INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin Bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
½ cup Local Hive 100% U.S. Honey
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1½ cups pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional, but excellent)

Honey-Pecan Topping:
⅓ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon Local Hive 100% U.S. Honey
1 tablespoon melted butter
Pinch of sea salt

Honey Glaze:
3 tablespoons Local Hive 100% U.S. Honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Toast the pecans.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans for both the batter and topping on a baking sheet and toast for about 6–8 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool, then chop.

2. Prepare the pan.
Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift the bread out later.

3. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

4. Build the honey mixture.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, Local Hive honey, and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the pumpkin and vanilla.

5. Bring it together.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until no dry flour remains. Fold in ¾ cup toasted pecans and the chocolate chips, if using. Don't overmix—the goal is a tender crumb, not pumpkin-flavored construction material.

6. Make the pecan crown.
Mix the remaining ⅓ cup pecans with 1 tablespoon honey, melted butter, and a pinch of salt. Scatter this mixture evenly over the batter.

7. Bake.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55–65 minutes, rotating once halfway through. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. If the top begins getting too dark before the center is baked, loosely tent it with foil.

8. Glaze while warm.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then lift it out and place it on a rack.

For the glaze, gently warm the honey, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts and everything becomes glossy. Do not boil.

Brush or drizzle the warm honey glaze over the loaf. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing so the glaze can settle into the crust.

For the especially gorgeous, sticky-looking finish in the photograph, don't skimp on the glaze. Let the first layer sink into the warm crust for five minutes, then add a second, thinner drizzle across the ridges of the loaf. A final pinch of flaky sea salt makes the honey taste dramatically more complex.

Serve warm with butter. Or, if you simply can't get enough: another drizzle of honey.