Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
A tender, warmly spiced pumpkin loaf made with whole-grain flour, pure maple syrup, and nutty browned butter. Once cooled, the bread is finished with a smooth maple glaze for added sweetness and an elegant presentation.
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Mixture
- One 15-ounce can pumpkin purée 425 grams
- 2 large eggs preferably brought to room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter 75 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
Flour and Spice Mixture
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1¾ cups whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour 198 grams
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Maple Glaze
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 57 grams
- Up to 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk or another milk optional for adjusting the consistency
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, then lightly coat the interior with nonstick cooking spray. Set the prepared pan aside.
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously while it melts, crackles, and begins to foam.
- Continue cooking for several minutes, watching closely as golden-brown particles develop at the bottom of the pan and the butter releases a distinctly nutty aroma.
- Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat once the butter reaches an amber-golden color. Transfer the browned butter to a medium bowl and allow it to cool for 5–10 minutes, or until it is no longer hot to the touch.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Once the browned butter has cooled sufficiently, pour it into the pumpkin mixture. Whisk again until the butter is fully incorporated.
- In a separate large bowl, thoroughly combine the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.
- Add the dry mixture to the bowl containing the pumpkin mixture. Stir gently only until no visible streaks of dry flour remain. Avoid excessive mixing, which may produce a dense loaf.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and level the surface with a spatula.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50–65 minutes. The bread is ready when a tester inserted into the center emerges clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Allow the pumpkin bread to rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully lift or turn it out of the pan, then place it on a wire cooling rack.
- Cool the loaf completely before adding the glaze so the topping sets properly rather than melting into the bread.
- In a small bowl, stir the sifted confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together until smooth.
- For a thinner, more pourable glaze, incorporate the unsweetened almond milk or another preferred milk one teaspoon at a time. Stop adding liquid once the desired consistency is achieved.
- Drizzle the maple glaze evenly across the fully cooled pumpkin bread. Allow the topping to settle before slicing and serving.
Notes
Room-temperature eggs blend more readily with the remaining ingredients and help create a smoother emulsion.
Sifting the confectioners’ sugar reduces lumps and produces a more polished glaze.
Monitor the butter carefully while browning it, as it can progress from golden to burned very quickly.
Do not glaze the loaf while it is warm. Complete cooling is essential for a neat, well-set maple topping.