Just because Thanksgiving has past, it doesn’t have to be over for pumpkin. For me, with the discovery of this recipe, my consumption of pumpkin baked goods has just begun.

I have been on the search for the perfect pumpkin bread recipe for awhile. This is very good but it didn’t end my quest for the best of the best. After a recent search online, I wondered how I could have missed this Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread, which has five out of five stars and over 4,700 reviews. Usually, I tinker with recipes based on my intuition but with that much praise, I figured that I better try it just as Laurie Bennett posted it.

My search is over. I am not sure what else one could ask from pumpkin bread. In the future, I may use fresh roasted pumpkin puree. I might play around with reducing the sugar or adding some whole wheat flour if I am on a health kick. Onn occasion stirring in chocolate chips or nuts might feel right. Overall, for a decadent bite with a moist crumb, a good balance of spice and pumpkin flavor, this is it.

Not only did I enjoy the flavor of the bread but I love that the recipe yields 3 loaves. I only had two loaf pans on hands so I made the two loaves and about eight muffins. We devoured the muffins, brought one loaf to my neighbors and the other went into the freezer for later (wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil).

Don’t leave pumpkin in November. This recipe deserves consideration through the winter and early spring.

Other Pumpkin Taste Treats:
Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake
Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Soup
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

The Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
from Allrecipes.com

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.