How to Make Pumpkin Bread Mix Better? 7 Ideas
From Trader Joe’s to Libby’s, Pillsbury, and Whole Foods, numerous pumpkin bread mixes can help you prepare one of the most popular recipes for the fall! I mean, even if you are not much of a pumpkin fan, you surely love pumpkin bread, as it makes an irreplaceable and absolutely delicious festive dessert! But, have you ever worried that the traditional taste might become boring to you and ruin the joy of eating your once favorite fall treat? If that is the case, I will show you how to make pumpkin bread mix better!
Adding more pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, or chocolate chips is just one way to improve the taste of your pumpkin bread mix. What is more, you can make all sorts of variations. Let’s see what those are.
Hacks for Pumpkin Bread Boxed Mix
In order to enhance the flavor of the pumpkin bread mix, you not only need to know what you can combine pumpkin with but also the proper method to prepare pumpkin bread and make it moist. Let’s take a look at some ideas that will make this bread even more delicious (yes, that’s possible)!
Add More Pumpkin
Give your pumpkin bread an extra kick by adding even more pumpkin! That’s right. A real pumpkin fan is never satisfied with the amount of pumpkin in any recipe! So, don’t follow the directions on the box blindly, and just add oil, water, and eggs.
Instead, go ahead and add a can of pumpkin puree to the mix. You won’t regret it! It won’t hurt you to take those vitamins from the pumpkin a little more.
Of course, you can always opt for pumpkin pie spice and enhance that delicious pumpkin flavor even more.
Add Cinnamon and Nutmeg
Nutmeg and cinnamon are known to pair excellently with pumpkin, so it’s only natural to add some extra to the pumpkin bread mix as well!
Whether you are making pumpkin bread from scratch or are using some pumpkin bread mix, these are the essential spices. When using the prepared mix, a teaspoon of each spice should be enough to make it even more delicious.
Add Chocolate Chips
When it comes to cooking, if you are anything like me, chocolate is the first ingredient you add to every recipe you make. Once I hear chocolate is an option, I immediately stop listening to any other. Or, at least for a while, until I realize I will need a healthier option for a change. But let’s get back to the pumpkin-chocolate mixture!
Once you mix 2 cups of chocolate chips with your chosen pumpkin bread mix, just bake it as you would. Another way to add chocolate chips to the mix is to sprinkle chocolate chips once you pour the mixture into a baking pan.
Even vegans can use this hack since a variety of vegan chocolate chips are available!
Add Pecans
Thanks to their sweet taste and buttery consistency, pecans are always a perfect addition to sweet baked desserts, from cakes and biscuits to muffins, pies, and, of course, bread.
So, if you like these super healthy, cholesterol-free nuts, you can add one cup of chopped pecans to the batter or sprinkle some crushed pecans on top before you put your bread in the oven. [2]
Or why not go ahead and add both chocolate and pecans? Or, if you are more into walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts, use them instead. Life is never too sweet.
Put the Glaze on Top
With an easy-to-make glaze, you can give your bread a bit of sweetness or saltiness.
- For the first option, you will need 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or any other flavored extract you prefer, and around 4 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- For the saltier version, combine ½ cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of milk, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, ¼ tablespoon of salt, ¼ tablespoon of cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.
Make it Vegan
Note that these varieties might be more delicious even if you are not vegan. Adding eggs, oil, and water is the original way to make pumpkin bread mix, but many substitutes will make it more versatile.
To adapt this recipe, you can substitute oil with coconut oil or vegan butter and egg with flaxseed egg, silken tofu, ripe banana, or pureed pumpkin.
Use a Trick to Bake it Perfectly
Is there anyone who enjoys eating dry bread? No one. That’s why the most important thing when preparing bread is to bake it perfectly while maintaining moisture and tenderness.
In order to prevent your bread from being underbaked on top and overly soft, you can perform a simple trick. Instead of just testing whether it is baked by inserting a cake tester or wooden skewer in the center of the loaf, you should also do the second test.
This time, you need to insert the skewer into the top half-inch of the loaf, and if it doesn’t come out cleanly, take aluminum foil and place it on the top of the loaf to prevent over-browning. After that, put the pan in the oven again and continue baking.
What Boxed Mix Do These Hacks Work With?
The real beauty of using these hacks is that you can try them with whatever boxed mix you want.
The real beauty of using these hacks is that you can try them with whatever boxed mix you want. Most mixes involve adding water, oil, and eggs, while some call for milk instead of oil. Otherwise, they are pretty much the same, meaning you can try out these hacks with the one you like most.
If you opt for Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Bread, you will also get packets of pecans included in the box, while Libby’s All Natural Pumpkin Bread Kit also comes with icing.
However, if you are allergic to nuts or simply want to avoid them, choose Miss Jones Baking Organic Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix.
Finally, I can’t forget the classic Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix, with its superb intense spice flavor, which can be eaten alone or combined with any of these hacks.
Make Boxed Pumpkin Bread Better
Ingredients
- 1 box Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread Mix
- ⅔ cup Water
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Eggs
- ⅛ cup Chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup Chopped pecans
- ⅓ tsp Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Turn on the oven and wait for it to heat 350 °F (175 °C).
- Grease the baking pan with butter.
- Mix together all ingredients.
- Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake the pumpkin bread until it is cooked (until the toothpick comes clean after checking if it's done). This will take about 50 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
