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5 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread with Cake Mix

Moist and rich with your favorite Autumn spices, this super simple pumpkin bread with cake mix recipe will wow you. Made with just 5 easy ingredients, you’ll have a loaf baking in record time.

Cake mix pumpkin bread loaf with 2 slices cut laying on parchment paper

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Whether it’s the Fall season or not, the sweet taste of pumpkin bread invites that warm, cozy feeling you only get from fresh homemade baked goods.

And let’s talk about how wonderful your kitchen smells when a loaf of pumpkin bread is baking!

If you’ve ever avoided making bread because it seems too involved, you’re in for a surprise. This 5-ingredient cake mix pumpkin bread uncomplicates homemade. 

Seriously, you only need cake mix, instant pudding, a can of pumpkin puree, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. You’ve got this!

This pumpkin bread, made with instant vanilla pudding and cake mix is a great one to cook with kids. 

Make and freeze a double loaf in a snap. 

A nice warm-from-the-oven loaf of pumpkin bread with vanilla pudding is the perfect treat for sharing with friends and neighbors too.

And if you love this pumpkin bread recipe, you will love our 3 ingredient pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, 4 ingredient banana bread, and zucchini bread recipes too!

Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post: 

  • Exactly what you’ll need to create a loaf of delicious 5 ingredient pumpkin bread with cake mix
  • Step by step instructions for how to make this recipe
  • The best way to store your pumpkin bread after it’s baked

If you want the easiest, fastest way to make 1 loaf of moist and tasty pumpkin bread, you’re in the right place. Let’s go!

Bowls filled with ingredients needed to make pumpkin bread from cake mix and instant pudding

How to Make 5 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread with Cake Mix

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

STEP TWO: Add the vanilla pudding, pumpkin puree, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice into a bowl. Mix well to combine.

Collage of images of ingredients being added to a bowl and being mixed together with a whisk

STEP THREE: Add in the spice cake mix, and mix until just blended. Overmixing the batter can cause the middle to sink down when cooked.

I use Duncan Hine’s Perfectly Moist Spice Cake Mix for this recipe, but any 15.25oz of spice cake mix will work!

STEP FOUR: Grease a 9×5 loaf pan, and add the pumpkin bread batter into the pan. I use a Wilton Loaf Pan because it’s nonstick and has been of great quality to work with for a great price.

I also love to use parchment paper in the pan to get the loaf out in one easy piece for slicing!

Raw pumpkin bread in a loaf pan with parchment paper around it

STEP FIVE: Place in the oven and cook for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

STEP SIX: Let cool for at least 10 minutes then remove from the loaf pan.

Feel free to top it with your favorite storebought frosting, my homemade cream cheese frosting, or leave it plain (it’s just as delicious)!

If you love pumpkin flavor, you will love these recipes that use up leftover pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin puree!

What If I Can’t Find Spice Cake Mix?

No worries! You can easily turn a white or yellow cake mix into a spice cake by mixing just a few spices together and adding them to the batter.

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Overhead picture of finished pumpkin bread in a loaf pan with parchment paper under it

How Do I Know When my 5 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread is Done Cooking?

You can test to see if your pumpkin bread is done by sticking a toothpick or skewer into the thickest part of the loaf.

If the toothpick or skewer comes out clean, your pumpkin bread is done. If it doesn’t come out clean, put it back into the oven for 5 more minutes and try again.

I always recommend having a container of toothpicks nearby when cooking that you can easily grab like these toothpicks that come in a cute and helpful holder.

Two slices of pumpkin bread with cake mix on a white plate with a dollop of butter on one slice

How do I Store my Pumpkin Bread with Cake Mix?

Let it cool on a cooling rack until it is no longer warm at all. At that point, you can put it in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.

On the kitchen counter, your pumpkin bread should be good for up to 4 days, if it’s not all eaten first. In the fridge, it will last a week.

Can You Substitute Pumpkin Pie Mix for Pumpkin Puree?

No. The Pumpkin pie mix has sugar and spices already added. It won’t work for this recipe. We recommend using plain, canned pumpkin puree. 

Cooked 5 ingredient pumpkin bread with 2 slices in front on a parchment paper

What Can I Add to this Pumpkin Bread Recipe?

You can boost the flavor, texture, and complexity of your cake mix pumpkin bread by adding 1 cup of any of the following: 

  • chocolate chips
  • white chocolate chips
  • raisins 
  • chopped dates
  • walnuts
  • pecans

Other Recipes You’ll Love:

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Yield: 12 servings

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread with Cake Mix

Cake mix pumpkin bread loaf with 2 slices cut laying on parchment paper

An easy way to make pumpkin bread with just 5 ingredients! Just 5 minutes of prep and deliciously moist pumpkin bread results!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Optional

  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add the vanilla pudding, pumpkin puree, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice into a bowl. Mix well to combine.
  3. Add in the spice cake mix and mix until just blended. Overmixing the batter will cause the middle to sink in more. Mix in the chocolate chips if using.
  4. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and scoop the pumpkin bread batter into the pan.
  5. Place in the oven and cook for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Let the pumpkin bread cool for at least 10 minutes then remove from the loaf pan.

Notes

Can't Find Spice Cake? Add the following to a white or yellow cake mix to make your own spice cake mix!

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 381mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 30gProtein: 5g

This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.

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samantha

About Samantha

I’ve always had a love of cooking and creating new recipes, so it only made sense to create a food blog so I could share those recipes with you. This site is designed to provide easy and flavorful recipes with as little ingredients as possible. That means you still get great flavor combinations without all that extra time and effort. Read more...

6 thoughts on “5 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread with Cake Mix”

    • I have not tried that out to see if it works, but I don’t see why not if it’s the same amount and completely pureed.

    • I have replaced sweet potatoes in this recipe. I used approximately 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes. I added chocolate chips and walnuts! It was yummy! I love being able to use cake mix as a base!

    • So glad you enjoyed it Debra! I love the idea of walnuts in the bread too! We actually just made a batch of this pumpkin bread this weekend with some chocolate chips too. It’s so easy!

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