Meg's Pumpkin Bread Recipe & Why Pumpkin is More Than a Fall Trend

October 06, 2026 Becca Lemmon

I've always believed the best skin care starts in the kitchen. Pumpkin is one of the reasons why — rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fruit enzymes that nourish your skin whether you eat it or apply it topically. Here's my favorite pumpkin bread recipe — and why pumpkin deserves a lot more credit than most people give it.

Meg's Pumpkin Bread - Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1—15 oz. can pumpkin (or real pumpkin pureed)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease two 8"x4" loaf pans and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients — flour, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs until well combined.
Add the pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients and mix well.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans.
Bake at 325°F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Tip: Reserve 1 cup of batter and mix in 1 tsp of extra cinnamon. Swirl it into the top of each loaf just before baking for a beautiful spiced ribbon throughout.

Pumpkin Benefits Inside & Out

Pumpkin is packed with benefits for your body. Every bite supports healthy eye function, a strong immune system, heart health, digestion, and healthy skin.
Eaten regularly, pumpkin feeds your skin from within. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A and travels to skin cells, protecting against UV damage, supporting cell renewal, and slowing visible signs of aging.
Vitamin C builds the collagen your skin depends on. Pumpkin is one of fall's richest natural vitamin C sources, supporting elasticity and firmness from the inside out.
Applied topically, pumpkin gently resurfaces and brightens. Fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids encourage cell turnover, revealing smoother, brighter, more even skin underneath.
Antioxidants protect what's already there. Vitamins A, C, and E work together to neutralize free radicals and defend against environmental damage.

Pumpkin Products For Pumpkin Lovers

Pumpkin Chaga Tea: Minnesota chaga and real pumpkin steeped into a rich, smooth, caffeine-free blend. Toasty pumpkin spice, warm ginger, and clove deliver immune support and antioxidant benefits in every sip. Perfect alongside a warm slice of pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Bread Soy Candle: 100% clean soy wax. All the warmth of a kitchen that's been baking pumpkin bread all afternoon, but without turning on the oven. Baked pumpkin, brown sugar, and warm spice fills your space with the coziest fall comfort.

Pumpkin Salt Bar: Sea salt exfoliates and remineralizes, cocoa butter moisturizes, and earthy warm pumpkin wraps you in the feeling of seasonal change. This fall salt bar provides a cozy cleanse that leaves skin velvety smooth.

Pumpkin Vanilla Body Silk: Real pumpkin puree, jojoba, kokum butter, and silk protein leave skin silky smooth and cashmere soft. A warm pumpkin and vanilla aroma feels like fall in its sweetest form.

Pumpkin Clove Soap: Pumpkin pulp gently exfoliates, certified tallow locks in moisture, and clove purifies and encourages circulation. A warm spiced pumpkin aroma smells like fresh pumpkin fields and simmer pots in fall.

Pumpkin Bath Bomb: Magnesium and coconut, olive, and apricot oils soften skin and melt muscle tension. An earthy sweet pumpkin and autumn spice aroma fills the whole bathroom.