Every fall, without fail, I make at least one loaf of pumpkin bread. Pumpkin bread has become such a quintessential fall treat that the season just feels incomplete without it. I love the warming spices, the lovely orange color from the canned pumpkin, and the beautifully moist interior. There are endless pumpkin bread recipes on the internet so this year, I was hoping to make a pumpkin bread that still had many of those classic pumpkin bread traits and flavors but was a little bit different and had some deeper flavors.
My miso brown sugar pumpkin bread is filled with warming spices, including hints of black pepper and cardamom, has slight caramel undertones from the brown sugar, and a deep complex flavor from the sweet miso. This bread is at its best after it has had some time to sit and let the flavors develop. When I first tried the pumpkin loaf it was delicious, but it wasn’t until the next day that I tasted it again and absolutely fell in love.
I’ve been intrigued by the idea of adding sweet miso (saikyo) to my baking repertoire ever since I tried David Lebovitz’s miso strawberry ice cream. You can’t distinctly taste the miso, but it just adds a slightly savory undertone and a deeper flavor to the vanilla base of the ice cream. Miso tends to pair well with earthy flavors, so I thought it would be a great accompaniment to pumpkin, adding some complexity to the flavor. Miso is also delicious with toasty and nutty flavors so for this pumpkin bread, I chose to use all light brown sugar for the bread to add a slight caramel note. In addition to classic pumpkin pie spices, I added a few turns of freshly ground pepper and a hint of cardamom for added warmth.
Another priority of mine was using the full can of pumpkin. I hate wasting ingredients and while I often intend to use up the remaining pumpkin after making bread, it usually doesn’t happen. Last year, I made Smitten Kitchen’s pumpkin bread, which uses the full can, and I found the texture to be light and moist. I also liked that this pumpkin bread didn’t use a huge amount of oil, so I used her ratio of wet to dry ingredients as the basis for my recipe and tweaked from there. This definitely makes a large loaf with a beautifully domed top, so don’t be intimidated by the quantity of sugar or spices, as it’s really needed to flavor a loaf this big.
If you’re looking to change up your annual pumpkin bread, this is the perfect recipe for you! There’s nothing better than curling up on the couch with a slice of this pumpkin bread, a leaves candle burning nearby (if you know, you know), and a cup of tea.
Miso Brown Sugar Pumpkin Bread
Course: Cakes and custards, BreadDifficulty: Quick bake1
9 x 5 loaf15
minutes1
hour20
minutesThis miso brown sugar pumpkin bread is filled with warming spices, including hints of black pepper and cardamom, has slight caramel undertones from the brown sugar, and a deep complex flavor from the sweet miso. The loaf is light and fluffy and stays wonderfully moist for days. I recommend using sweet saikyo miso if you can find it. If using other varieties of miso, try starting out with a smaller quantity, as those are much stronger and saltier. This recipe needs no additional salt due to the saltiness of the miso. This recipe is perfect for a 9 x 5 loaf pan. If you have a slightly smaller loaf pan like I do (i.e. 8.5 x 4.5), you can reserve a small amount of batter and make 1-2 muffins to avoid overflowing the pan. The base of this recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s pumpkin bread.
Ingredients
1 15-oz can of pumpkin puree
1/4 cup (75g) sweet miso (saikyo)
1/2 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (315g) packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional)
3-4 turns of freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp (311g) all-purpose flour
- For the topping (optional)
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Sprinkle of pepitas or nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease your loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, miso, eggs, oil, and brown sugar. Sprinkle all of the spices, along with the baking powder and baking soda on top and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Pour the flour into the bowl, sifting the flour if your flour has large clumps. Stir just until there are no longer visible flour streaks in the dough. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into your loaf pan and smooth out the top. If your batter fills the loaf pan to the very top, you may need to scoop a small amount out to make 1-2 muffins. Sprinkle the top with 1 tbsp of sugar and some nuts or pepitas if you’d like.
- Bake for about 80-90 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 10-15 minutes before running a knife along the edge and inverting onto a wire rack or cutting board to cool completely. Bread can be stored at room temperature for about 4-5 days. I like to return it to the pan and cover the cut-side with plastic wrap and keep the top out to stay crisp. The loaf freezes well also.
Notes
- Saikyo miso can be found at most Asian grocery stores and is the mildest form of miso, with a lighter and slightly sweeter flavor profile.
- This recipe makes delicious muffins if you prefer to make muffins instead of 1 large loaf. The batter should make about 18-20 muffins, which are great either with or without the sugar topping.
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