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Best Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

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Moist, tender pumpkin bread with deep brown butter flavor and a crunchy streusel topping. This foolproof recipe creates the perfect fall loaf that stays moist for days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ cup (60ml) milk (whole milk preferred)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar (for streusel)
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • A pinch of salt (for streusel)
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (30g) chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until butter melts, foams, and turns golden with brown specks and a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Lightly grease exposed ends.
  3. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together cooled brown butter, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla extract and milk until glossy and smooth.
  4. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
  5. Make streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and use fingers or pastry cutter to work into coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts if using. Refrigerate until needed.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are okay). Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  7. Assemble and bake: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle streusel topping generously over top, pressing gently into batter. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly (around 40 minutes), tent loosely with foil.
  8. Cool: Let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing (1-2 hours).

Notes

For best results, use pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Brown butter carefully—it can burn quickly. Room temperature ingredients help ensure a smooth batter. Let bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, brown butter, streusel topping, fall baking, pumpkin recipe, easy pumpkin bread, moist pumpkin bread

Find it online: https://merrymorsel.com/best-brown-butter-pumpkin-bread-with-streusel-topping/