightly packed brown sugar in addition to the 1 cup–I know, a lot of sugar, but honestly these were still less sweet than the Starbucks Loaf…So I imagine they have like loads of sugar in them…????
I love how your users actually made the food item and wrote about it in the comments, you definitely have a new subscriber!
I am glad you liked the recipe.
Excellent recipe with the right amount of spices. I realized I only had one egg in the frig after mixing all the dry ingredients together so substituted the other egg with 1/4 cup plain yogurt. The density was perfect.
Hi. Can I use walnut oil instead of veg?
I have been making this CopyKat Starbucks Pumpkin bread for two years now! Love it!!!
Would you happen to have created yet, the Starbucks Gingerbread? This past Christmas, I had some at Starbucks and its so good. Please please test and come up with a CopyKat version!
Can I substitute the oil for butter? When I cut a slice and left it on a napkin for a while, the napkin was full of grease.
I would use the recipe as writtten, I didn’t test it for swapping the butter for oil. When you placed the bread on the napkin was some of what you saw on the napkin moisture? It is a very moist cake.
I have used 1/2 the oil and the other half is non sweetened applesauce. Works great.
Hi Stephanie,
Greetings from Hamburg, Germany!!!
I cant believe that Ive found your wonderful website when I was looking for a Starbucks Pumpkin Bread recipe.
I was on vacation in September in die USA and I bought pumpkin pie spice to make a Pumpkin Bread when we are back in Germany. We dont have all the special baking extras like this.
So today, I needed to relax. And when I relax, Im in the kitchen 😀
I tried your recipe and its awesome!!!!!
I will send the link to all my friends in Germany!!
Best
Sophie
Loved it! Delicious, it was a hit at home!
Hi! I made this twice and the taste was SPOT on and delicious, but my bread turned out a little gummy in the middle and didn’t rise at all. I was wondering if anyone knows why? I followed the recipe exactly the first time, and had to throw it out because the outside was hard but the inside still felt raw. I have an oven thermometer and I’ve watched time closely both times. So I made it again and added 2tsp of baking powder, but it still didn’t rise and the middle is still a bit gummy. Again, the taste is wonderful, but how can I get mine to rise and get fluffy?
My first thought would be the to do a knife test when making this, just insert a knife or a toothpick into the loaf and pull it out, if it is not clean bake it a little longer for what it is written for. It sounds like it needs to bake a little bit longer.
Tha recipe calls for baking soda not baking powder.
First and foremost, thank you for the recipe. I had a stroller warriors (military spouse and member running club) night out at my neighborhood clubhouse and many of us were bringing something to share. I opted to make your recipe since I had divided pumpkin puree that I had made and popped in the freezer several month’s ago.The recipe was simple as a quick breads go and absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it!!!
Hi Stephanie,I love your blog and videos and have been following you for a long time, I was wondering if you could copycat Vie De France’s (HEATH BAR COOKIES ) They are AMAZING!!! And would love the recipe if you could duplicate it.
Many Thanks,
Danae
In your list of ingredients you say 1 can of pumpkin of pumpkin puree… what size specifically?
It says 1 cup, not 1 can
The cans of pumpkin from the regular size can in the grocery store are 15 ounces. A cup is 8 ounces. I just divide the can in half and freeze the rest of it to make something else later.
Loved the Starbucks pumpkin loaf recipe!,
Wow! This tasted exactly like Starbucks. Thank you! My 4 year old loves this bread and eat 2 pieces at a time. So it can get pricey. Now he can have all he wants cause it’s at home!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin bread!
I was so happy to find this recipe and make it for my kids. I tried it yesterday but I was so sad that my bread wasn’t ready from inside after almost one hour in the oven. It didn’t raise as I do banana bread and was doughy. I went back to the ingredients and noticed baking powder is missing, why?
This is my new go-to pumpkin bread. I changed up the spices a bit by leaving out the cardamom and adding in a little ground black pepper. I covered the top with unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds and then sprinkles with a little salt. I doubled it to make 2 loaves. This turned out amazing and was a hit for gifts. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Just in time for the holidays! I had to put it thru a test run, and its a winner. Doubled the recipe, substituted brown sugar for white, used a bit more pumpkin and spices and one less egg. Sprinkled the top with walnuts and a bit of brown sugar, too, which turned out great! Happy Holidays!