Pumpkin bread with pumpkin seed streusel topping is easy to make yet feels special enough for the holidays. The cozy aroma of pumpkin spice fills your kitchen, and the sweet crumble topping makes each slice irresistible. It's a versatile loaf you'll want to bake all season long.
Is it even fall if there's not a loaf of pumpkin bread on the counter? Technically, I know I could bake pumpkin bread during any time of year, but for some reason I never do. It just feels meant for fall. And once September rolls around, it's one of the first things I make. In my house, pumpkin bread is a must bake, and this one is extra good because of the streusel topping with pumpkin seeds and glaze. That sweet crunch on top makes it hard to stop at just one slice.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the pumpkin bread:
- pumpkin puree
- all purpose flour
- white sugar
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- cinnamon
- baking soda
- salt
- Ingredients for the streusel topping:
- brown sugar
- all purpose flour
- pumpkin seeds
- salted butter
- Ingredients for the glaze:
- brown sugar
- white sugar
- heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Gluten free - to make this pumpkin loaf gluten free, use a one-for-one gluten free flour substitute.
- Vegan - to make this bread vegan, use a flax egg or egg replacer as well as dairy free butter and dairy free heavy cream. To make 2 flax eggs, mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and 6 tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 minutes. It's that easy!
Storage
Store any extra pumpkin bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days.
Next Level Tips
- The streusel topping and the glaze make pumpkin bread a little more fancy and interesting. This pumpkin loaf tastes great on its own, so the streusel and glaze are not required though. They just elevate the bread from awesome to bakery style awesome!
- I recommend using salted pumpkin (pepitas) seeds. Costco sells salted, sprouted pumpkin seeds. It's a big bag, so I always use them on salads. See my how to build a salad post. The salt in the pumpkin seeds just adds a little extra something special to the streusel topping.
- If you want a white glaze, you can substitute powdered sugar for the brown sugar in the glaze. I like how the brown sugar glaze the blends in, but maybe you want the pretty contrast of a white glaze.
FAQ
The streusel topping adds sweetness and a texture crunch that balances the soft, moist loaf. Mixing in pumpkin seeds gives the streusel a toasty, nutty flavor with a touch of salt. The streusel turns a simple pumpkin bread into a bakery style treat that looks and tastes impressive with very little effort. The pumpkin seeds also add a bit of salt which adds balance while enhancing the other flavors.
The glaze locks in the streusel and adds some moisture, keeping each slice tender. It gives the bread a glossy, bakery style finish that makes the loaf feel extra festive and special. It pairs perfectly with the crunchy streusel topping too.
The glaze is such a small amount, it wouldn't be worth it to do it on the stove. Melting the sugar in the microwave works really well.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with pumpkin bread with streusel topping:
Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Pumpkin loaf
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 2 beaten eggs
Streusel topping (optional)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons roasted salted pumpkin seeds
Glaze (optional)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make the pumpkin loaf and streusel topping
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a standard 9x5 inch bread loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl and stir well.
- Add the pumpkin puree, white sugar, vegetable oil and beaten eggs to the mixing bowl and mix by hand or with a mixer on low until integrated. Pour into the bread loaf pan.
- Make the streusel topping by combing the all-purpose flour, brown sugar and melted butter into a small bowl. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin loaf. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the streusel topping.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make the glaze
- The glaze can be drizzled on the loaf while the loaf is warm or cool.
- Combine the brown sugar, white sugar and heavy whipping cream in a small, microwaveable bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir well. If the mixture is not fully melted and integrated, continue to heat in 15 second increments until melted and integrated.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the streusel. Wait until the glaze firms and the loaf cools to cut and serve.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Don't worry! We won't spam you!
Jen says
So yummy! The streusel topping really brings this pumpkin bread together.
Tracy @ Next Level Baker says
Thank you! It really does!
Erin says
I love the glaze on this recipe it really locks in the topping!
Tracy @ Next Level Baker says
Thank you! It really does!
Lex B says
This was SO dang good! And so festive!
Tracy @ Next Level Baker says
Thank you!
Ash says
Great recipe, hits the spot every time!
Tracy @ Next Level Baker says
Thank you!