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Pumpkin Bread With Crumb Topping

Pumpkin bread with crumb topping bakes up a tender, spiced loaf under a thick buttery cinnamon-brown sugar streusel. The crumb forms a caramelized, crunchy crust with a protected top by tenting foil midway through baking.
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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: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crumb topping
  • 0.67 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.67 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
For the bread
  • 1.75 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.33 cup sour cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and crumb topping
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan so it’s ready to fill. Keep the oven fully preheated before baking for even rise.
  2. Make the crumb by cutting cold unsalted butter into all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until large crumbs form. Refrigerate the crumb mixture to keep it from melting into a paste.
Mix the pumpkin batter
  1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. This ensures the spices are distributed through the loaf.
  2. Whisk the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth. Stop when the mixture looks uniform with no streaks.
  3. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Do not overmix so the crumb stays tender.
Assemble and bake
  1. Scatter the crumb topping very generously over the entire top, covering every inch for full coverage. Press lightly only if needed so crumbs adhere.
  2. Bake for 60–65 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean, tenting with foil after 35 minutes to protect the crumb. Check at the low end of the range to avoid overbaking.

Notes

Tip: keep the butter cold and chill the crumb so it bakes into a thick, crunchy streusel layer. Store the loaf covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze wrapped slices up to 2 months. For a lighter swap, use light sour cream in the same amount and expect a slightly softer crumb.