Pumpkin Bread and Southern Autumns

It’s almost October, and I can feel that familiar pull toward all things warm and spiced. Back in the Northeast, this was always the season when the air turned crisp, the trees glowed in shades of amber and gold, and the first real chill made you reach for a sweater. Now that I’m in the South, the air still clings to summer, but my cravings remain the same. When the weather won’t quite cooperate, I’ve learned that baking is the perfect way to bring fall indoors.

This week I made pumpkin bread, a recipe that feels like the heart of autumn. It is soft, spiced, and comforting, and the kind of bake that makes your whole kitchen smell like October.

Cozy Pumpkin Bread Recipe

What you’ll need
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)
• 1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
• ½ cup melted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

How to make it

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Gently fold the dry mixture into the wet until just combined.

5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I love a slice warm from the oven with a little butter, though cream cheese makes it even more indulgent. No matter how you enjoy it, pumpkin bread is one of those simple joys that makes a space feel instantly cozier.

So even though the palm trees outside are still swaying in the heat, inside my kitchen it feels like fall. And for me, that is enough to welcome October the way it deserves.

From my home to yours,
Olivia