10 Store-Bought Pumpkin Bread Mixes, Ranked Worst To Best

There's an abundance of iconic pumpkin recipes to bake every fall. Among the rolls, pies, cookies, cakes, crumbles, muffins, bars, and scones, one preparation will forever have my heart when autumn arrives. Pumpkin bread. Soft, rich pumpkin bread. If you agree with me, you undoubtedly have a favorite homemade recipe. I have my aunt's recipe I've been using for years, baked in emptied soup cans.

But it's been a busy fall season so far. Hoping that my dear auntie isn't reading this, I've been flirting with the many quick bread mixes gracing seasonal end-cap displays in different stores. With no time to waste (these specialty products fly off the shelves), I decided to test out ten different brands of pumpkin bread mixes. Nothing was off the table — I tried options from high-end retailers, classic brands, and alternative-diet options.

To my surprise, a gluten-free option and a budget-friendly choice ranked in higher spots than I expected. I judged each mix on its texture, the balance of its seasonings, and whether the price felt reasonable, then baked, taste-tested, and ranked all 10 from worst to best.

Without a doubt or second-guessing, placing Simple Mills at the very bottom was an easy decision. It made the absolute worst gluten-free pumpkin bread. Its one redeeming quality was the purity of its ingredients, though that pushed the price to over seven dollars. It featured a simple dry blend of almond flour, coconut sugar, dried pumpkin, arrowroot, spices, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.

The short ingredient list was a refreshing sight among the more processed contenders, but any points it gained immediately vanished after tasting it. Its texture was all wrong (dry, spongy, and gritty), and the deeply dark color was an obvious sign that something was off-kilter with the flavorings. The heavy-handed combination of baking spices and coconut sugar made it inedible. Coconut sugar has strong notes of molasses, and when it's not balanced by other sweet ingredients, or when it's mixed with the potpourri power of an excess of spices, it can create a baked good that tastes unintentionally savory. Such was the outcome of the Simple Mills loaf — it was a bad taste that clung for far too long in my mouth, despite repeated swigs of water. Forget this guy. I have a far better gluten-free mix to recommend later.

Simple Mills and CorEats shared many similarities. Both were gluten-free options made with a short list of simple, natural ingredients. CorEats had many of the same, with almond flour as the base and coconut sugar as the only sweetener. Overall, CorEats was the better option, but it still wasn't good enough for me to rank it higher or consider buying it again. At nearly 12 dollars, it was one of the most expensive products in this lineup, with a less-than-impressive result.

At least the spices and coconut sugar weren't overwhelming and unpalatable like they were in the Simple Mills product. In fact, the entire flavor profile was pretty weak and muted, even with the required additions of canned pumpkin and vanilla extract. The texture wasn't too great, either. The almond flour made it noticeably gritty, and it was also spongy.

A quick side note: With zero preservatives, a natural baked good like this one, made with a fatty nut-flour base, should be stored in the fridge after baking, not at room temperature. If you don't store it properly, you'll end up with a rancid piece of trash in a day or two that develops a very off-putting taste. Writing from recent experience...

While nothing could be as bad as the excessively spiced flop from Simple Mills, Great Value didn't do that much better. This one tasted the most artificial out of all the mixes, with a distinctly processed, chemical flavor. Whatever the "natural flavor" ingredient tried to contribute in this recipe, it wasn't helpful. And despite having pumpkin flakes in the dry blend, the loaf didn't taste like a squash-forward product. It was more like a soft, fluffy spice cake than a dense, dreamy pumpkin bread.

It clearly didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be a quick bread, but the cakier base still had a lovely, tender, moist texture. The add-ins to the dry mix were simple: nothing other than water, a couple of eggs, and vegetable oil. 

Costing under three dollars, it was one of the least expensive products. With that in mind, you might be able to overlook the negatives if you're trying to save money, like its processed taste, cake-like structure, or all the tiny crumbs you'll get everywhere after slicing. I should mention it was the messiest option to serve.

Very similar to Great Value, Pillsbury's mix bakes into a spice cake. Again, I was disappointed with its lighter crumb, but I would choose this one over Great Value as it didn't taste as artificial. Overall, the autumnal spices in Pillsbury's bread tasted more natural and pronounced, even though the flavor coming from the dried pumpkin was still underwhelming. But I wasn't too thrilled that Pillsbury added food colorings like Yellow 5 and Red 40 to achieve the right color.

There were some other small advantages to this one. At less than four dollars per box, the inexpensive price point was quite a steal. And I only needed a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, a couple of eggs, and a cup of water — not a lot of extra ingredients (or expenses) compared to other brands that require more per kit. But I still think you should ditch the doughboy and go for some of the higher-ranking options.

Costing close to $ 15 to make a single loaf, the Williams Sonoma Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix blew a hole in my wallet. I was angry. I was confused. I was flabbergasted that this one cost triple (up to even sextuple) the price of the competing brands. And I wasn't letting an intoxicating simmer pot of spices and citrus slices that the Williams Sonoma employee had bubbling on the stovetop behind the register distract me. I had the serious task of judging, and one question I was itching to answer: Would it taste significantly better than all the others?

My answer? No, not really. It was good; I can't deny that. It was subtly sweet, fluffy yet still dense, very moist, with a satisfying combination of spices. But there was so much else going against it. The squash taste was too subtle, another disappointing mix that used flavorless, dry pumpkin flakes. And unlike all the other brands, the recipe required a whole stick of butter, not vegetable oil, which was another expensive addition. Many other brands made loaves that tasted just as good, if not better. And they were all far more affordable. I couldn't think of a good enough reason to spend so much when I could buy a different brand for less, with similar results. The pretty packaging wasn't enough to convince me that this deserved a higher spot.

