The pumpkin bread recipe Beanie Feldstein makes with her mom

Dan Buffa, Special to the Jewish Light
Published December 13, 2021

While the job description may read “actor,” their lives can dissolve into the normal functions of a human being once they leave the set. Actors still need to pump gas into their car and just go shopping at Target from time to time. They also make special holiday treats with their moms. Just ask Beanie Feldstein.

The Jewish actress joined an impressive ensemble of actors for the October release, “The Humans.” While the title may come off as an end-of-world invasion thriller, it’s just a slow-burning family drama. Taking place on Thanksgiving in a beat-up Brooklyn apartment, a large family of parents, siblings, and a new love gather for the most uncomfortable meal–one that elicits family secrets and misery.

But the dish that Feldstein makes with her mom every November certainly isn’t. Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce you to “Shay’s Simple Pumpkin Bread.”

You may be asking yourself something: how did I get this recipe? And while knowing Mrs. Feldstein would surely be a gas, I can thank A24, the distributor behind “The Humans,” for sending out the favorite recipes of its cast members. Feldstein’s choice was one she makes with her mom, Shay, every fall season.

“My mom, Shay, and I are obsessed with this recipe,” Feldstein writes on the back of the recipe card. “We watch the parade, listen to Carole King and bake two different batches.”

Just because they make it on Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you can’t be made in December, or June for that matter. The nurture of pumpkin bread can be felt throughout the year (I’m talking to you, Starbucks, emperors of pumpkin spice lattes). The secret in Beanie and Shay’s dish is that they don’t limit the output to one piece of dessert.

Isn’t that the worst? Coming to a home for a holiday gathering and there’s one cake for the whole crew. There’s a small amount of joy in the slimmest slice of cake, something Feldstein’s family bypasses in beautifully extra fashion.

“We make one with chocolate chips, for one of my brothers and one with raisins for my other brother,” Feldstein noted. “As the little sister, no one has ever really cared which one I prefer… but if anyone is wondering, I’m team chocolate chips!”

Imagine that. You’re a decently known actress with a growing career, and your brothers dictate what particular ingredient gets put into a dish. All of this confirms the fact that Feldstein is not only a fine actress, she’s also an even greater sibling.

Fans of HBO’s “Succession” may suggest that Feldstein and her mom take a couple batches of simple pumpkin bread over to the Waystar Royco building and calm those hateful souls down. She is just what they need.

If you’re still wondering where you’ve seen Feldstein the movies, track down these few films: “How to Build a Girl,” “Lady Bird,” and “Booksmart.” And she is due to open on Broadway in 2022 as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl.”

This Thursday, I will share my review of “The Humans,” which is streaming at the moment on Hulu, Showtime and Amazon Prime Video. The recipe for “Shay’s Simple Pumpkin Bread” follows below.