Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon

By Melissa Clark

Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(3,632)
Notes
Read community notes

This hearty pumpkin bread is a sophisticated twist on the traditional version with the addition of bourbon (teetotalers can substitute apple cider), browned butter and cardamom.

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Ingredients

Yield:Two 8-inch loaves
  • ½cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • ¼cup bourbon (or use water or apple cider)
  • 1tablespoon vanilla
  • 1¾cups pumpkin purée, homemade or canned (1 15-ounce can)
  • 4eggs
  • ½cup olive or other oil (such as canola)
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 1cup whole wheat flour
  • 1¾cups light brown sugar
  • 1½teaspoons baking soda
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½teaspoon ground cardamom
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

1877 calories; 61 grams fat; 33 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 285 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams dietary fiber; 132 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 1723 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack in the center. Grease the insides of two 8-inch loaf pans with butter or line with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a large skillet, melt ½ cup (1 stick) butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the frothy white milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn a fragrant, nutty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch it carefully. (A tip: You will know your brown butter is almost ready when the frantic sound of bubbling begins to die down, so use your ears as well as your eyes and nose.)

  3. Step 3

    In a glass liquid measuring cup, combine bourbon and vanilla. Add water until you reach the ⅔ cup mark. In a large bowl, whisk together bourbon mixture, pumpkin purée, eggs and oil. With a spatula, scrape all the brown butter from the skillet into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

  4. Step 4

    In another large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine.

  5. Step 5

    Divide batter between the two greased loaf pans. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely before removing from pan.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,632 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

S. Parker

I think the most effective way to get bourbon flavor is to omit the bourbon from the recipe and drink it straight with a slice of this bread instead.

Noal Murphy

I made this with applesauce instead of oil (the brown butter adds enough oily flavor on its own); it came out absolutely delicious. Fantastic recipe! Perfect fall treat.

Mary

Cooking time for 8 mini loaf pans (for gift-giving)?

Sounds delicious!

Lisa

Everyone loved this with the following tweaks: 1/2 tsp of baking soda 1/2 tsp of baking powder 2/3 cup bourbon, no water double the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom It was very moist and flavorful!

gnarly charlie

I adjusted the bourbon to seven Manhattans

Melissa Clark

Yes, I've done it many times.

Ayah

For those who want to taste more bourbon, add another 1/4 cup of Bourbon after wet ingredients have been incorporated into the dry ingredients. To minimize the taste of the baking soda make sure to mix dry ingredients really well.

Tiara W

Wonderful recipe! I did double the spices and I also mixed the dry ingredients very carefully so as not to taste the baking soda. I will definitely cook this again but next time I'll reduce the baking soda to 1/2 tsp and add 2 tsp of baking powder.

Anna

For those with only one bread pan who need to make loaves back to back: this makes about 6 cups of batter in total, so 3 cups per pan.

CurlzNJ

Finally got around to making this (used bourbon), and my friends are still raving and asking for the recipe. Next time I'll add walnuts and bump up the spices (my preference), but I LOVED the fact that this isn't a super sweet loaf, and was saying I need to toast a piece and put peanut butter on it for breakfast...

Melissa Clark

The baking soda reacts with the brown sugar to make it rise, though I'm sure the powder couldn't hurt!

Sariah

I used rum and the results were excellent - don't know how it compares to using bourbon, but everyone loved it

Ruth

Made this tonight and am in love. I did make a few very minor alterations. I melted 1/2 c coconut shortening in place of oil, used dark brown sugar because that's what I had and subed water with bourbon...hiccup. Finally, I made a glaze with 10x sugar, cream and cinnamon plus, you guessed it, more bourbon and glazed while still warm. Best ever pumpkin bread.

Alison Dahl

Has anyone tried to use a bundt pan for this recipe? If so, what changes were made and did you add a glaze?

Elizabeth Stith

Seems to me some golden raisins might be a good addition. Anything else?

Pippa Maus

I made this into muffins for a crew of hungry high school rowers. Used cider for the bourbon and added a smoodge of ground flax for omega-3s, fiber and extra protein. Topped the muffins with brown butter icing from the adjacent pumpkin cookie recipe. They were a hit.

v

i followed this recipe to make cupcakes 350º for 35 minutes - doubled the spices added, - orange rind - freshly ground nutmeg - a tiny bit of ground cloves - used equal parts whole milk & water (instead of bourbon) - vodka soaked raisins - for the sugar, dark brown mexican cone shaped ‘azúcar de piloncillo’ a natural unadulterated dried liquid from mexican sugarcanes, needs to be graded with a cheese grader to granulize - Bob's Red Mill for the baking soda fluffy cupcakes great taste!

cmd

Doubling the bourbon was too much! It did not evaporate. It had a strong taste of alcohol. Interesting it went to the top of the bread and so could cut off a 1/4” layer and get a better tasting piece in the remainder. The idea of adding bourbon is to enhance the pumpkin flavor? I do like that this recipe is not sugary or oily

holly S

I loved this recipe so much and it kept moist for a while.

Anna

We had puréed butternut squash so we substituted it for the pumpkin. We used cider, not bourbon 1 and 1/2 c light brown sugar rather than 1 and 3/4 Added in 1 c chopped walnuts and 1 and 1/2 c chocolate chips- which we probably didn’t need to add Flavor of batter is spectacular

Phil

Double bourbon, double spices. Add chocolate chips. Cut baking soda by half and add BP. Can’t really taste brown butter but probably still helps. Could skip that step.

Maryanne

So, I made this and followed the recipe closely. I did amp up the spices a bit and added a tad bit more bourbon. It took 45 minutes to bake. The verdict is mostly positive. The bread/cake was very moist, with a nice pumpkin flavor. But there was a slightly bitter taste for me - either the bourbon or the cardamon.

Lisa in Los Angeles

I made this with the bourbon and was surprised that I could still taste it - it's very subtle - even with the rich pumpkin puree and all the spices. My husband went nuts - he loves pumpkin bread on any occasion, but as soon as he smelled it cooking, he couldn't wait to try it. Fantastic flavor, very moist and delicious.

HelenJ

I tried it with cake flour instead of all purpose flour. Came out lighter and fluffier. Will try again with more bourbon and more spices.

Helen J

I made it again with the following modifications and taste was enhanced. Substitute cake flour for all purpose flour. Up bourbon to 1/2 cup Add 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg Add 1/2 tsp ground cloves Up cinnamon to 2 tsp Up ginger to 1 tsp Up ground cardamom to 1 tsp

sciacca

would like to know this as well "Cooking time for 8 mini loaf pans (for gift-giving)?" Thank you

Dianne

I know probably no one else is interested in calories but this is way on out there: Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings) 1877 calories Is one serving an entire loaf?

mcfm

2 tea rasal.hanout. Metal pan. Just blend dry and wet for moist and flake. half tea b soda half tea powder

mcfm

I tea rasal hanout plus ginger.

mcfm

Upped spices. Rasal hanout and garam masala. Fold wet into dry for moist and flake.

Hope Anderson

I made it as written except for using rye flour in place of whole wheat, which I didn’t have. The result was overly moist and heavy—ok only when heated. If I made it again, I’d omit the water.

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