Hey everyone!!
Happy holiday season, amirite? There’s a lot of (obvious) reasons why I love the winter and the holiday season, but here’s what I’m happy for today- I’m over here eating baked goods at an alarming rate all dang year, and now it’s time for everyone else to join in with this gorgeous High-Altitude Pumpkin Bread!
How to Make High-Altitude Pumpkin Bread
This recipe is super simple, and because pumpkin bread has a lot of added moisture from the pumpkin and the oil, you can mix the whole thing by hand!
We’re mixing together the sugar, brown sugar, and oil until just combined. Then you can stir in your eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Finally, toss in the dry ingredients, including lots of yummy pumpkin spices! Pour that batter into your prepared baking pan, and top with a bunch of sliced almonds.
The almonds will get toasted as the cake bakes, and it makes for a super yummy, crunchy topping. It’s perfect for this high-altitude pumpkin bread!
When you sprinkle sliced almonds over the top, they all roasty-toasty in the oven, and that added crunch on top of a slice of pumpkin bread is just right. Plus it’s super easy- we aren’t making a whole crumb topping (yet) or anything like that, just tossing some sliced almonds over the top, and bakin’ her up.
So you know all the good things about pumpkin bread guys- it’s spicy and tastes like the fall and winter, and it’s got this deep orange color that just makes me happy, and it’s got just the right texture to make everyone enjoy every last crumb. ENJOY IT GUYS- tis the season!
Tips & Tricks for High-Altitude Pumpkin Bread
Loaf cakes are a great way to get back into baking for the season- super pretty, delicious, and a wonderful gift! Here are my tips and tricks to make sure you get a great pumpkin bread every time!
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix which will have spices and sugar already added. The pumpkin puree will be just pumpkin puree, and that’s what we need for this recipe.
- Generously grease your loaf pan to make sure nothing sticks. I love to use either the butter/flour method, the cake goop method, or a baking-specific cooking spray, sprayed generously.
- You can omit the nuts on top if you’d like. It’s wonderful baked plain, or you can sprinkle on some coarse sugar over the top for a crunchy, nut-free topping.
- I’m about 5,000 ft above sea level and I find that most people who live between 3,000 ft and 7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes!
High-Altitude Pumpkin Bread with Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and grease a 9 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add in the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
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Slowly add in the flour mixture in alternating additions with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth. It will be fairly thin.
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Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, slice, and enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
Oh my goodness! So delicious! Baking in Denver is a challenge and you've solved it. My loaf looked just like yours — except that I subbed chopped almonds since I didn't have sliced. Turned out perfect. Great crumb, right balance of sweet and spicy.
Michele- That's great to hear!! I'm so glad it turned out well for you- this is one of my absolute favs!! 🙂
Nicole, I just made this pumpkin bread and it is spectacular! It has wonderful texture, is very moist and had a very nice rise. Not to mention that it tastes great! it is just as good, if not better, than the pumpkin bread I used to bake at low altitude:) I'm so glad to have found your blog!!! Thank you!
Hi Sally!! That's so great to hear, I'm thrilled it turned out perfect for you!! It totally is the perfect fall treat!!
I just made this. My family of 3 has already finished off half the loaf. We’ll have to double it next time. I didn’t have almonds, so I used coarse sugar on top instead. My husband said it’s the best pumpkin bread he’s ever had.
That's wonderful, I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this one!