This copycat recipe for Starbucks Pumpkin Bread recipe and it tastes *just* like the slice you’d order at the coffee shop, and you don’t even have to leave home to eat it! This is a super tender pumpkin bread, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and is delicious for a snack or breakfast!

During the fall months, I just can’t help but bake with pumpkin puree as often as possible. Truly, I start stocking up on canned pumpkin in late July, so I don’t have to run to the store every time the craving hits! Oh and to get ahead of the fall recipe testing, of course.

This recipe for Starbuck’s Pumpkin Bread is an oldie but goodie, here on greens & chocolate. I first made it back in 2010 and have been making it every single year ever since. It’s my go-to, straight-forward pumpkin bread recipe. It doesn’t need chocolate chips, nuts, or any sort of frosting. It’s delicious as is and doesn’t need any fancy add ons!

When I first set out to make the bread, I intended on staying 100% true to the “real” Starbuck’s pumpkin bread recipe but I had an open jar of applesauce needing to be used up and figured I might as well use it in place of some of the oil.  The original recipe has 3/4 cup of oil and I used 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce.  Guess what?  It’s still super moist!  Bonus: it’s not $2 a slice!  

What You’ll Need

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Eggs
• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin puree
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Vegetable oil

How to Make Starbuck’s Pumpkin Bread

This pumpkin bread recipe is a very simple quick bread recipe. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a loaf pan well. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin, applesauce, and oil.

Add the Dry Ingredients

Add in the baking powder, baking soda, spices, and flour, and stir into the wet ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Don’t over-mix the batter!

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake! It should take 45-55 minutes. If it’s getting too browned in the top, cover the pan with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.

Let it cool on a wire rack and then slice! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Starbuck’s Pumpkin Bread FAQ’s

Is pumpkin pie filling the same as pumpkin puree?

No! Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices in it already. This recipe uses pumpkin puree, and if you were to use pumpkin pie filling, it would be much too sweet.

Can I use all applesauce instead of oil?

I have never made it this way, but I have a feeling it would not be quite as moist.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of all of the individual spices?

I think that would work! I would use 1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices.

Would whole wheat flour work in this recipe?

I think it would, but I think white whole wheat flour would work better and yield a better texture loaf.

Will add-ins work in this recipe?

While I’ve only made this as written, you could easily add in 1 cup of chopped pecans, chocolate chips, walnuts, or cranberries. You could also sprinkle the top with pepitas if you’d like.

Like this recipe? Check these out, too!

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread