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Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

Copycat Starbucks pumpkin bread with a moist, dense orange crumb and a signature pepita seed topping. Baked until a toothpick comes out clean, then cooled briefly for clean slicing from a greased loaf pan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp cloves
Wet ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
  • 2 tbsp raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat & prep the pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt until evenly combined and no streaks remain.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, water, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
Combine and fill the pan
  1. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture just until combined, then pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
Add the pepita topping
  1. Toss raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) with sugar and cinnamon, then scatter them evenly over the top of the batter so the loaf is well speckled.
Bake
  1. Bake for 60-65 minutes at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, with the top looking set and lightly browned.
Cool & slice
  1. Cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes before slicing so the crumb firms up for clean cuts.

Notes

For the closest Starbucks-style texture, avoid overmixing once flour is added—stop as soon as you don’t see dry streaks. Store the sliced loaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; it also freezes well for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use a neutral oil or replace half the vegetable oil with unsweetened applesauce, keeping the rest the same to maintain moisture.