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Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread

Sour cream pumpkin bread with a cinnamon-sugar topping for a moist, tender golden crumb. This loaf uses sour cream in the batter for a richer texture and bakes until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking soda
baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon for cinnamon sugar topping
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar for cinnamon sugar topping
brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
eggs
  • 2 eggs
full-fat sour cream
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream key ingredient for extra moisture
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and dry mix
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Make sure the pan is fully coated so the loaf releases cleanly.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until the dry ingredients are evenly speckled.
Make the batter
  1. Whisk pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Keep whisking until the batter looks glossy and fully combined.
  2. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Stop mixing when you no longer see streaks of flour for a tender crumb.
Bake and cool
  1. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the loaf. Aim for an even layer so the crust bakes into a lightly sparkly topping.
  2. Bake at 350F for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The loaf should look set and lightly browned on top.
  3. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing. The loaf will firm up slightly for cleaner slicing.

Notes

For the best texture, whisk the wet ingredients until completely smooth so the sour cream fully blends. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezing is yes—wrap slices in plastic and foil for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use low-fat sour cream in the same amount, but the crumb may be slightly less rich.