Nutella Pumpkin Bread

How can we make pumpkin bread even better? By adding swirls of Nutella! Nutella Pumpkin Bread is a new take on a classic tradition – and the perfect way to celebrate fall!

baked quick bread in a loaf pan.

Guys.  Guys.  I can barely contain my excitement for today’s post.  It’s time for October’s Quick Bread of the Month, and I have something really new and exciting.

It’s definitely unique and not at all overdone and expected this time of year.  Are you ready?  It’s… pumpkin bread!

Ha, ha.  I know, I know.  Pumpkin bread in October is basically as boring as it gets.  I’m not a fan of the #basic trend, but if there was ever a reason to use the basic hashtag, pumpkin bread in October is probably it.

At least I’m not writing this post while wearing tall boots, a plaid shirt, and a puffy vest?

I wasn’t going to share this Nutella pumpkin bread as part of my 2016 Quick Bread of the Month series.  I had a different quick bread in mind for this month, mostly because pumpkin-in-October is just so dang overdone.

The world is missing lots of things, but another pumpkin bread recipe isn’t one of them.  But then I made this bread for a weeklong trip with friends, and it was just so good.  Everyone loved it. I tried, but I couldn’t keep it to myself.

So, here we go. I hope the world has room for one more pumpkin bread recipe – one filled with beautiful swirls of delicious Nutella. I think we can handle it.

slices of pumpkin bread with visible swirls of nutella in the middle.

Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Bread

The Nutella in this Nutella Pumpkin Bread is really the “icing on the cake,” if you will. But even the best icing can’t save a bad cake! So we need to start with an excellent pumpkin bread as the base! The recipe is based on my chocolate chip pumpkin bread, but it’s a little richer, denser, and more splurge-worthy.

It’s packed full of pumpkin (an entire cup!). Cinnamon and nutmeg provide the “spice” flavors we associate with pumpkin. And my favorite part about this cake (besides the swirls of Nutella, of course)? It’s a one-bowl, mix-by-hand, kind of cake!

We’re able to mix this by hand because the fat in the cake comes in the form of oil, not butter. In addition to making this easier to mix, oil also results in more moist pumpkin bread. Why is this? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!

Kitchen Chemistry

Because vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature, compared to butter which solidifies, baked goods made with vegetable oil will be moister. Furthermore, because oil is 100% fat (compared to butter, which is about 15% water), bread or cake made with oil will also be more tender, as there is less water to interact with and strengthen the gluten.

If cakes made with oil are more tender and moist, why don’t we always use oil? Because butter often has a better flavor, especially for vanilla cakes. In this case, the pumpkin and spices are carrying the flavor, so we don’t need to rely on butter to enhance the taste!

glass mixing bowl filled with ingredients.

Swirls of Nutella

Obviously, this wouldn’t be a Nutella pumpkin bread without the Nutella!

We’re going to include Nutella swirled into the middle of the batter and again on the top. Why just include Nutella in one place when we can include it in two?!

If your Nutella is a little dense and hard to swirl, heat it up in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. We want a nice, smooth texture – perfect to swirl!

Layer half the pumpkin bread batter in the prepared baking pan, then add dollops of Nutella. Use a knife to gently swirl the pumpkin batter and Nutella. Top with the remaining batter and repeat.

loaf pan filled with pumpkin batter and dollops of nutella.

Storing Pumpkin Bread

Because this bread is extra moist and tender (thank you, vegetable oil!), it lasts well for several days before starting to taste stale!

Store your pumpkin bread in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, no refrigeration necessary.

Or wrap the whole loaf or leftover slices in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pull out a slice, defrost it at room temperature or in the microwave, and voila! Instant Nutella pumpkin bead whenever you want it. Dreams do come true.

slices of nutella pumpkin bread on an orange kitchen towel.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Nutella Pumpkin Bread

  1. Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sweeteners and spices.
  2. To ensure the bread is fully cooked, insert a tester in two or three locations — sometimes what looks like batter is really just a little melted Nutella!
  3. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf pan with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
  4. Wait until the bread has fully cooled to slice – even though it’s so tempting to dig in while it’s still warm!

More Chocolate + Pumpkin Recipes:

2016 Quick Bread of the Month Series

multiple slices of pumpkin bread swirled with nutella

Nutella Pumpkin Bread

Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

How can we make pumpkin bread even better? By adding swirls of Nutella!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (227 grams) pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup (99 grams) canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup (160 grams) Nutella

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.  Grease an 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Gently stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing until the ingredients are just combined.
  4. Place the Nutella in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, until smooth and easy to pour.
  5. Spoon half the pumpkin bread batter into the loaf pan.  Drop teaspoons of half the Nutella on top, then swirl into the batter with a knife. Add the rest of the pumpkin bread batter to the pan and repeat the swirling with the rest of the Nutella.
  6. Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

  1. To ensure the bread is fully cooked, insert a tester in two or three locations — sometimes what looks like batter is really just a little melted Nutella!
  2. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf pan with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
  3. Pumpkin bread can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

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How can we make pumpkin bread even better? By adding swirls of Nutella! Nutella Pumpkin Bread is a new take on a classic tradition – and the perfect way to celebrate fall!