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Spiced Mini Pumpkin-Date Bread
A 15-oz can of pure pumpkin — not pie filling — goes into a batter with 1⅔ cups sugar, four eggs, oil, cinnamon, and ground cloves. One cup of chopped dates folds in last, softening during baking into dense, chewy pockets scattered through the spiced crumb. Portioned into mini loaf pans, they bake faster than a full-size loaf and cool quickly. Eleven individual servings — the smaller size also makes them good for gifting.
Equipment
- Oven
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.
Recipe Details
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