Praline Pumpkin Bread is the perfect pumpkin bread dessert topped with a mouthwatering praline pecan sauce everyone will love!
Fall has to be one of my favorite times of the year. The heat fades and the crisp mornings arrive. And with that change in season comes a change in food, too. Hearty stick-to-your-ribs soups and stews take over for the lighter meals and crisp salads of the warmer months. And people lose their minds… you know what I’m talking about. Everything becomes pumpkin spice flavored. And I do mean EVERYTHING!
And while I poke fun, I honestly can not wait for y’all to make this Pumpkin Bread. It’s seriously the best pumpkin bread that I’ve ever had and… dare I say it… I’m not a big pumpkin fan. Gasp! I know. How dare I, right? But this bread and that sauce… holy guacamole! As my sweet great grandmother would say, “It’s so good, it’ll make your tongue slap your brain out.”
Why is my pumpkin bread gummy?
If your pumpkin bread is too gooey or gummy, it might be because of one of these factors: it’s not fully baked, mixing it too much, measuring ingredients incorrectly, or not letting it cool properly. It’s really important that you follow my recipe to a “T.”
If soon after removing it from the oven you feel like your bread is under-baked, you can return it to the oven for about 10 minutes at 300°F. Just keep in mind this only works right after baking it. Also, check on your bread about halfway through to make sure it isn’t burning. And, that should do the trick!
Should you refrigerate pumpkin bread?
It’s totally up to you if you want to refrigerate your pumpkin bread. It’s definitely not necessary. You can actually leave pumpkin bread at room temperature for 2-3 days, although I doubt it will last that long. If you do want to extend the life of your pumpkin bread, I recommend wrapping it up airtight in plastic wrap and placing it in the fridge. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week. Just keep in mind that the praline sauce will get hard when it’s cold.
How long will pumpkin bread last?
I touched on this a little bit above, but you can keep your pumpkin bread at room temperature for up to 3 days. You could also extend the life of this delicious bread for up to a week if you store it airtight in the fridge. Finally, if you really want to keep this pumpkin bread for a later date, you can place it in a freezer safe and airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Recipe Card
Praline Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 2 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) can real pumpkin
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
For the sauce:
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the pumpkin and water and mix well.
- In another bowl, use a whisk to mix together the flour, baking powered, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be sure to test both loaves for doneness, not just one. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. Top with the Praline Sauce.
- To make the Praline Sauce, combine the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce comes to a rolling boil. Continue to cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the pecans. Allow to cool for 10 minute before pouring it over the warm (not hot) bread.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Kisha Jackson
Hello!
Made this, love this! I got many complements! I have a question though… Can these be converted to muffins? Does anything need to be adjusted?
Thanks so much!!!
I don’t see why not. I’ve not tested it as muffins, but would imagine the only thing that would need to be changed would be a reduction in the cook time.
Laura
Can this be stored on the counter for a couple of days or should it be stored in the fridge?
I want to gift this to someone, but wanted to know will the sauce harden a bit when poured over the bread (which would be great) so that when the bread is wrapped, the icing won’t stick.
Yes, it can be stored on the counter for a few days. The icing will harden a bit as well. Hope your recipient sure enjoys it!
Cathy
Sauce was thick and did not spread on the loaves. Not sure what I did wrong.
Hmmm… I’ve never had that problem. About how long did you cook it?
Helena Ham
Hi Cathy. I believe it can happen if it’s being cooked to long, I tried it as well and I would only cook it for a few seconds or at least under a minute.
Barbara
Did you clarify that 2 2/3 cups of sugar was correct?
Yes I’m positive because it makes two loaves of bread!
Stacy
When you say shortening do you use tender flake or butter or crisco
I wonder because different shortening will change the moistness
I typically use vegetable shortening like Crisco!
Angela Y McKoy
This is my go to recipe but I subbed the pumpkin with sweet potato and it has become a family favorite.
Thank you, Angela! Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it!
Emma Johnston
IS 2 2/3 cup of sugar correct?
Pat Pippin
Is there any substitute or homemade concoction that I can use instead of the sweetened condensed milk. Trying to cut down on sugar. Thanks! Pat
Susan Mccoy
Can sweet potatoes be used instead of pumpkin?
I’ve not tried it that way.
I’m just not sure of one.
Bonnie
This sauce sounds like it would also be good on a Apple Bread.
Yes! 100%!!!!
Linda Dearman
Sauce sounds great,tried it stored in jar in fridge later sliced bread warm bread spoon a little sauce .very yummy
Great idea!!
Joanne | No Plate Like Home
This pumpkin bread looks delicious! Great styling. I like the icing recipe too. I don’t usually see shorteningin quick breads or maybe I’m just not that diverse.
Ha! It’s an old recipe. So many of them opt for shortening over butter.
Joanne @ No Plate Like Home
I’m here again. I keep getting drawn to this recipe. It’s just so luring! I had to pin it. Had to! Perfect for this time of year.
Ha! I will admit, it’s the perfect fall recipe!
Mary B***
Can I use butter instead of shortening ?
You can, thought the end product will be a little different.
Stacie Durman
Would the sauce hold if I canned it and then reheated it for use later? I want to gift this, but I’m afraid the sauce may end up staying too soft and get messy in the packaging.
Hmmm… I think it would be fine for a day or two.
peggy
could i use oil instead of shortening. ?
Yes, but the outcome will be a slightly different texture.
Louise Sutton
All of these recipes looks so delicious to me and, these recipes are easy to follow !!!!
Thanks, Louise! That’s my goal. I want things to be easy and affordable.
Laura
Does the sauce “set” after a bit, or does is stay liquid?
It will eventually harden some and crust over.
Winnie Mom
One can of pumpkin for 2 loaves of bread doesn’t make for a strong pumpkin taste.
Could easily substitute sweet potatoes for this. I do interchangeably for pies.
Pecans are expensive almost anywhere. Here in South GA Sam’s Club had a 2 pound bag of shelled pecan halves for about 14.00 last time I was in there. You could substitute walnuts too or do like I do and use 1/2 of each. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Hope you’ll enjoy! We sure did!
Stacey English
I can’t wait to make this recipe! I’m not a pumpkin fan either but this sounds divine!
It’s so good! We sure loved it!
Doris
Think I will make this it sounds wonderful. I always keep pecans in my freezer.They are high in price.If you know someone whom has pecan trees and you don”t mind shelling them yourself you may get a better price.Thanks Stacy for sharing this recipe.
Great idea! We have several sources, but they can be expensive.
Nana
Oh my-that looks terrific, but what is up with the price of pecanss. One pound of shelled pecans at my local grocery was $18.99. I simply can’t do that budget wise. I looked at Aldi’s -a bag your own grocery, and even there 6.25 oz bag was $5.79. Just curious if they are that high elsewhere.
Joanne
Nana, pecans are high in price everywhere! I just bought a small bag, and did not think to check Aldi’s prices.
Wow! That’s incredible! They’re expensive, no doubt, but I’m not sure I’ve seen them that high. Walnuts will work just fine as a substitute here.
Vickie
Did you poke a few holes in your loaves before pouring that sauce over the top?
I didn’t, but I think that’s a GREAT idea!
Shery
My daughter brought home from work some extra soft bananas. I think I might try the sauce recipe from this very yummy looking pumpkin bread on a loaf of banana bread. Actually, perhaps we can make banana bread and pumpkin bread!
LOL! It would be GREAT on banana bread too!
DEEDEE
instead of using water, could you use buttermilk?
I don’t see why not. 🙂 Enjoy!