In the early days of the Friendship Bread Kitchen, the only recipes I had were ones with super easy swaps. Every recipe worked off the main Amish Friendship Bread recipe with a simple addition or deletion–use chocolate instant pudding instead of vanilla, add 1 cup chocolate chips, substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar, and so on. None of it was rocket science, of course, but it was great to be able to glance at a recipe and know immediately if it was something you wanted to make.
This recipe for Pumpkin Spice Amish Friendship Bread is one of the first “Recipes at a Glance.” It actually has more than a couple of swaps, but one look will tell you if you’re on board or if you’re going to give this one a pass (suggestion: don’t. It’s really good!).
Recipe at a Glance
- reduce cinnamon to 1 teaspoon
- reduce oil to ⅓ cup
- substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar
- substitute pumpkin spice pudding for vanilla plus ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- add 1 cup canned pumpkin
- add 1 cup mini chocolate chips, nuts, fruit
The other great thing about this recipe is that LOTS of people have tried it, which means more feedback and options. Our personal favorite is the addition of chocolate chips to this recipe, but people have tried combinations of dried fruit and nuts, like raisins and chopped walnuts or dates and chopped pecans.
Kitchen Friend Becky Lewis tweaked the recipe to reduce the amount of oil in the recipe. “I added only ⅓ cup of oil, 15 oz of pumpkin (you can use a tad less), no pudding mix and ½ cup more of sugar. The bread didn’t have an oily taste and it turned out perfect.”
Kitchen Friend Teresa M. Rue also found a way to make the recipe her own and offers an awesome kitchen tip as well. “My changes to this recipe include the use of 2 eggs, 1 can of pumpkin, 1 cup of walnuts along with the other ingredients listed and omit the pumpkin pie spice,” she says. “I used 6 mini-loaf pans and baked them for 35 minutes.” And that brilliant kitchen tip? “Measure the oil first and then measure the starter using the same cup. The starter will slide out easily.”
For Kitchen Friend Desiree DiFabio, baking is a family affair. “We used two boxes of French vanilla pudding instead of the pumpkin spice pudding, then added the pudding mix with the canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to give the bread a rich, creamy, decadent flavor. Everyone we’ve shared it with so far thinks it’s our best, yet!”
Pumpkin Spice Amish Friendship Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1 small box pumpkin spice instant pudding (if not available, substitute with vanilla pudding mixed with ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
- In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients as listed.
- Grease two large loaf pans.
- Dust the greased pans with half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture of ½ cup sugar and 1½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Pour the batter evenly into loaf or cake pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture on the top.
- Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- ENJOY!
Notes
>> Have you tried this? Share your best pic with us or leave a comment below and let us know how it worked for you!
What size can of pumpkin do you use? 15 or 29oz?
I love the recipes of the different flavors to choose from especially this time of the year it’s great to give your special friends a great gift
Can you make cupcakes with this mix? and how long would you cook them?
If I am using the no starter recipe, how much of it do I use for the Amish friendship pumpkin bread? Is it 1cup like it is for the regular starter?
Hi Cindy! We haven’t tried using the starter-free substitute for this recipe, so you’ll have to experiment somewhat to get the bread to the consistency you want. However, we would probably recommend trying 1 cup and going from there. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for answering. I really messed up the whole cinnamon and sugar thing, but it was delicious anyway. Making some more this week and will try it the correct way.
: )
Let us know how it works out, MJ! We’d love to see pictures if you end up taking any! You can post them on our group Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/amishfriendshipbread
Can you clarify this recipe? It’s confusing. You say put all ingredients in the bowl, Then in the directions you say put half the cinnamon sugar mixture containing half the sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon into the prepared pan. There is only 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in the recipe and the recipe calls for brown sugar not(white?) sugar. I making this for guests this evening I hope it turns out as I only put half the sugar and half of the cinnamon in the batter.
I’m sorry that was confusing, MJ. The 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon are separate from the sugar and cinnamon that is called for in the recipe. This separate mix of sugar and cinnamon is split evenly with the amount you put on the pans and the amount you put on the top. However, the recipe should still turn out (even with less sugar and cinnamon in the bread)! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Just tried this recipe tonight. I didn’t want a heavy cinnamon flavor so I used a dash of ground cloves in place of the cinnamon but left the pumpkin pie spice. I also tried orange extract instead of vanilla. It is fantastic. Looks like my friends will have to wait another 10 days to get their starter cuz I’m using all of it.
I have been making this recipe since 2011. I make it every fall & EVERYONE loves it and wants more! I buy pumpkin pudding in bulk whenever I can get it, JUST for this recipe. Thanks so much!
