Novel Recipes | Pumpkin Bread

ByTamera Alexander
14 Comments

At the first sign of fall, however slight, I make pumpkin bread. And I whipped a batch up last weekend.

Don’t get me wrong, daily temps here in Nashville are still hovering in the high 80s/low90s, but this past weekend when we were walking the dogs one evening, there was a touch of cool in the air (high 60s) that was sooo fall like.

So out came the bread loaf pans!

A baking enthusiast, I enjoy sharing recipes in my novels, and I included the Pumpkin Bread recipe in A Beauty So Rare, the second Belmont Mansion novel (2014).

This pumpkin bread recipe is a “one-bowler” meaning you just throw everything into a bowl, mix it, then bake it. So easy and delicious. Foolproof every time!

Eleanor Braddock’s Pumpkin Bread
as featured in A Beauty So Rare


Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
3 cups sugar
½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 (generous) tsp each cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
1 cup oil
1 cup water
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix dry ingredients first, then blend in the rest. Bake in two greased and floured loaf pans for 50 minutes at 350. Check for doneness. Don’t overbake. (Your house will smell wonderful, too!)

I’ve been making this recipe for nearly 30 years now, and have never had it not turn out wonderfully. Okay, well, there was that one time when my oil had turned rancid, yet I didn’t discover that until the bread was fully baked and we were eating it. Something just tasted…off.

I finally tracked down the guilty party and banished the rancid oil from the kitchen, then promptly started over again. : )

If you’re someone who loves recipes, then check out my NOVEL SWEETS & SAVORIES page on my website.

It’s chock full of recipes from my novels through the years. Click to browse them all.

So tell me…

Have you tasted that first sign of fall yet? Maybe it’s a slight chill in the air? Or maybe it’s something else entirely. What’s a sign you watch for when fall starts to come around? And is there something special you love to make during fall?

Blessings on your Tuesday, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Tammy

For those of you who may remember that I hid a TON of tiny ducks in my friend’s house for her birthday earlier this year… Well, she’s still finding them! Here’s what she texted me yesterday. LOLOL

It’s the gift that keeps on giving. 🙂

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Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling novelist and one of today's most beloved authors of inspirational historical romance and women’s contemporary fiction. While being Gram Tam is her current favorite role, she’ll never turn down a stroll through an old cemetery or browsing through antique shops. In These Hills, her newest novel, releases September 2026.

14 Comments

  1. No signs of fall yet. But I bake pumpkin pie in the fall.
    Thanks for this recipe. I will try it.

    And I loved the Belmont Mansion novels! In fact I’m putting A Note Yet Unsung in a basket of books to be auctioned off at our church bazaar in October.

    1. Pumpkin pie is another fall love, Betty. Do you have a favorite recipe you use? If yes, please share! And thanks for including ANYU in that basket of books. MUCH APPRECIATED!

      1. The pumpkin pie recipe I use is on the can of Libbey’s pumpkin pie mix, so it’s very easy. I used to buy pumpkin and add all the spices, but when I saw the pumpkin pie “mix”, I read the recipe and found out I only had to add eggs and a small can of evaporated milk. The stores still sell Libbey’s pumpkin, but the pumpkin pie mix already has the spices added. Sorry there’s no special recipe handed down, but this is easy and delicious.

  2. No signs of fall here, but I like to bake pumpkin pie.
    Thanks for the recipe. I will try it.

    I love the Belmont Mansion novels. In fact I’m putting a copy of A Note Yet Unsung in a basket of books for a silent auction at our church bazaar in October.

  3. I love pumpkin bread! I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe soon. I usually start the pumpkin bread in September and my tradition is to do the first pumpkin pie on Halloween. 🙂

  4. There’s a tiny hint of fall in the air here, so I’m aboard for your pumpkin bread! Yearning for cooler days! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. I’m so ready for fall. Always am, but this year especially. I just love wearing boots and jackets! Probably to help hide the excessive eating of pumpkin bread. LOL

      Praying you’re feeling better soon, Angie. As I typed this post, I thought of years ago when we used to have Bake-offs. Remember those? That was such fun! You’re a master baker, woman! Honestly, you’re good at everything you do. Blessings, friend.

  5. Yes, we’ve had those hints of fall in the air here in Missouri. (And I have a dead branch in the tree outside my office window with orange leaves, so it even looks a bit like fall!) I made your bread this morning and Ken declared it a keeper! I made it with fresh-milled flour and it truly is delicious! And as you promised, the house smells AMAZING!

  6. Cannot wait to learn how to mill flour and make all the breads you do. Thanks for making this recipe AND for “healthifying” it up a little! Love that. Glad you both enjoyed it. Give that Ken a hug and tell him, “Hey, you guys!” (We are STILL laughing about that.)

  7. 52℉ when I got up this morning. Opened all the windows and let it in. Yes, we are still getting into the high 80s by 4 pm, but the mornings are heavenly!!! My honey locust tree is dropping leaves already but it’s not really turning gold yet. I’ve got two or three weeks to wait for that to happen.

      1. Oh Robin, DO! So easy and so good. Fail proof, I promise! Your cool mornings DO sound heavenly! I was driving home from an appointment the other day when the wind kicked up causing lots of the trees to shed their leaves. It was like snowfall, only with leaves. So pretty, and another sign that fall is coming! ; )

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