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Easy Spiced Mini Pumpkin-Date Bread
Tender, moist, and packed with warm autumn spices, these miniature pumpkin loaves make the ultimate seasonal treat. You'll love how the sweet, chewy dates create little pockets of caramel-like richness in every bite. Baking them in mini pans gives everyone their own individual loaf, making them a fantastic option for holiday gifting or a cozy weekend breakfast. They're incredibly easy to mix up, filling your kitchen with the irresistible scent of cinnamon and cloves as they bake.
Ingredients
- 1 2 ⁄ 3 cups sugar
- 2 ⁄ 3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pie filling mix)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup chopped dates
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease the bottoms of 11 miniature loaf pans, leaving the sides ungreased. Greasing only the bottoms helps the breads rise higher by giving the batter something to cling to on the sides.
- 2Whisk the sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and pumpkin puree together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and cloves, stirring just until combined. Don't overmix, or the crumb will become tough. Fold in the chopped dates and divide the batter evenly among the prepared loaf pans.
- 3Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Let the breads cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides, then turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Size variation: To bake regular-size loaves instead of miniatures, grease the bottoms of two 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pans and bake the batter for 50 to 60 minutes.
- Topping upgrade: For a crunchy praline finish, mix 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup chopped pecans, and 1 tablespoon softened butter until crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter before baking.
- Storage: Keep the cooled loaves in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.