Yay! That’s so great to hear, Bethany! It’s such a crowd pleaser, isn’t it? Happy holidays! ~Darien
This receipe is amazing. Definite pumpkin taste but not overpowering. The only thing after it sits for a day in my tupperware it get a little watery on the bottom, still tastes great but draws moisture.
Any ideas on how to avoid that?
Great question, Janice! The first thing is to make sure it cools COMPLETELY on a wire rack before you store it. Some people will line the bottom of their storage container with a paper towel for the first day or so to pick up any excess moisture (you’ll want to remember to remove/replace it if it gets damp). The other solution is to freeze part of the bread if you don’t plan to eat it right away. 🙂 xo Darien
I’m just wondering. If you take the 1 cup of starter mix out to make the pumpkin bread do you still follow the ingredients to cook the other loaf or do you alter it being you are making 2 different loaves?
It was done for sure, and then I baked the next one 10 minutes longer and it shrank to half the size it came out of the oven. It tasted good, but I couldn’t believe how much different it was from the regular bread recipe.
Love your website! It always makes me hungry! I’m featuring your post in my Top 10 Thanksgiving Recipes & Crafts post.
Thanks, SusieQTpies
http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/2012/11/Thanksgiving-Recipes-Thanksgiving-Crafts.html
Made this yesterday and it was quite tasty, w/out being too spicy. Sprinkled walnuts on top, but next time will put into batter itself. A definite keeper!
I have been baking Friendship Bread for many years, and this has to be one of my very favorite recipes. I use 1 box french vanilla pudding and 1 box pumpkin spice pudding (I stock up when in season). I add pecans to the top before baking. I get requests for this bread more than any other one. Thanks for a great recipe!
Sounds really good
Yum! I baked this pumpkin bread today. It is very yummy! 5 stars–! I used 1 box pumpkin instant pudding ( its in season now in grocery stores). I have a walnut tree so I’m fortunate to have my own nuts. I used 1 cup each of following ingredients : chopped walnuts, mini choc chips and dates It made 6 mini breads and I baked for 38 minutes – this recipe is a keeper!
thank you for the starter recipe i moved to TN and had no starter and my grandkids love Amish bread
Direction #4 says to “see below”. How far below? LOL. I don’t see where it says how much of this mixture to use to dust the pans with. Thanking you in advance.
Just made this today and absolutely love it! Not only that, it smells so good while it’s baking!
When you say “large loaf pans” what size is large? I am going to try and start a starter batch and am reading up on the receipes and notice most call for the large pans. Thanks so much for your help.
9″ loaf pans work great, Sharon!
I want to try this recipe. My family is having an Oct family get together and I volunteered to make an Amish cake. So, I was turned between a pumpkin and carrot. I just couldn’t make up my mind which would go over best. So, I have decided to just make the pumpkin and add raisins and 3 shredded carrots. I will try it once and if it comes out well, then that will be the one I will make for the dinner. And I will bake it in a 9 x13 pan. I also am thinking of making a Carmel glaze to drizzle over the top.
Any comments on my idea? Would love to hear them.
I will take a picture of my creation and will comment on how it turned out. But where do I send the picture?
I made the Pumpkin Spice Amish Friendship Bread and added 3 carrots to it and baked it in a jelly sheet pan and it turned out wonderful and so yummy too.
Faye…caramel glaze sounds great. and should be a good finishing touch for the bread..what’s the recipe for it?
i hope this doesn’t sound too stupid, but when it says 1 cup starter, does that means you dont you all of the starter that’s left in the bowl after you take out your 4 one cup starter to pass out? that you would maybe make 3 starter’s and on the 4th use it to make the pumpkin recipe?
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad I found the Friendship book and this site 🙂
I havent made bread this year yet, but every time I have made it in the past I have 2 cups of starter left after I take out the 4 to give away. I’m assuming you just use 1 cup of the starter and you can save the other cup or give it away too.
Freeze the other cup.
I want to make this with Teresa’s changes, except I want to add both raisins & nuts (probably 1 cup each). I would like to bake the bread in a 9 X 13 pan. Can anyone give me an idea as to how long it should bake? TY!
Will do-and thanks for the speedy reply. I’ll keep an eye on the time too.
Till its done…seriously depends I usually have to cook my bread about 1hr and 20 minutes..I make 6 loaves at a time..
I love Pumpkin and I love Amish Bread….so will definetly have to try this recipe! I would love to win a book too!!
I have used vanilla pudding (pumpkin not available) and added pumpkin pie spices to my liking and it was awesome! I’ve been making Friendship bread for over 20 years and it still tastes wonderful. I would love to win the book. Thanks from Mansfield, Ohio
this is one of the best variations that I have tried, I love pumpkin so I just hoped this would be good so with out a doubt it was. Thank you I so enjoy the recipe box
Cherri
Topeka KS