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Cozy Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

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This isn’t just another pumpkin bread recipe. It’s the one I reach for when I want something that feels special but requires almost zero fuss. The nutty, toasty flavor of brown butter infuses every single crumb, topped with a crunchy streusel for the ultimate fall treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (245g) canned pumpkin puree (100% pure, not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the Streusel Topping:
  • ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the Butter: Place the ½ cup of unsalted butter in a small, light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently with a rubber spatula or whisk. The butter will melt, then foam, and then start to crackle and pop. After a few minutes, the foam will subside, and you’ll see tiny brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring until it smells wonderfully toasty and the specks are a deep amber color (about 5-7 minutes from start). Immediately remove from heat and pour into a hea…
  2. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the exposed sides of the pan with a little butter or non-stick spray.
  3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Whisk the Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar until well combined. Whisk in the two room-temperature eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Finally, whisk in the pumpkin puree until fully incorporated and the batter is smooth and glossy.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold them together gently. Stir just until no streaks of flour remain. A few lumps are fine — do not overmix.
  6. Make the Streusel: In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Add the 2 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs. If using nuts, stir them in now.
  7. Assemble and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top, gently pressing it into the batter so it sticks. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
  8. Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bread out of the pan and transfer it to the wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Don’t walk away from the brown butter — it can burn quickly. Room temperature ingredients matter for proper emulsification. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling. For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure flour. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, brown butter, streusel, fall baking, pumpkin recipe, easy pumpkin bread, brown butter pumpkin bread

Find it online: https://ariaappetite.com/cozy-brown-butter-pumpkin-bread-with-streusel-topping/