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.
I just made this tonight and I’m awaiting the results…can’t wait to see how it comes out. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I hope you enjoyed it!
Hello I know this is a silly question since it hasn’t got anything to do with the bread, but I love your coffee cup in the photo. What brand/line is that? I do plan on making your pumpkin bread as I have an over abundance of canned pumpkin! 🎃
I am sorry, that photo is a few years old and I don’t know where the cup came from.
This was just ok. It doesn’t taste like the Starbucks bread though. The Starbucks bread is definitely sweeter and has more flavor. This was pretty blah.
I am sorry you did not enjoy the recipe.
I topped with toasted walnuts. The cooking time actually ended up being an hour before a toothpick came clean. It rose beautifully, and the house smells so good right now. It’s cooling at the moment, but I was so tempted to cut a nice slice.
I am so glad you liked it.
I made this recipes-quadrupled it all in one mix! I did use 1/2 avocado oil and 1/2 softened butter. I was impressed with the taste and texture of the. Read. Family and friends loved it. I will make this recipe over and over again. THANK YOU
So glad this worked for you.
This is exactly like Starbucks pumpkin bread! My mother in law was excitedly waiting for it to cool off, you could smell all the pumpkin and spices…sooooo good!!
Taste just like the real thing!! Yum
I just had Starbucks pumpkin bread, so decided to try this recipe. My bread was darker throughout- as opposed to the paler orange color of the Starbucks. I’m glad I checked it in 40 minutes because it was done soon after, wish I had pulled it from the oven in 45 minutes instead of close to 50”. It also did not rise as tall as Starbucks, and didn’t seem quite as moist. Great spice flavors, and we loved the pepitas on top, we used roasted salted pepitas. Any thoughts on the differences?
This typically rises well. Were your leavening agents fairly fresh?
Maybe you used a larger loaf pan
How about pecans in place of the seeds. I remember pumpkin bread baked in a coffee can!
That could work!
How long will it stay fresh? I’d like to make it and mail it as a gift.
I would say 4 to 5 days for it to be really good, a week is pushing it.
It tasted really good, I myself could taste the baking soda though. I think I will try it with a little less to see if that helps.
I’m wondering if it would work to make the batter in advance then bake it after refrigerating for a couple of days?
This would not work at all. The active leavening agents would have reacted, and the bread would not rise.
This pumpkin bread was really delicious, and really easy. We loved the pumpkin seeds on top, This recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Just so everyone knows. When pumpkin seeds have the shell on they are white. When they are “shelled” (out of the shell) they are green.
Smh
Amazing! So perfectly moist and taste amazing, just like Starbucks!
Can you freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze it for up to six months if you wrap it very tightly before cutting the bread.
Perfect, delicious recipe!! Thank you for the money saver!
I am glad you enjoy!
So moist and delicious!!
My family absolutely loves this, and the “make-ahead” pumpkin pie spice is a real time and $ saver!
Those sure do look like sunflower seeds on top of the finished loaf. Pumpkin seeds are white, much larger and usually flatter . Did everyone who made this recipe use roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds?
I used pumpkin seeds on the top. That’s what’s in the picture.
There are two kinds of pumpkin seeds – one is white and flat, the other is small and green.
I have used the small green ones in the recipe.
They are pepitas, which are pumpkin seed “meats” without the shell!
Excellent recipe!
I used 1/4 C oil and 1/4 C applesauce, and reduced the sugar to 3/4 C. It still tastes delicious.