Baker’s Corner Pumpkin Quick Bread & Muffin Mix

I don’t typically buy boxed pumpkin bread mixes or ready-made pumpkin bread at stores because I have an excellent pumpkin bread recipe that I make every year. However, as a connoisseur of all things Aldi, it seemed like a good idea to try the boxed pumpkin bread and muffin mix the discount grocer sells in the fall.

Baker’s Corner Pumpkin Quick Bread & Muffin Mix cost $1.79 for a 14-ounce box at the time of publication. The box states it’s made with real pumpkin (it contains pumpkin powder).

This is an Aldi Find, which means it’s only in stores for a short time. Aldi does not offer online ordering for its specials after they’re gone from your local store.

Ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

Ingredients include sugar, unbleached enriched wheat flour, pumpkin powder, dextrose, potato starch, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, wheat protein isolate, palm shortening, baking soda, salt, carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, spices, and natural yellow powder (including turmeric).

If you’re watching out for allergens, this contains wheat.

Nutrition information. (Click to enlarge.)

There are 12 servings per container, with one 33-gram serving netting you 120 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), no cholesterol, 160 mg of sodium (7% DV), 27 grams of total carbohydrates (10% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 15 grams of total sugars, 14 grams of added sugars (28% DV), and 2 grams of protein.

The back of the box has directions for making pumpkin quick bread or pumpkin muffins. Both recipes call for the same amounts of added ingredients (water, vegetable oil, and eggs), but the oven temperatures and bake times are different. Otherwise, turning this mix into a pumpkin-y treat is as simple as mixing all the ingredients together, giving the batter a stir, and pouring it into a loaf pan or muffin tin. It really is quick and easy.

The bread after baking.

I chose to make pumpkin bread rather than muffins. I used a metal loaf pan, and the bread was done baking in my oven after 40 minutes. The bread is moist, aromatic, and full of spiced pumpkin flavor. The spices have a bit more bite or kick to them compared to the homemade recipe I usually make; I’m thinking this mix might be heavier on the ginger. Overall, though, this is good for a boxed mix, and I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again if I needed pumpkin bread or muffins in a hurry. Don’t forget to pick up some whipped cream — Aldi even sells pumpkin spice whipped topping this time of year — to top your bread with.

No one will know it’s not made from scratch.

The recipes are as follows:

Pumpkin Quick Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 box of pumpkin bread mix
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 whole large eggs

Directions: 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees for metal pans or 325 degrees for glass pans. Grease an 8″x4″ loaf pan using nonstick cooking spray or shortening (if using shortening, dust pan with a small amount of flour).
2. Stir quick bread mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl until just blended. Batter may be lumpy.
3. Pour batter into the loaf pan.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Bread will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Cool 15-20 minutes. Remove the pan and allow to cool completely.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients: 

• 1 box of pumpkin bread mix
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 whole large eggs

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place 12 paper baking cups in a tin with regular-sized muffin cups (or grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray or shortening).
3. Stir quick bread mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs until just blended. Batter may be lumpy.
4. Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
5. Bake 14-17 minutes or until the centers of the muffins bounce back when touched.
6. Cool 10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to cool completely.

The Verdict:

Baker’s Corner Pumpkin Quick Bread & Muffin Mix makes it easy to make seasonal baked goods in less time. Just add water, vegetable oil, and eggs and bake. This is on the spicier side compared to other pumpkin breads we’ve had, but it’s good, especially if you add a dollop of whipped cream on top of your slice.