Out of the three alternative diet products in this ranking, the Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Mix was my preferred pick. I won't feed you the insufferable line that "I couldn't tell it was gluten free," because it clearly tasted like a gluten-free product. There was no hiding that fact. The whole grain sorghum flour, whole grain millet flour, and rice flour all had a distinctly nutty profile to them, which left an odd aftertaste in my mouth after eating a slice.

What brought it up to a higher ranking was that I adored the mix of spices and the texture. Where Simple Mills and CorEats failed, I thought that Trader Joe's excelled. Unlike the other gluten-free brands, the texture here wasn't dry, grainy, or spongy. It was rich, dense, and almost fudgy — exactly what I wanted. I suspected I may have underbaked my pumpkin bread, because the pieces in the very middle were borderline gummy. Even though I could have baked it for ten minutes more than the recommended time in order to have the middle set more, I still thought the slices on either end were perfect to eat while lounging on my porch with a hot coffee during a crisp autumnal morning.

A private-label brand exclusively sold at Aldi, Baker's Corner, made an impressive mix for under three dollars. Despite a pretty long list of additives among the ingredients, like potato starch, palm shortening, xanthan gum, and carboxymethyl cellulose, the loaf tasted surprisingly homemade. I enjoyed the spice blend, especially the strong ground ginger flavor that gave the loaf a unique personality compared to other brands that focused more on cinnamon as the primary spice.

I took issue with the addition of annatto, a coloring agent popularly used in American cheese to give it its iconic yellow color. I hoped the mix's pumpkin powder would have been enough to yield a naturally orange hue. Its more open crumb structure was also a negative. Even though it was still very moist, it produced an uneven, slightly spongy texture compared to the more compact, indulgent loaves I ranked higher.

Miss Jones Baking Co. made a loaf that was 100% hearty, 100% wholesome, and 100% natural. This organic dry base mix had only six main ingredients: cane sugar, whole wheat flour, pumpkin, spices, baking soda, and salt. The instructions provided an option to add canned puree along with the dry ingredients, eggs, oil, and water. I chose to add the canned puree, and I wasn't disappointed. The visual appearance was stunning. Without any added food colorings, this was the most vibrantly orange baked good, and it actually tasted like real pumpkin. The texture was super moist, with an ideal balance of fluffiness and compactness.

The one potential downside, and this is all based on your own personal taste preferences, is that the whole wheat flour might be too overpowering. Since the mix used only whole wheat flour, it had a rustic, rough-around-the-edges charm. I would only buy it if you like the cruder, earthier taste of whole wheat flour compared to a more delicate all-purpose flour. I was a big fan and was happy to rank it in third place. That said, two other brands offered a more classic approach that really hit me with the autumnal feels.

Trader Joe's gave me the dense, compact structure I absolutely adore in quick breads. While many of the other competitors struggled with texture, ranging from fluffy and cakey to stiff and spongy, Trader Joe's confidently delivered a rich consistency. Even with all that density and weight, it still baked within the timeframe specified in the instructions, 55 to 60 minutes. It rose very well without a sunken, gummy middle, and cut into beautifully tall, clean slices.

Supported by well-rounded levels of sweetness, earthiness, and spiciness, I thought this product was a huge success. Unlike most lower-ranking products, the dried pumpkin flakes in this recipe added plenty of flavor and natural color. At less than four dollars per box, it was also one of the more affordable options. The quality was high, the expense was low, and the satisfaction was off the charts. But one other product still beat it, for good reason.

Libby's Classic Pumpkin Bread Kit takes the cake... er, quick bread! The ideal culmination of all my criteria, Libby's earned its first-place ranking. Simply put, it tasted like a classic, nostalgic pumpkin bread at a cost-effective price. At close to six dollars, the kit included all the dry ingredients I needed to make two loaves, plus a whole can of Libby's 100% pumpkin puree and a bag of powdered sugar for an optional glaze. This bang-for-your-buck approach was a big bonus, especially since all the other mixes made only one loaf. I loved being able to make two loaves at once without having to buy two separate dry mixes. The other loaf is currently in my freezer, awaiting its turn in a few months after I take a much-needed break from consuming a large amount of carbs in very little time.

The loaf was pretty perfect. It had an even crumb and a dense, moist structure that wasn't doughy. It had a magical mix of distinct warming spices, and the combination of both dried pumpkin and puree amplified the sweet earthiness of the squash flavor. Even though the Libby's brand ranked somewhat in the middle of Chowhound's canned pumpkin brands review, it made a delicious baked good. With all that to enjoy, I completely forgot to drizzle the glaze on top. I didn't need it, but I'd still like to try it eventually. Good thing I still have the other one in my freezer.

I evaluated the products based on ingredients, appearance, taste, and texture. Although cost wasn't in my original criteria, it became a major focus — with prices ranging from $2.42 to $14.95 — and I wanted to see whether the cost matched the quality of the finished baked product.

For flavor, I considered the balance of pumpkin, warming spices, sweetness, and any overpowering aftertastes. Texture mattered, with higher scores for loaves with a denser, more compact structure that weren't excessively gummy or doughy. Sponginess, excessive cakiness, and dryness all counted against a mix. I also looked at ingredient quality and nutritional information, paying attention to whether each product contained real pumpkin, included additives, preservatives, or artificial flavors and colors, and required additional ingredients beyond the mix itself.

Evaluating aroma was futile, since the entire baking process made my house smell like an autumnal paradise all day. I also didn't assess ease of preparation closely, since all the mixes could be prepared by hand in a single bowl and baked the same way. I used a standard loaf pan, the style most home bakers own, lightly greased and lined with parchment paper.