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Crowd-Pleasing Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Streusel

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This pumpkin bread features nutty brown butter and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping, making it a moist, flavorful fall treat perfect for gatherings. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and can be prepared ahead of time.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line two 9×5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease the exposed sides with butter or non-stick spray.
  2. Brown the butter. Place the 1 cup of butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each. After about 2-3 minutes, the butter will start to foam and turn a deep golden color with brown specks at the bottom. It will smell intensely nutty and toasty. Stop immediately and pour into a separate bowl to cool slightly.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon cloves. Set aside.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the browned butter (it should still be warm but not hot), 1½ cups granulated sugar, and ½ cup packed brown sugar until well combined. Add the 3 room-temperature eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and the entire can of pumpkin puree (about 1¾ cups). The mixture should be smooth and glossy.
  5. Fold the batter together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined. A few streaks of flour are okay—overmixing will make the bread tough. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  6. Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup packed brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Add the ¼ cup cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces. Don’t overwork it—you want those little clumps for texture.
  7. Assemble the loaves. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each loaf, pressing it gently into the batter so it adheres during baking.
  8. Bake. Place the pans on the center rack, leaving at least an inch of space between them for air circulation. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The top should be deep golden brown and the streusel will look crisp and crackly. If the tops are browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
  9. Cool. Let the loaves cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then lift them out using the parchment overhang and transfer directly to the rack to cool completely. This step is crucial—cutting while warm will result in crumbly, messy slices.

Notes

Don’t skip the browning step; it’s what makes this bread unforgettable. Room temperature eggs matter—cold eggs can seize the warm brown butter. Measure your flour correctly by spooning and leveling. Let the loaves cool completely before slicing to avoid a gummy texture. For a cleaner streusel, chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes before sprinkling.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, brown butter, cinnamon streusel, fall baking, easy pumpkin bread, crowd-pleasing

Find it online: https://lolaspoon.com/crowd-pleasing-brown-butter-pumpkin-bread-with-cinnamon-streusel/