Rum Raisin Pumpkin Bread

There are several pumpkin desserts that I make year after year once October rolls around. I thought long and hard about which one of those to share with you first and then I remembered something. This one has rum in it. Sold. You work hard and deserve a little “joy” in your cake. This Rum Raisin Pumpkin Bread will ease you right into Fall…even if it’s still 90 degrees where you live (help).

I love Fall. It’s my favorite season. We don’t experience full-fledged changing of seasons in South Florida. Fall doesn’t happen until late October or November. I wish I could say it involves beautifully colored leaves and crisp evenings, but the change is actually so subtle that if you’re not a local, you’d probably not notice it. So, because it doesn’t feel like Fall outside, I make it feel like Fall inside by turning down the AC while baking my weight in pumpkin treats.

I didn’t grow up eating pumpkin or any other gourd for that matter. It wasn’t a popular food at our Latin table, but not because we didn’t like it. It was just unfamiliar territory. In fact, it wasn’t until my college years that I first tried anything with pumpkin in it. Now, years later, it’s one of the reasons I look forward to Fall.

This Rum Raisin Pumpkin Bread is the perfect way to get you in the cozy spirit of Autumn. The flavors of pumpkin, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves pair beautifully with the sweet, deep flavors of rum. A match made in heaven.

Do you ever wonder why pumpkin bread, banana bread, or any other sweet bread for that matter, is classified as ‘bread’? It’s not bread at all, at least not in the typical sense of the word. These sweet treats are known as ‘quick breads’. A quick bread is a general term for a baked good that is leavened with leavening agents, such as baking powder and baking soda, instead of eggs or yeast. The carbon dioxide released by these agents during baking gives cakes, cookies, muffins and other treats their rise and also their light, airy structure. As their name implies, quick breads are usually quick to make and have reliable results.

This Rum Raisin Pumpkin Bread is definitely easy to make, but there’s a simple step to be made the day before. Maybe that makes this a ‘not so quick’ quick bread. Not to worry though. That step will take less than a minute. It’s just a matter of soaking the raisins in rum where they’ll happily sleep overnight. The next day, they’ll be plump and lively and they’ll bring all sorts of good vibes to your pumpkin bread.

I love this recipe. I came up with it after some trial and error, half a bottle of rum, and a few hiccups. It’s really easy and tastes really special. With a whole can of pumpkin purée and lots of cozy Fall spices, it’s moist, flavorful, and so satisfying. As for the rum, I like using dark rum here. It pairs better with these flavors than a light rum would.

Back to the recipe…once the raisins have soaked, all the ingredients are gradually added to the mixer and the rum and raisins are folded in at the end. It’s baked for about an hour, allowed to cool, and then glazed with a simple rum icing. It’s optional, but I highly recommend it for the extra flavor kick it adds.

This recipe makes enough batter for two medium-sized loaves. I like to use the 8″ X 4″ disposable foil pans that come in a two-pack. I usually keep one and gift the other. But, if you’re feeling greedy (which I totally understand), you can easily freeze the second one for another day.

If you’re looking to soak up the spirit of Fall, bake up this amazing Rum Raisin Pumpkin Bread. It’s so good and so perfect this time of year. Happy Fall!