This Autumn Harvest Pumpkin Bread is so delicious! With a pumpkin bread base, it also has shredded carrots and zucchini and crunchy chopped pecans for the ultimate pumpkin bread recipe!
This bread, y’all. It is a game-changer!
I am normally not a big carrot dessert fan (yet I managed to make my Carrot Cake my most popular recipe, ha!) but I couldn’t resist this bread! It converted me and I am forever indebted to its gloriousness.
I got the idea for this bread from my friend Shelly over at Cookies and Cups! She made this Autumn Bread which is essentially a banana bread with carrots, zucchini and nuts. I thought it sounded amazing and I still need to give it a whirl, but it got me thinking about making a fall version with a pumpkin base instead of banana. I’m still a forever banana fan so that’s next on my list, but I have to say, the pumpkin is so perfect!
The bread starts with my Best Ever Pumpkin Bread base, which consists of the usual bread suspects: butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda & flour, and of course – pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. For maximum deliciousness, we are also adding in shredded zucchini and shredded carrots. And for a little crunch, some chopped pecans. So delicious.
This bread has SO much flavor, is supremely moist and almost cake-like and is a great way to sneak in vegetables and use up summer’s bounty of zucchini and carrots from the garden. I love the combination of all of these three breads together in one super bread. It’s truly amazing!
The key with this bread is to not overmix the ingredients when making the bread batter. Over-mixing the batter can lead to a tough bread crumb. We are looking for super tender, moist and soft bread crumbs which you can achieve by just barely mixing the ingredients together.
To ensure bread success, I like to avoid baking this bread in a glass loaf pan. I find glass loaf pans don’t conduct heat well and the bottom cooks way faster or slower than the rest of the bread. A lot of you who have had issues with my bread recipes in the past state you had to bake it sometimes up to a half hour longer, and I’ve determined that’s the result of using a glass loaf pan. For bread success, I LOVE using disposable aluminum bread pans! They make clean-up a breeze, they’re great for transport, and I find they bake the most evenly.
The most perfect Autumn Harvest Pumpkin Bread to kick off this gorgeous fall weather! Sign me up!
*inspired by Cookies & Cups; adapted from my Best Ever Pumpkin Bread recipe
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup shredded zucchini, lightly squeezed to press out some water
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray. I like using a disposable aluminum foil pan for perfect baking. Note that you may have baking time discrepancies if using a glass loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar with a handheld electric mixer until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add in the pumpkin puree and beat well. Add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until barely combined together. Lightly fold in the shredded zucchini, carrots and pecans until barely combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool for about 30 minutes or completely in the pan before cutting into slices.
Moist, soft and tender pumpkin bread bursting with amazing flavor and texture – you’re going to adore this bread!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Amanda says
Hayley this bread looks so good, I need to try it! Perfect transition from Summer to Fall! Love it!