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This pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe is decadent and moist! Rich chocolate and cozy spices are the ideal pairing.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
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‘Tis the season for that popular orange squash. And we just can’t stop making all the treats: pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin French toast. But of course, no season can go by without at least one loaf of that ubiquitous quick bread. Try this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread! The flavor is cozy and nuanced, loaded with spices and topped off with rich morsels of bittersweet chocolate chips. Chocolate and pumpkin are made for each other, and you won’t be able to resist this one (we couldn’t!).

Ingredients in pumpkin chocolate chip bread

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread uses the same ingredients as your favorite pumpkin bread recipe, with the addition of rich chocolate chips. We prefer the rich, dark flavor of bittersweet chips here, but you can certainly opt for semi-sweet if you prefer. It’s also fun to use mini chocolate chips for a fun look. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

  • Eggs
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Brown sugar and granulated sugar
  • Neutral oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Ground ginger
  • Allspice
  • Cloves
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Bittersweet chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
Chocolate chip pumpkin bread

Tips for baking chocolate chip pumpkin bread

This chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe is easier than most: no need for a stand mixer or multiple bowls and pans. In fact, it’s modeled after our Classic Pumpkin Bread and made in just one bowl! Here are a few tips for baking this loaf to perfection:

  • Use an aluminum baking pan for best results. We’ve realized our ceramic and glass pans don’t cook as evenly. Use aluminum if you can!
  • Don’t overmix. Overmixing a quick bread batter leads to holes in the texture of the crumb. Mix until the batter is combined and there are no dry spots remaining.
  • Cover loosely with aluminum foil at 45 minutes. The top can get a bit browned here, so we suggest a little foil after the bread has risen completely.
  • Don’t overbake! Try not to go overboard on the bake time. The internal temperature should be between 200°F and 205°F.

For peak moistness, allow to cool (and store)

Here’s a trick for this pumpkin chocolate chip bread: let it cool fully before serving — and leftovers taste even better! This bread has an even more developed flavor once it is fully cooled: eating it after 2 hours is ideal. It tastes even better as leftovers the next day.

Another trick for peak moisture in a quick bread: you can loosely wrap it in aluminum foil while it cools! That way, all the moisture is trapped inside and infuses into the bread. Just be careful not to touch the chocolate chips with the foil, since they are very soft when they come out of the oven.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Variations

There are so many ways to make a good pumpkin bread. If you have a special diet or are looking for a healthy option, we’ve got you covered! Simply use the same instructions about the chocolate chips, but follow one of the recipes below:

Chocolate chip pumpkin bread storage

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe tastes even better the next day, because it picks up moisture during storage. Here’s how to store this quick bread:

  • Stores at room temperature for 4 days, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil.
  • Stores refrigerated for 10 days. Cold temperatures can make it taste dryer, so bring to room temperature before serving.
  • Stores frozen for up to 3 months. Slice the bread and freeze it in slices for up to 3 months.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

More pumpkin recipes

Love baking with pumpkin? Here are a few more pumpkin recipes you’ll love:

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free and vegan, see the diet variations above.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe is decadent and moist! Rich chocolate and cozy spices are the ideal pairing.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 slices 1x
  • Category: Quick bread
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Fall
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup neutral oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups [210 g] all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cup semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (or mini, if desired)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch aluminum bread pan, then add parchment paper cut so that it fits the width and extends on both long sides, to easily remove the bread once its baked. 
  2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
  3. Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Then whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle in the flour, half at a time, and mix with a spatula until just combined and there are no more dry bits (don’t over-stir). Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. 
  4. Pour the batter into the bread pan and top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.
  5. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with a few clinging crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and pull up on the parchment paper to remove the bread. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  6. Slice into pieces and serve. Stores for 4 days at room temperature wrapped in foil, 10 days in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before serving), or freeze in slices for a few months.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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4 Comments

  1. Denise Miller says:

    This bread is out of this world GOOD.
    Even my pumpkin-disliking-hubby LOVED it.
    I’m thinking you could skip the glaze and use cool whip on top!






  2. Amanda C. says:

    Loved this recipe! Made it with my 3 year old and was a huge hit! Bread was perfect, moist, and delicious!






  3. Jan G. says:

    What type of flour can I use to make this gluten-free?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      It should work with a standard gf flour.