How to Make Delicious Pumpkin Bread From Fresh Milled Flour
Some links in this post may be affiliate links. That means I might make a small commission on qualifying purchases if you click the link. There is no extra cost to you.
This fresh milled flour pumpkin bread is moist, tender, and filled with the deep, rich flavor of soft white wheat, pumpkin, warm spices, and toasted pecans. A thick layer of cream cheese frosting turns it into a simple fall quick bread that is special enough to serve for dessert.
I do not usually spend much time making my baked goods look pretty, but Maddy decorated this one for me. She dusted cinnamon over the cream cheese frosting in a plaid-style design, and it made the finished bread look especially beautiful and autumn-ish.
My family loved this bread and ate it as dessert. If you prefer more frosting in every bite, bake the batter in an 8-by-6-inch casserole dish instead of a traditional loaf pan. The thinner bread gives you a wonderfully generous icing-to-cake ratio.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bread
- It is made with 100 percent freshly milled soft white wheat.
- Pumpkin and buttermilk keep the crumb moist, tender, and very soft.
- Coconut sugar and fresh wheat give it a deep, rich flavor.
- Toasted pecans add a little texture and nuttiness.
- The cream cheese frosting makes it feel more like dessert.
- You can bake it as a traditional loaf or as thinner squares in a small casserole dish.
The Best Wheat for This Recipe
I tested this pumpkin bread with soft white wheat. It is a good choice for quick breads, muffins, cakes, and other baked goods where you want a soft, tender texture rather than the stronger gluten structure needed for yeast bread.
Weigh 240 grams of soft white wheat berries and mill them shortly before mixing the batter. Using the weight keeps the flour amount consistent even when freshly milled flour is fluffy or settles in the measuring cup.
If you are new to milling grain at home, visit my Fresh Milled Flour guide for help getting started. You can also find more from-scratch ideas in my Recipe Index.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Pumpkin Bread
- Freshly milled soft white wheat flour gives the bread its soft crumb and rich whole-wheat flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda help the quick bread rise.
- Pumpkin pie spice brings the familiar warmth of fall baking.
- Pumpkin puree adds flavor, color, and moisture. Use plain pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling.
- Buttermilk helps create a tender texture.
- Coconut sugar adds sweetness and a deeper flavor than white sugar.
- Melted butter adds richness.
- Eggs hold the batter together and contribute to its soft texture.
- Vanilla rounds out the pumpkin and spice flavors.
- Toasted pecans add a nutty crunch throughout the bread.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
The frosting is a simple mixture of softened cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. If it is thicker than you want, add cream one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a spreadable consistency. You can also add vanilla if desired.
Finish the frosted bread with a light dusting of cinnamon. You can sprinkle it freely or use strips of paper as guides to make a simple plaid-style pattern like Maddy did.
Two Tested Pan Options
I tested this recipe in two different pans, and the pan you choose changes both the shape and the baking time.
Traditional 9-by-5-Inch Loaf Pan
Use a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan for a classic pumpkin bread shape. Mine baked for 70 minutes and yielded approximately 18 half-inch slices.
8-by-6-Inch Casserole Dish
Use an 8-by-6-inch casserole dish for a thinner bread with more frosting in each bite. Mine baked for 45 minutes and yielded 12 squares.
Ovens and pans can bake differently, so begin checking the bread near the end of the suggested time. It is ready when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
How to Make Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Bread
1. Prepare the Pan and Mill the Wheat
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your chosen pan, or line it with parchment paper to make removing the cooled bread easier.
Weigh and mill 240 grams of soft white wheat berries.
2. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisking distributes the leavening and spices evenly throughout the flour.
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, coconut sugar, melted butter, and vanilla until evenly combined.
4. Make the Batter
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold them together just until no dry pockets of flour remain, and then fold in the toasted pecans. Avoid continuing to stir once the batter is evenly mixed.
Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes so the freshly milled flour can absorb the liquid.
5. Bake
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- For a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, bake for approximately 70 minutes.
- For an 8-by-6-inch casserole dish, bake for approximately 45 minutes.
Because every oven and pan behaves a little differently, use the time as a guide. Check the center with a toothpick before removing the bread from the oven.
6. Cool Completely
Let the pumpkin bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove it from the pan and place it on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before adding the frosting so the cream cheese frosting does not melt.
7. Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the softened cream cheese and butter with the whisk attachment until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
If necessary, add cream one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the consistency you prefer. Add vanilla if desired.
Spread the frosting over the completely cooled pumpkin bread and dust the top with cinnamon.
Tested Chocolate-Chip Variation
I also tested mini chocolate chips in the batter, and they were excellent with the pumpkin and warm spices. You can use them when you want a sweeter, more dessert-like variation. Add them according to your preference, either with or in place of the pecans.
How to Store Frosted Pumpkin Bread
Because this pumpkin bread is topped with cream cheese frosting, cover and refrigerate any leftovers. The bread can be served chilled or allowed to sit briefly at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Soft white wheat is the grain I tested in this recipe. It produces a moist, tender, very soft quick bread and complements the pumpkin and spices without requiring all-purpose flour.
Yes. I tested the recipe in both a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and an 8-by-6-inch casserole dish. The loaf baked for 70 minutes, while the thinner casserole version baked for 45 minutes.
Insert a toothpick near the center. The bread is ready when the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. Check the bread rather than relying only on the clock because ovens and pans vary.
Yes. Mini chocolate chips are a personally tested variation and taste excellent in this batter. Add them according to your preference, either with or instead of the pecans.
No. Allow the bread to cool completely before spreading on the cream cheese frosting. Frosting a warm loaf can cause the frosting to soften or melt.
Yes. Cover and refrigerate leftovers because the topping contains cream cheese.
Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Two mixing bowls
- 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or 8-by-6-inch casserole dish
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- 1 Tbs baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup plain pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz toasted pecans chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- Cream as needed, added 1 tablespoon at a time
- Vanilla optional, to taste
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or an 8-by-6-inch casserole dish, or line the pan with parchment paper.
- Weigh and mill 240 grams of soft white wheat berries.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, coconut sugar, melted butter, and vanilla until evenly combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Fold just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the toasted pecans.
- Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes so the freshly milled flour can absorb the liquid.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake a 9-by-5-inch loaf for approximately 70 minutes, or bake an 8-by-6-inch casserole for approximately 45 minutes. Because ovens vary, check for doneness with a toothpick inserted near the center. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs and no wet batter.
- Cool in the pan for approximately 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter with the whisk attachment until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add cream one tablespoon at a time if the frosting needs to be thinned. Add vanilla if desired.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled pumpkin bread. Dust with cinnamon before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Kim is a homeschooling mama of 5 who has been teaching her children at home since the very beginning — from preschool through high school. Over the past decade, she and her family have built a homestead from the ground up, starting with meat and egg chickens, growing into a large garden, and learning to preserve their harvest.
She taught herself to sew 13 years ago through books and early YouTube tutorials, and has been making modest, affordable clothing for her girls ever since.
Cooking from scratch became a necessity and a passion as her family learned to eat more nutritionally and live more frugally. She tests all of her sourdough and fresh milled flour recipes on the kids to ensure they’re delicious and nutritious.
At Plain Living, Kim shares what she’s actually lived — not theory, but the real skills she’s picked up through years of trial, error, and love for her family and home.
