Moist, light, and warmly spiced, this Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread has the same tender crumb you love from my Olive Oil Yogurt Loaf Cake—just cozier with pumpkin and fall spices.
A little secret ingredient (shhh, it's yogurt!) makes the crumb unbelievably springy without weighing it down, while a generous pour of olive oil gives it that extra-rich, moist texture.
This is the kind of loaf that invites you to slow down, to find a warm, quiet space (maybe with a book in hand?) and just be. It’s perfect with a steaming cup of coffee as you watch the leaves outside start to change their colors.
Getting Started: Prep and Dry Ingredients
Start by gathering and measuring all of your wet and dry ingredients. It makes baking so much easier when everything is laid out and ready to go.
Whisk your dry ingredients together so the baking powder and spices are evenly distributed.
Mixing the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 3 minutes until pale and a little frothy. This gives your loaf a lighter, springier texture.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. It should blend right in—no oily puddles on top.
Bringing it All Together
Now whisk in the pumpkin puree, yogurt, and vanilla. The mixture should have no lumps of yogurt or pumpkin remaining.
Add the flour in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain.
The batter will be thick but pourable. That's exactly what you want.
Pour the batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan, smoothing the top.
Dip Bench Scraper and Bake
Quick tip: If you want that pretty crack down the middle of your loaf, dip a bench scraper into the batter about ½ inch deep before baking. An excellent tip from Lindsay Landis (Love and Olive Oil).
Optional trick: dip a bench scraper about ½ inch into the center of the batter before baking. It encourages that pretty crack down the middle.
Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean.
Do you have the right loaf pan? If your loaf pan is too wide, your loaf will come out short, over-baked, dark on the sides, and pale on top. I highly recommend this pan, or a loaf pan that’s one pound, 8½ × 4½ × 2⅔ inches (21.5 × 11.4 × 6.9 cm).
How to Serve Pumpkin Bread
This loaf is so versatile—you can enjoy it plain with your morning coffee, smear on a little cream cheese, or even toast a slice with butter for an afternoon snack. If you want to dress it up, a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of honey is all it needs.
How to Store Pumpkin Bread
Once cooled, wrap your pumpkin bread tightly in plastic wrap or foil and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, pop it in the fridge for up to a week.
Tips for the Perfect Loaf
- Use the right loaf pan size so your bread rises tall and bakes evenly.
- Don’t overmix the batter—gentle folding keeps the crumb soft.
- That bench scraper trick really does help create a gorgeous bakery-style crack on top.
Pumpkin bread is one of those cozy bakes that instantly makes your kitchen smell like fall. This version, made with olive oil, comes out soft, tender, and just the right amount of sweet.
I hope it becomes one of those recipes you come back to year after year. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you—drop a comment below and let me know! ♡
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Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: (about 8-10 slices)
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Moist, tender pumpkin bread made with olive oil and a touch of yogurt for the perfect fall loaf. Lightly spiced and perfectly sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (200 g) granulated sugar (or ¼ white + ¼ brown for more flavor)
- ⅓ cup (120 ml) olive oil
- ⅓ cup (80 g) plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin purée (about ½ of a 15 oz can)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until smooth.
- Stir in yogurt, pumpkin purée, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick but pourable.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Optional trick: dip a bench scraper about ½ inch into the center of the batter before baking. It encourages that pretty crack down the middle.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Olive Oil Yogurt Loaf Cake recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack, Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired, American
Debra says
I love this recipe because it’s not overly sweet. That’s exactly what I was looking for. Definitely worth making again.