The 3-Ingredient Quick Bread I Am Making on Repeat This Fall

For a super fast and delicious fall treat, make this three-ingredient pumpkin bread. It takes less than five minutes to whip up the sweet, moist, and spiced loaf and the recipe is easy to tweak.

Angled view of a loaf of pumpkin bread on a marble cutting board with two slices in front and one on a plate to the side — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

I don’t care what anyone says; as soon as we hit September 1st it is fall. Is it still in the 80s without an orange-tinged leaf in sight? Yes, but who cares? I will bask in the autumn-ness at the earliest possible date, and for me, that’s as soon as the calendar ticks over to September.

Once I give myself permission to enter fall mode, it’s all things pumpkin, spice, and apple. We’re talking cozy, especially when it comes to sweet treats. And even though I’m much more inclined to bake once we hit the later months, it doesn’t mean I want to do a lot of work. I’m still transitioning out of my lazy summer mode, so I have to balance that with my need for fall treats.

That’s where this three-ingredient pumpkin bread comes in. It takes me five minutes to whip up the batter, including the time it takes to open the can and line the pan. In fact, I’m ready to go well before my oven finishes preheating. Perfect for easing into the cooler months.

The best part? It tastes like a delicious pumpkin loaf without any of the hassle. You don’t even need a mixer. All you need is a can of pumpkin, a couple of eggs, a box of spiced cake mix, and a love for autumnal flavors.

Overhead view of a loaf of pumpkin bread on a marble cutting board with two slices in front — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Bread

To make one loaf, you’ll need:

1 cup canned pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1 (13.25 to 15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
Raw or demerara sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch or 9x50-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom and longest two sides with a strip of parchment.

Add the pumpkin and eggs to a medium bowl. Use a whisk to beat together until completely combined. Switch to a rubber spatula and add the boxed cake mix. Mix just until no pockets or streaks of dry mix remain. The batter will be thick.

Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top. If desired, top with a generous sprinkle of sugar. Bake until a skewer or cake tester inserted comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes (the smaller the pan, the longer the bake time).

Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan, then lift out the bread using the parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cooled leftovers, tightly wrapped, for up to two days on the counter or four days in the fridge.

Overhead view of a loaf of pumpkin bread on a marble cutting board with two slices in front and one on a plate with a fork to the side — Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Upgrade This Pumpkin Bread

This moist, spiced bread is great as-is, especially if you top it with cinnamon butter or cream cheese and a drizzle of honey. It’s also easy to tweak.

For a sweeter bread, use pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin purée.
Add up to 2/3 cup chocolate chips to the batter.
Add 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.
Top with a simple cream cheese frosting. Whip together 4 ounces of softened cream cheese, 2 ounces of salted butter, and a splash of vanilla. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat, adding more 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency you like. Use to frost the cooled bread.