Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Here’s a life lesson: If you’re going to make one loaf of bread, make two. It really isn’t any extra work and homemade pumpkin chocolate chip bread is more than worth it! I guarantee you won’t be sorry that you made two loaves. This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is soft, moist, fluffy, filled with fall flavor, and bursting with delectable morsels of melty chocolate.

Michigan is finally showing us what a beautiful fall looks like. Beautiful orange-hued pumpkins are turning up everywhere, and I can’t wait to enjoy a slice of this bread (slathered with gingerbread butter) along with my coffee in the morning.

Pumpkin chocolate chip Bread

Healthy ingredients. This recipe uses the whole can (15 ounces) of pumpkin purée, so there’s no waste or leftovers sitting in your fridge. The bread is made with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt so you can feel good about serving it to your family.

Naturally sweetened. This scrumptious pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe is based on my original healthy pumpkin bread. However, instead of sweetening the bread with sugar, this recipe calls for maple syrup. Natural maple syrup adds a more subtle sweetness and the added bonus is the yummy maple flavor. (If you prefer to use sugar as a less expensive option, that’s okay, too!)

Bursting with chocolate. The extra “indulgence” is the chocolate chips. In my opinion, everything’s better with chocolate chips! My kids would agree. They think it’s a holiday anytime I give them anything with chocolate chips.

Great for gifting. Since this recipe makes 2 loaves, it’s fun to brighten up someone’s day with a gift of fresh-baked bread.

Ingredient Notes

• Pumpkin Purée: Make sure that you’re using a can of real pumpkin purée and NOT pumpkin pie filling. These aren’t the same ingredient, and they aren’t interchangeable.
• Eggs: You’ll need 3 large eggs for richness, and to help bind the ingredients together.
• Maple Syrup: I love sweetening this pumpkin bread naturally with real maple syrup. If real maple syrup is a little too pricey for you, substitute 1 cup of sugar instead.
• Greek Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is a healthier alternative to oil and butter, and it makes this pumpkin chocolate chip bread extra soft and moist. Regular plain yogurt or sour cream will also work.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Vanilla enhances the flavor of the bread.
• Flour: I make this recipe with a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. The bread bakes up nice and fluffy while benefitting from nutritious whole wheat. Be sure to lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup so it isn’t compacted.
• Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is a pre-mixed spice blend that you can make yourself (see my tip below), or you can purchase store-bought pumpkin pie spice.
• Chocolate Chips: I like to bake with semi-sweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use any kind that you prefer. Dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips would be delicious, too.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe makes two large loaves of bread. Why not make two loaves, taking the same time you would spend to make one? Same amount of time, twice the return! I love that math for sure.

Prep. While your oven preheats to 350ºF, coat two large loaf pans with cooking spray.

Make the batter. Whisk the pumpkin purée together with the other wet ingredients in a bowl. Next, mix the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. Coating them with flour will help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the bread. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine.

Bake. Divide the bread batter between your two prepared pans, and bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour, or up to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Baking times vary, depending on the size of the loaf pans you’re using.

Cool. Once your loaves are out of the oven, let the pumpkin bread cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. The bread will firm up and be easier to remove from the pans without breaking apart. After you remove the bread from the pans, let it finish cooling on a wire rack.

Tips for Success

• Don’t overmix the batter. The ingredients should be well combined, but don’t get too carried away when mixing. Overmixing the batter will result in uneven baking and dense, tough quick bread.
• Check the loaves for doneness using a toothpick stuck into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, your pumpkin bread is ready to come out. If it comes out with batter on it, the bread isn’t done yet and you should return it to the oven to continue baking.
• Cool the loaves completely on a wire rack before storing them. A warm loaf in a sealed bag produces condensation which results in a sticky, gummy surface on the bread.

Recipe Variations

• Instead of chocolate chips: Try white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips. Mini chocolate chips are wonderful, too. Another option is to substitute 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for the chocolate chips. Toast them first for the best flavor.
• Streusel: If you like a streusel topping, refer to my recipe for pumpkin streusel bread.
• Faster option: Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins bake in only 20 minutes or so. You’ll get all the flavor and yummy smells in only half the time!

Storage Tips

Storage: Once the pumpkin chocolate chip bread has cooled completely, slice it and store it in a resealable bag or tightly sealed container. It will keep for a few days on the counter or for a week in the fridge.

Freeze: Quick breads freeze well. I happen to have a loaf of pumpkin bread in the freezer at this very moment. I usually slice the loaf before freezing it. You can take out as many slices as you need; the slices thaw much more quickly than the whole loaf.