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Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread

Snickerdoodle pumpkin bread baked with a cinnamon-sugar crust baked right into the loaf and finished with a buttery outside coating. Expect a golden pumpkin crumb with warm spice and the signature snickerdoodle tang from cream of tartar.
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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 the bread
  • 1.75 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
  • 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
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
For snickerdoodle coating
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp cream of tartar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and coat the pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, and grease a 9x5 loaf pan so the loaf releases cleanly.
  2. Brush the inside of the greased pan with melted butter, then coat with half the cinnamon sugar mixture so a thick crust forms on the bottom and sides.
  3. Set remaining cinnamon sugar aside for the top so it’s ready to sprinkle before baking.
Mix the batter
  1. Whisk the bread dry ingredients until evenly combined, with no visible clumps of spices.
  2. Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth, creating a glossy pumpkin mixture ready to fold in.
  3. Fold wet into dry until just combined, leaving the batter slightly thick and avoiding overmixing.
  4. Pour batter into the cinnamon sugar coated pan, tapping once to level the surface.
  5. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over the top so it bakes into a caramelized crust.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake at 350F for 60-65 minutes until the center is set and a tester comes out mostly clean.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes, letting the loaf firm up without fully chilling.
  3. Remove from the pan while still slightly warm, then brush the outside with melted butter for shine.
  4. Roll the loaf in extra cinnamon sugar so the exterior becomes a snickerdoodle-style coating.

Notes

Pro tip: for the thick crust, make sure the pan is brushed thoroughly with melted butter before adding the cinnamon sugar—this helps it caramelize along the edges. Store wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-sugar option, replace half the granulated sugar and brown sugar with an equal-measure substitute suitable for baking, but keep the cinnamon-sugar coating ratio the same so the crust still forms.